The Northampton Town Football and Education Programme Elite squad won 4-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the National Football Youth League South Premier Division on Wednesday afternoon.
Spurs controlled the opening stages, with Billy Panter blocking a shot with his legs and a forward hitting the outside of the post via a deflection.
Louey Franks set-up two Cobblers chances midway through the first half. His cross was headed narrowly wide by captain Jack Culwick, and Romeo Ingman allowed the defender’s pass to run across his body before forcing the ‘keeper into a save from the tight angle.
The hosts took the lead on the half-an-hour mark when Culwick flicked Franks’ throw-in onto Ingman, who smashed into the roof of the net from 10 yards.
Spurs looked to respond with Panter making a one-on-one stop with his feet and an attacker sending a strike wide from distance.
However, the Cobblers doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Mmenim Ekop rode two challenges in the box and fired past the ‘keeper at the near post.
The forward came inches from scoring again early in the second period, cutting inside and hitting the post with a low shot.
The hosts were in the ascendency, and they were gifted another opportunity when Panter’s kick was mis-controlled by a defender. Ingman ran onto the loose ball and drove towards goal before attempting to lob the ‘keeper from long range, but he failed to hit the target.
Substitute Rojus Kuzminskas made an instant impact less than a minute later, having an effort from a tight angle beaten away by the ‘keeper before adjusting his feet and turning home the rebound.
Spurs pulled a goal back against the run of play on the hour when Panter managed to reach a close-range header, the ball looped into the air and an attacker bundled it over the line.
The visitors began to dominate the contest and create chance-after-chance. Their next clear opportunity was a free-kick awarded on the edge of the box, which was curled around the wall and pushed away by Panter.
Despite being under lots of pressure, it was the Cobblers who would threaten the opposing defence late on.
Kuzminskas intercepted a loose pass and side-footed towards goal, the ’keeper made a fingertip diving save and Badero’s follow-up was blocked by a covering defender.
Badero had another attempt cleared off the line shortly afterwards. The midfielder controlled Ingman’s ball across the face of goal from the byline, took it past a defender and poked towards the target.
Sub Giancarlo Mercuri flicked Daniel Collin-Kolawole’s corner over the ’keeper and into the back of the net to end any hopes of a Spurs comeback in the final minute of normal time.
Cobblers: Billy Panter, Kyle Stratford, Mackay Dewar, Louey Franks, Jack Anderton-Gill, Mmenim Ekop, Romeo Ingman, Jack Culwick, Gabriel Badero, Daniel Collin-Kolawole, Jahmai Akande
Substitutes: Kyran Yeomans, Rojus Kuzminskas, Giancarlo Mercuri, Ollie Galbraith