Reserves draw 3-3 with strong Birmingham side

Sounds like Taarabt had a good game. I do think he shd be given at least one start this season.

Clive Allen's reserve side took a point away from a cracking match against their Birmingham City counterparts at Solihull Moors FC. We found ourselves two goals down after 15 minutes but fought back to even go ahead at one stage before settling for a 3-3 draw in the Barclays Reserve League South.

Our goalkeeper David Button was first called into action after nine minutes when he did well to stop a low Daniel De Ridder effort. But his resultant corner was met by Martin Taylor, and his looping header was bundled over the line by Jake Jervis. Things went from bad to worse on 13 minutes when another De Ridder set-piece was turned in at close-range by Garry O’Connor to make it 2-0. Chances for the home side were coming thick and fast as they dominated the first 20 minutes, and Button made further stops from Jordan Mutch and Jared Wilson. But then the game turned on its head.

We pulled a goal back on 33 minutes when David Hutton got in-front of his defender to slot Kyle Fraser-Allen’s cross home after good work from the winger. It may have come against the run of play but it certainly gave us the confidence to push for an equaliser. It should have come on 37 minutes when Adel Taarabt played a neat one-two with Mtandari but fired straight at keeper Colin Doyle from six yards out. But two minutes later, the young Frenchman went on a solo run through the Birmingham back line and cleverly chipped over the on-rushing Doyle for Tomas Pekhart to nod home.

Birmingham did finish the half the stronger, but Button was equal to injury time efforts from Jervis and Mutch. But we continued our momentum after the break and got our noses in front on 52 minutes. More good work from Fraser-Allen set up Taarabt and he slammed home a deserved goal. We could have given ourselves a two-goal cushion just three minutes later, but Hutton dragged a shot wide having been put in the clear by the in-form Taarabt.

We were left to rue that missed chance on 62 minutes when De Ridder broke down the left hand side and hung a ball up to the back post where O’Connor climbed to head home his second of the evening and level the scores up. The home side were back in the ascendancy and had good calls for a penalty turned down when Cian Hughton appeared to upend O’Connor in the box on 70 minutes. But no further clear-cut chances were created by either side, and the draw was a fair reflection after a thrilling night of football.

Line-ups:
Spurs: Button; Gunter, Archibald-Henville, Martin, Hughton; Fraser-Allen, Mtandari, Kasim (Hutchins, 77), D Hutton (Obika, 77); Pekhart, Taarabt
Subs not used: Jansson, Olsen, Mason

Birmingham: Doyle; Wilson, Taylor, Queudrue, Schmitz; De Ridder, Sammons (O’Brien, 56), Mutch, Aydilek (Joyce, 46); O’Connor, Jervis (Sheldon, 77)
Subs not used: Lyness, Hubbins

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