Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Ipswich Town
(Ipswich win 4-1 on aggregate)
The FA Youth Cup, Semi Final 2nd Leg
White Hart Lane
13 April 2005

Ipswich Town booked their place in the FA Youth Cup Final for the first time in 30 years.

Goals from Liam Trotter and Aidan Collins secured a 2-1 win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and gave the Suffolk side a 4-1 Semi-Final aggregate victory.

However, a late injury to star striker Billy Clarke put a slight dampener on Town’s night.

Clarke has been instrumental in getting Ipswich to The Final but is now a serious doubt for next week’s two-legged Final against Southampton after he was carried off with a knee injury.

The Blues had won the first leg of the Semi-Final 2-0 on Friday but Spurs were back in the tie after 62 minutes when substitute Simon Dawkins headed home after Jamie O’Hara’s corner was flicked on by England Under-19 international Leigh Mills.

Tottenham last reached The FA Youth Cup Final in 1995 when they lost to a Manchester United side captained by Phil Neville, but their hopes of glory in this year’s competition were ended in the 63rd minute.

Trotter, who had also scored in the first leg, held off a challenge from Mills before flicking the ball over the on-rushing Spurs keeper Tommy Forecast to walk the ball into the net.

With only three minutes left Town captain Liam Craig swung in a free-kick from the right wing and central defender Aidan Collins, a former Tottenham season-ticket holder, headed home from close range.

Over the two legs Ipswich deserved their place in The Final and now have an opportunity to win the competition for the third time after previous victories in 1973 and 1975.

With Town’s first team also pushing for a return to the Premiership, there could be a double celebration at Portman Road this season.

Team Details

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Forecast; Ifil (Seanla, 57), Lee, Mills, Riley (Dawkins, 46); Daniels, O’Hara, Maghoma, Lewis; Hamed (Davis, 46), Barcham.
Subs not used: Holloway, Archibald-Henville.

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Supple; Synnott, Collins, Casement, Moore (Krause, 66); Craig, Garvan, Trotter, Lordan (Haynes, 67); Knights, Clarke (Sheringham, 87).
Subs not used: Reynolds, Ainsley

Referee: Mr Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire)