Pape Matar Sarr’s brace ensured honours ended even with Wycombe Wanderers in the first of two senior pre-season friendlies for us on Saturday.
The midfielder fired us ahead inside 13 minutes of the behind-closed-doors clash at Hotspur Way before finishing off a cut-back from lively young winger Tynan Thompson to level it up after Junior Quitirna’s double had given the visitors the upper hand.
Thompson was one of multiple youngsters who featured in the closing stages, with the majority of the starting line-up given a significant amount of game time by Thomas Frank ahead of the Club’s trip to Luton Town later in the day, with a different set of players in line to feature. Some of the youngsters who appeared in the second period against Wycombe will also be back in action in our Under-21s’ friendly at Woking later.
Wilson Odobert was an electric influence on the right flank in what was his first action of pre-season. He set up Richarlison – also playing for the first time this summer – for an early shot while Pedro Porro’s low free-kick was blocked by goalkeeper Mikki van Sas before we took the lead on 13 minutes, Odobert’s shot saved by van Sas with Sarr on hand to convert the rebound.
Pedro Porro, Richarlison and Odobert all threatened as Wanderers hardly had a glimpse at goal, but just beyond the half-hour mark they equalised out of nothing, Quitirna’s low drive from 18 yards out taking a slight deflection and squirming through Brandon Austin. Wycombe had a little spell of pressure after that but Cristian Romero’s clever defending ensured they couldn’t capitalise.
Four minutes after the break, though, Wycombe did manage to edge ahead when Quitirna blasted high into the net following a ball in from the left. Pedro Porro almost found an immediate response, his driven shot taking a big deflection and hitting the top of the crossbar, but we continued to control the flow of the game and were level once more on 64 minutes as Thompson’s low delivery from the left flank was rammed home by Sarr.
Thompson could have got on the scoresheet himself on a couple of occasions thereafter but fired just wide after cutting in from the left and again missed the target after being played through by Callum Olusesi a few moments later. Fellow Under-18s player Luca Williams-Barnett saw a late free-kick blocked by the wall, with the match ultimately ending all square.
Goals: Spurs – Sarr 13, 64; Wycombe Wanderers – Quitirna 32, 49.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
Venue: Hotspur Way, Enfield.
Weather: Light cloud, gentle breeze, 21 degrees.
Attendance: Behind closed doors.
