Tottenham 3-0 IF Elfsborg. A defining night in the blossoming careers of 3 shining stars. Tyler Hinton unravels last nights game, that saw dreams turn into reality.
Ange Postecoglou’s frown was turned upside down, by three academy boys who lived their dream last night in North London. Amidst a dreary run of form, a droughty January transfer window and a mounting dialogue of poor ownership and insufficient management, Tottenham fans were finally given something to smile about. Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi and Mikey Moore put three past Swedish side Elfsborg and sent Spurs directly into the Europa League round of 16.
An uneventful first half, kept spirits low, with fans anxious that an Elfsborg upset was on the cards. An injury stricken Tottenham, couldn’t find a way through the dogged defensive wall the Swedish outfit had built. A triple substitution at the break by Ange, still wasn’t enough to break the deadlock.
Yet another man down for Spurs, with Romanian central defender Radu Dragusin, going to ground, clutching his knee. With a lack of experience on the Aussie’s bench, Ange made the decision to bring on “veteran” youngster Dane Scarlett.
10 days prior to the substitution, Dane Scarlett was finding his feet at Oxford United, on his third loan spell in a three-year period. That loan was terminated, seeing the 20-year-old academy prospect recalled to his boyhood club. A mere 5 minutes had passed before the young man from Hillingdon, London, finally reaped the rewards of his dedication. Dejan Kulusevski cut inside onto his left foot, 10 yards or so from the edge of the box, and swung a beautifully weighted ball into the box. Scarlett made a darting run that split central defenders Gustav Henriksson and Sebastian Holmén, giving him the space to guide the ball into the back of the net, with a composed and well-executed header. Jubilation for the fans, relief for Postecoglou, but most of all, a first Tottenham Hotspur goal in the career of Dane Scarlett.
11 minutes later, 19-year-old Damola Ajayi, awaited his Tottenham debut. Replacing a recovering Richarlison, Ajayi was given an opportunity to strut his stuff. After warming the Spurs bench for just his fourth time ever, Ajayi wasted no time in ensuring his name wasn’t quickly forgotten. 3 minutes of erratic ball chasing, desperate to make an impact, the determined Ajayi received the ball off Pedro Porro on the right flank. Ajayi quickly glanced up before gliding through the middle of Rami Kaib and Niklas Hult and then evading the challenge of Besfort Zeneli. He then knocked the ball into the feet of Scarlett, who returned the pass immediately. Ajayi took a touch that rolled just inside the box, which allowed him to strike the ball into the bottom right. A finish beyond his years, with the buildup play being nothing short of sheer quality. Ajayi wheeled off ecstatically, knee sliding to the roars of the Lilywhite wall. Damola Ajayi scored a European goal on his debut, not bad for a 19-year-old.
As the game was dying down, Eflsborg’s valiant defence was gappy. Mikey Moore battled Zeneli for the ball 35 yards from goal and came out on top. His tenacious drive had the Elfsborg defence back peddling. Moore arrived at the edge of box, committing two defenders, whilst fainting the shot, and dragging the ball further right, before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner. The reverse shot that went through the legs of defender Terry Yegbe was clinical enough to put a third past goalkeeper Isak Pettersson. That goal 10 seconds from the final whistle made history. Moore became the youngest Englishman to score a major European goal, at just 17 years and 172 days old. Breaking the record of arguably Tottenham’s greatest player of all time, Jimmy Greaves.
Whilst Tottenham’s season hasn’t exactly been bright, the future certainly is. Playing with passion, flair and no fear, maybe the Tottenham squad could learn a thing or two from these three young lads.
Excellent article that accurately sums up the evenings football and perhaps will give the senior members of the team something to think about with such promising young players waiting on the sidelines 👌