Under-21s undone by Boro

A second-half goal from James Rowswell wasn’t enough as our Under-21s suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough on Friday night.

Unable to fashion much in the attacking areas during the first period in the face of an aggressive, physical challenge from the visitors, we fell behind shortly before the interval when Layton Campbell headed home from close range.

Jack Daley also nodded in at the back post from a corner to double the visitors’ lead just prior to the hour mark and although Rowswell pulled one back with a header of his own soon afterwards, we couldn’t mount a comeback and instead it was Boro who continued to push, Rio Patterson-Powell having a penalty saved by Carey Bloedorn before our former Academy defender Archie Baptiste blasted into the top corner from distance to seal the win for his side.

Middlesbrough were on the front foot from the get-go with Campbell seeing an effort sail fractionally wide just seconds after kick-off, Brayden Johnson later firing a low shot at Bloedorn and Dan James flicking a near-post header from a corner off-target as most of the early exchanges took place in our half.

Rowswell delivered a superb cross from the right that neither James Wilson nor Leo Black could take advantage of while Callum Olusesi fired wide as we probed for a way through, but after Bloedorn blocked James’ effort at his near post, it was Boro who broke the deadlock three minutes before the break, Frankie Coulson afforded enough space on the right to deliver a cross for Campbell to head home from a central position.

Pele Arganese-McDermott saw an up-and-under header in the wake of a corner cleared off the line while Reiss Russell-Denny’s run and shot ended with the ball being deflected wide for a corner in the opening stages of the second half, but we suffered a big blow on 59 minutes when Daley squeezed in a header at the back stick from Coulson’s corner, leaving us with it all to do.

Rowswell handed us a lifeline on 64 minutes when he nodded Rio Kyerematen’s cross in off the base of the post after Russell-Denny’s corner wasn’t fully cleared but five minutes later a big moment went against us when Bloedorn was harshly adjudged to have brought down Patterson-Powell in the box – thankfully, though, the keeper made a confident low save from the latter’s powerful penalty to keep us in the game at 2-1.

Johnson and Campbell fired wide for Boro, while arguably our best chance to draw level came and went on 82 minutes when Matthew Craig showed tremendous strength and determination in midfield to spring us forward, but Russell-Denny’s eventual shot was straight at goalkeeper Owen Foster. However, Baptiste, who joined Boro after leaving our Academy last summer, made sure of the win for his side with seven minutes left, getting the better of substitute Elisha Sowunmi after Bloedorn had punched cleared Oliver Samuels’ left-wing cross to unleash a rocket into the top corner from distance. Dante Cassanova sent a late free-kick just over the bar at the other end, but it proved to be a disappointing night as we suffered a second consecutive Premier League 2 defeat.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Rowswell 64; Middlesbrough – Campbell 42, Daley 59, Baptiste 83.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Black 38, Bloedorn 69; Middlesbrough – James 85, Johnson 90, Dede 90+6.

Referee: Abigail Byrne.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Light rain, gentle breeze, seven degrees.

Attendance: 227.