Women’s Under-19s suffer Foxes defeat despite Pierre’s double

Jhanaie Pierre bagged a brace in a much-improved second-half display for our Women’s Under-19s, but it wasn’t enough to stop Leicester City from taking all three points in the Professional Game Academy League on Wednesday afternoon.

Facing the league leaders at Hotspur Way, the visitors quickly showed their quality and charged into a three-goal lead by the 55th-minute – Crista Chetcuti-Ganado and Samantha Kaczmar with strike in the first period before Jenna Whinney added a third after the break – but our youngsters didn’t dwell on the setback and showed plenty of spirit to spark a potential comeback.

Pulling a goal back through a stunning lobbed effort from Pierre just a minute after the visitors’ third, the young forward then drilled low into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit to one as we entered the final quarter of the game.

We pushed for the equaliser in the closing stages, but we were unable to breakthrough Leicester’s backline again as they strengthened their position at the top of the Division Two table.

Sabiha Jamal welcomed the return of Grace Breen and Erin Radbourne into the starting XI, while there was also a first start for Under-16s defender Evie Sharpe. The Foxes started the opening minutes strongly and carved out some early opportunities, Kaczmar dragging a scuffed effort wide followed by Chetcuti-Ganado drilling low and straight into the hands of Radbourne, but those two would then link up in the ninth minute to open the scoring in the contest.

Kaczmar sent a low ball into the middle of the box and Chetcuti-Ganado guided a first time effort into the top right corner. Radbourne was on hand to block Amya Hammond-McLean at the back post, but it became two on the midway point of the first period, a long ball over the top sending Kaczmar through and she lifted it over Radbourne and into the roof of the net. Matters could have got worse five minutes before the break when Holly-Mae Elmes brought down Hammond-McLean and the referee had no choice to point to the spot, but the Leicester forward was unable to convert and dragged her spot-kick wide of the target.

Our best opportunity of the first half came on the stroke of half time after Pierre, who produced some lovely footwork on the halfway line to start the move, fizzed a low ball across the face of the goal, forcing a Leicester defender to the ball clear off the line and left us with a two-goal deficit at the break. We upped the tempo once the game restarted, Rania Oukriss’ shot from the edge of the box gathered at full stretch by Phoebe Baker, but we were handed a major blow eight minutes into the second period, Whinney latching on a moment of miscoummication between Elmes and Radbourne to advance through clear on goal and slot home into an empty net.

However, two minutes later and a moment of brilliance from Pierre pulled a goal back. After some excellent pressing to force the Leicester defender into a mistake in her own half, Pierre then stopped Baker off her line and, from around 30 yards out, she lobbed the ball over Foxes’ shot stopper to spark a potential comeback. We were indebted to a fantastic save from Radbourne, getting a strong hand on Beau King’s effort from close range, to keep us within touch of the visitors.

As we entered the final quarter of the game, we managed to cut the deficit down to one and create a nervy finish to the clash. All starting from a brilliant pass by Heidi Hills into Oukriss, she advanced inside to play out to the left to Pierre, who produced a lovely first touch to set herself on the far side of the box before drilling low into the bottom corner for her second of the game. With the momentum in favour for the closing stages, we pushed Leicester back and us on the front foot, failing to capitalise on a number of corners, but the away side stayed resolute and we were unable to find the breakthrough for a third time and ultimately left disappointed in the end to not come away with anything.

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Pierre 55, 74; Leicester - Chetcuti-Ganado 9, Kaczmar 20, Whinney 53.

Referee: Gulam Damji.

Venue: Hotspur Way.

Weather: Sunny, 15 degrees.