From the OS: Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in the first half as our Spurs XI team toppled a Birmingham City XI 6-3 in a training ground friendly on Tuesday. John Bostock, Tom Carroll and recent arrival Souleymane Coulibaly were also on the scoresheet in an open, entertaining encounter at Spurs Lodge. Another new arrival, Cristian Ceballos, looked lively in a 90-minute shift. The first half certainly belonged to Kane as he provided a masterclass of finishing to complete his treble in the space of just 14 minutes. The visitors - with a familiar face on the sidelines in new boss Chris Hughton - took the lead in the fifth minute but we levelled 20 minutes later when David Bentley picked up a poor defensive clearance and Bostock fed Kane, who fired low into the corner from 18 yards. It was soon 2-1 as Bostock swept home Andros Townsend's cross at the far post. Townsend, as always, provided a constant threat down the left. The third goal arrived after 34 minutes as Kane rose to power home his header from Ryan Fredericks' cross. The young forward made it 4-1 with his hat-trick goal, calmly lobbing over the advancing goalkeeper after Carroll sent him clear. The Blues pulled a goal back just before the break but we were back on the front foot at the start of the second half as Coulibaly, Ceballos and Massimo Luongo all went close. It was no surprise that it was 5-2 just after the hour and a fine team goal as Coulibaly spun away from his marker before playing in Kane who drilled in a low cross finished first-time by Carroll. Birmingham enjoyed a good spell after that, pulled it back to 5-3 and forced David Button into a couple of fine saves. But Coulibaly had the final word when he battled for possession in the left channel, turned inside his defender and then hit an unstoppable curler into the top corner for 6-3. Spurs XI: Cudicini (Button, 46); Fredericks (Waller-Lassen, 46), Livermore, Nicholson, Townsend; Bentley, Carroll, Luongo, Ceballos, Bostock (Coulibaly, 40); Kane. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The 18-year-old's managed to score about 8 in the pre-season games, if I remember correctly. Could be a very important season for him. Bostock appears to have started the game well (goal, assist) and then been withdrawn before half-time. If it's an injury, then I hope it's not a bad one, as it's time for him to show what he's worth. Both players could be important for the Nextgen Series, the so-called U19s Champions League. Our defence doesn't seem to have much about it, past the first team squad. A couple have gone out on loan (Caulker, Naughton, Byrne), but playing the likes of Livermore and Townsend, who are both midfielders, suggests a lack of depth at the back amongst our youngsters.
Things do seem to be heading in the right direction with this young Kane lad, I haven't seen him yet, but i am looking forward to when I do...which might not be too much longer at this rate.
Bentley turning out for the reserves again? Oh dear... Meanwhile, could we break with tradition and have actually unearthed some young prospects in Ceballos and Coulibaly that could actually get near our first team for a change? Time will tell.
Surely the likes of QPR, Wolves, West Brom etc would take Bentley off our hands, or is Levy holding out for too much money? It is time for some of these young guys to finally step up to the plate though, only O'Hara and Rose have managed to get anywhere near the first team in recent years. This season is make or break for the likes of Caulker, Townsend and Bostock in my opinion. Ceballos, Coulibaly and Luongo deserve some time to adapt.
There are rumours that Bentley is due to return to Blackburn, either as a straight transfer or possibly as part of a deal for Samba.
