Arsenal 0 - 3 SPURS Yeates, O'Hara, McKenna :grin:

Our reserve side got back on the winning trail with a fine 3-0 win over Arsenal at Barnet.

Goals from Mark Yeates, Jamie O'Hara and Kieran McKenna provided the reward from an impressive display that put a young Arsenal team on the back foot for much of the encounter.

There was little incident of note in the opening 18 minutes where our team were assigned the task of attacking downhill and, while the football was pretty fluent, Vito Mannone in the home goal was not being tested.

Just before the 20 minute mark, Charlie Lee picked out Adel Taarabt, who combined with Andy Barcham and the move resulted in Taarabt flashing a shot just wide.

Two minutes later the lead was secured in some style, with Taarabt showing good skill down the right flank and dispatching a measured cross that the advancing Yeates nodded past Mannone with a precision finish.

Jamie O'Hara went close and Barcham was not far off capitalising on a clever through ball from Yeates as Arsenal were being placed under serious pressure at the bottom of the Underhill slope. A Reto Ziegler drive from the left hand corner of the penalty area also had Mannone scrambling with uncertainty.

Arsenal responded with a volley from Mark Randell that Ben Alnwick did well to grab at the second attempt before Jay Simpson sped through, rounded Alnwick and shot goalwards. It took an excellent diving headed stoop by Leigh Mills to prevent a leveller before the break.

The home side had a good chance to level just after the interval when Alnwick punched clear a cross that fell to Randall who volleyed back goalwards and the keeper was forced into a smart stop.

The advantage was doubled on 55 minutes when Kieran McKenna cleverly played the ball into the path of O'Hara inside the penalty area and the midfielder thumped home from close range.

The deficit was nearly reduced after Phil Ifil was adjudged to have bought down Giorgos Efrem inside the box. Jay Simpson netted, but the referee ordered a re-take and Alnwick saved the second attempt.

The goalkeeper later saved excellently from a low drive from Nacer Barazite, Henri Landsbury was dismissed for a second yellow, before McKenna raced through in the final minute and fired beyond Mannone to cap a memorable night for the boys.

Hopefully it is a good omen for Wednesday night.

Key Action:-
20mins: GOAL 1-0 Taarabt cross nodded home by Yeates for deserved lead.
Half-time: Arsenal 0-1 Spurs
55mins: GOAL 2-0 McKenna played in O'Hara who drilled in from close range.
63mins: Alnwick saves penalty after referee orders re-take.
90mins: GOAL 3-0 McKenna speeds through and slots beyond Mannone.


THE LINE-UPS

Arsenal: Mannone, G Hoyte, Rodgers, Ogogo, Dunne, Lansbury, Barazite, Efrem, Randall, Simpson, Steer.
Subs: Szczesny, Parisio, Lokando, van den Berg, Murphy.


Spurs: Alnwick, Ifil, Ziegler, Mills, C Lee, McKenna, Yeates, O'Hara, Barcham, Taarabt, Daniels.
Subs: Martin, Forecast, Hughton, Fraser-Allen, Pekhart.


Clive Allen provides an injury update on those currently absent from his Reserve Team group.

Dorian Dervite
It is very unfortunate that he picked up a nasty knee injury against Norwich City (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and it is going to be a long job for him. We feel for him, but hopefully he will come back stronger from it.

Lee Barnard
Lee had surgery last week and everyone is very confident that the problem he had has been found. He required the surgery to really give him back the mobility in his ankle that has caused him difficulties since the start of the season. We hope now he will have a speedy recovery and it won't be too long before he is back in the fold.

Simon Dawkins
Simon has made progress, he's had hernia repairs and has suffered one or two problems resulting from that. He is on the mend again, it has settle down well over the last couple of weeks and he shouldn't be too much longer on the sidelines either.