Premier League 2 Home (Hotspur Way) Won 6-1
Spurs returned to winning ways after four matches without a win in great style putting six goals past a poor Middlesbrough side.
It was an attacking start by Spurs that saw Oliver Irow bring a save out of the Boro keeper, but in the fifth minute, Yusuf Akhamrich found the net on the left side from a narrow angle and Tottenham were ahead. Irow added to the lead in the 19th minute when a great run by Rio Kyerematen through the middle of the pitch provided the striker with the opportunity to switch the ball to his left, unbalancing two defenders before firing low to the keeper’s right.
Boro weren’t helping themselves with keeper Connor passing the ball out from the back, straight to Callum Olusesi, who side-footed it straight back past the goalie into the empty net from 20 yards out just a minute after the previous goal. That goal came in the 20th minute and Akhamrich almost added his second of the afternoon, striking a great volley at the far post to a cross from the other flank, but as he hit the ball across goal, it drifted just wide of the far post.
The frustration that the Boro players were feeling exhibited itself in the 33rd minute, when Nkrumah was booked for a petulant push on Max McKnight as he got away from the visiting striker. Spurs continued to press on the Boro goal, with good passing moves such as Maeson King playing a ball down the left in behind the defence for Irow to run onto and he looked to play a little through pass for Kyerematen but it was intercepted. From the corner, Kyerematen dribbled the ball along the dead-ball line but his shot was blocked at the near post.
The fourth Tottenham goal came in the 39th minute, and it was Akhamrich on the mark again. Picking up the ball wide on the left from King’s throw-in, he turned away from two Boro players marking him and ran into the area, looking to go right, he lost the two men against him as he moved the ball onto his left foot and rove a low shot across the keeper.
Irow was leading the line well and was found by a long pass from King, making his way into the box, but his effort was blocked by Hunt. Just before half-time, a crude hack at Tyrese Hall by Cartwright brought another yellow card as it was the only way he could prevent the Spurs midfielder moving forward to the Middlesbrough goal. The visitors did have a shot in the 45th minute, but captain McCormick fired it so high, it cleared the fencing behind the goal. Maeson King picked up a booking for a late tackle on Lennon in added time before the interval.
Half-time must have come as a relief to the Middlesbrough players, but the onslaught continued after the break. It was another bad pass out by the keeper that allowed Damola Ajayi to take the chance gratefully by lifting it past the keeper as he dived in front of him. With 30 minutes left, there was still plenty of time to hammer home the dominance Tottenham had in this match and Stott was booked for a nasty tackle on Ajayi in the 65th minute as Boro struggled to contain the Spurs attacks. Ajayi went looking for another goal, but put his shot just a foot wide of the keeper’s left hand post.
The visitors did put the Spurs goal under some pressure with 15 minutes left, with Dante Cassanova making a fine intervention as a low ball was aimed at the Boro centre-forward in the six yard box, however, the clearance fell to Stott on the edge of the box, but sub keeper Elliot Krasniqi (coming on for the unwell Maguire at half-time) got right behind the low drive. Five minutes later Yusuf completed his hat-trick when dazzling the defenders with his footwork inside the left corner of the box before driving his shot across goal to find the bottom corner. With time ticking out, sub Coulson put a low ball across goal for Bakre to tuck away in the only thing that spoiled the day for Spurs, who were hoping for a clean sheet.
45+2, Dante Cassanova, Alfie Dorrington, Rio Kyerematen 