U21s Report: Tottenham Hotspur 7 Leicester City 4

- Foxes twice came from two goals down, but three goals in 15 minutes from Spurs saw the hosts earn all three points 

- Harry Panayiotou scored a double, while Elliott Moore and Keenan King were also on target for City 

Leicester City’s Development Squad were beaten in a thrilling end-to-end Barclays U21 Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday afternoon. 

The Foxes found themselves 2-0 down following strikes from Kazaiah Sterling and Cameron Carter-Vickers, but a goal from Harry Panayiotou on the stroke of half-time got City right back in the game. 

Striker Keenan King, who came on at the break, fired the Foxes level just two minutes after coming on, before a double from Kenny McEvoy meant Tottenham restored their two-goal advantage. 

City rallied, pulling one back on the hour mark through Elliott Moore, while Panayiotou’s second goal of the game made it 4-4 with 27 minutes to play. 

But three goals in 15 minutes, including a double from Shayon Harrison and an effort from Filip Lesniak, meant it was Tottenham who would secure all three U21 Premier League points. 

The Foxes were beaten 3-1 by Southampton last time out and were looking to secure their first victory of the 2015/16 season following four tricky opening fixtures. 

This game happened to be their second of three consecutive away fixtures, with Liverpool next up on Monday 28 September. 

Tottenham, who lost 4-1 to Reading last week, got off to a bright start as Anton Walkes was only denied an effort on goal thanks to a good tackle from defender Joe Davis. 

Spurs defender Luke Amos was next to try his luck as the left back hammered a half-volley just inches wide of Jonny Maddison’s upright. 

Maddison was called into action with 13 minutes on the clock as he raced out to block Anthony Georgiou’s strike, while Harrison’s attempted chip from the follow-up sailed over the bar. 

Efforts from midfielders Michael Cain and Hamza Choudhury then followed, but both strikes were to be blocked just before the hosts opened the scoring. 

On 37 minutes, Georgiou was initially denied by Maddison, before the winger returned the loose ball into the box to find Sterling, who side-footed in to put his side 1-0 up. 

And just two minutes later, the London outfit doubled their advantage thanks to Carter-Vickers as the opposition skipper bundled the ball over the line six minutes before the break. 

The Foxes gave themselves hope right on half-time, having earlier threatened through Davis, who struck the post from Jack Barmby’s corner. It was Barmby who provided another excellent delivery into Panayiotou – the St. Kitts and Nevis international striker nodded in to halve the deficit. 

Steve Beaglehole introduced frontman King at the break, and the change immediately paid dividends. King saw his first shot blocked, before Moore set him up for a second attempt that he buried from inside the box, making it 2-2 in turn. 

Tottenham regained the lead four minutes after the equaliser, as McEvoy slipped inside from right wing and hammered a shot into the top corner, before the wideman struck again on 55 minutes with a header at the back post that made it 4-2. 

A melee in the six yard box then produced a third goal for Leicester – Cain’s strike was turned away, but centre back Moore was on hand to stab in the rebound on the hour mark. 

Another frantic period followed and a lightning counter-attack from Beaglehole’s outfit saw Panayiotou convert from close range after some excellent work down the left flank from England Under-17s international Layton Ndukwu. 

City were in the ascendancy, but a swift break from Spurs saw Harrison fire in a deflected strike from distance that found the bottom corner of the net with 65 minutes gone. 

Barmby then had an effort from 25 yards that Spurs shot-stopper Alfie Whiteman did well to hold onto, while the winger turned provider shortly after, teeing up Cain, who drilled over from the edge of the box. 

But the Foxes couldn’t convert their chances, and Tottenham extended their lead with 12 minutes to play from the penalty spot. Defender Alie Sesay brought down Emmanuel Sonupe in the area, and Harrison dispatched the spot-kick to make it 6-4. 

A final Spurs goal followed on 80 minutes as Maddison pulled off a good stop to halt the first effort, but couldn’t prevent Lesniak’s follow-up to round off the scoring. 

Currently 10th in the U21 Premier League table after five fixtures, City next head to Liverpool on Monday 28 September (7pm kick-off). 

TOTTENHAM: Whiteman, Walker-Peters, Amos, Lesniak, Carter-Vickers (c), Maghoma, McEvoy (Sonupe 72), Walkes, Sterling (Veljkovic 66), Harrison, Georgiou 

SUBS NOT USED: McDermott, Goddard 

GOALS: Sterling 37, Carter-Vickers 39, McEvoy 52, 55, Harrison 65, pen 78, Lesniak 80 

CITY: Maddison, Miles, Sesay (c), Choudhury (Olukanmi 74), Moore (Barnes 74), Davis, Ndukwu, Cain, Panayiotou, Barmby, Fox (King 46) 

SUBS NOT USED: Bramley, Kipre 

GOALS: Panayiotou 44, 63, King 48, Moore 61 

REFEREE: Christopher Pollard