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Ben Browning·17 July 2024
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Ben Browning·17 July 2024
Scorers: Shankland 46'; Johnson 38', Lankshear 55', Moore 66', Spence 72', Neilson (OG) 85'
Four second half goals ensured that Tottenham thrash Hearts 5-1 in a well contested pre-season friendly
Ange Postecoglou named an experimental side for the friendly, which saw midfield pair Archie Gray and Oliver Skipp deployed in the heart of defence.
And the game began in relatively even fashion, with Hearts striker Kyosuke Tagawa sending a volley wide and veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon pulling off a fine save to deny Heung Min-Son.
But the first real piece of quality saw Spurs take the lead in the 38th minute as Dejan Kulusevski backheeled the ball into the path of James Maddison, whose cross was met by Brennan Johnson to put the north London side ahead.
Both sides made wholesale changes at the break, and Hearts took advantage of the Spurs uncertainty by finding the back of the net immediately after the kick off, with last season's hero Lawrence Shankland smashing the ball home from close range after a misplaced pass from Emerson Royal.
But Spurs fought back well and re-took the lead courtesy of teenager Will Lankshear, who enjoyed an impressive 20 minute cameo for the lilywhites topped off with a goal.
Then it was the turn of fellow teenager Mikey Moore to trouble the scorers, with the sensation remaining cool after being played in by new signing Lucas Bergvall.
The fun didn't stop there for Spurs, with Djed Spence getting in on the act to rub salt into the Hearts wounds before Lewis Neilson put through his own net to cap off an exciting second half performance from Postecoglou's side.