Ipswich Town 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
FA Youth Cup, Semi-Final
Portman Road
08 April 2005

Ipswich Town closed in on their first FA Youth Cup Final in 30 years with a hard-fought victory at Portman Road.

Goals from Liam Trotter and Billy Clarke put Town in the driving seat ahead of Wednesday’s Semi-Final second leg at White Hart Lane.

The Suffolk side took the lead in the 29th minute when captain Liam Craig crossed from the right wing and Billy Clarke’s header was deflected by a Spurs defender. However, the ball fell to Trotter who prodded home from close range.

The 16-year-old midfielder, known as Del Boy by his team mates, could have had a first-half hat-trick and was unlucky to put a header wide after another Craig cross.

Just before the interval, Trotter was denied firstly by an excellent point-blank save by Spurs goalkeeper Tommy Forecast and then put the rebound wide under heavy pressure from England Under-17 international Leigh Mills.

Tottenham wasted a good opportunity when Town defender Aidan Collins sliced a clearance and Andy Barcham, who has already scored three times in the London club’s FA Youth Cup run, was through on goal but was denied by home keeper Shane Supple.

The away side’s best spell came at the start of the second half and they had another chance when Phil Ifil, who has played twice in the Premiership this season, crossed for Barcham but he shot straight at Supple.

Mills then out-jumped Supple from a corner but his header was cleared off the line by Ipswich right back Sammy Moore.

Town, who have won the competition twice - in 1973 and 1975 - made Tottenham pay for their missed opportunities and doubled their lead in the 76th minute when a weak-looking effort from Clarke took a deflection off Charlie Lee and wrong-footed Forecast.

Tottenham are not out of the tie but will have to play a great deal better in the second leg if they are to overturn Ipswich’s two-goal advantage.

Ipswich Town v Tottenham Hotspur: Details

Ipswich Town (4-5-1): Supple; Synnott, Collins, Casement, Moore; Craig, Trotter, Lordan, Garvan, Knights; Clarke. Unused subs: Hammond, Reynolds, Ainsley, Sheringham, Haynes.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Forecast; Wright, Lee, Mills, Ifil; Daniels, Lewis, O’Hara, Maghoma; Dawkins (Davis 71), Barcham. Unused subs: Riley, Holloway, Fenla, Archibald-Henville.

Attendance: 4,325

Referee: Mr Phil Crossley (Kent).