Hamberg: We had to dig deep to beat Tottenham

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Albion came from behind to defeat Tottenham on Tuesday.

Luke Nicoli

2025-12-17T10:00+00:00

Bjorn Hamberg's team will face QPR in the fourth round. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Men's under-18 head coach Bjorn Hamberg was full of praise for his side following their emphatic 5-2 FA Youth Cup win against Tottenham Hotspur.

A brace each from Adam Brett and Harry Howell, along with a superb late effort from substitute Billy-Ray Cullinane, booked the Seagulls' place in round four – and they did so with a superb display of attacking football at Stevenage FC's Broadhall Way ground.

“I'm absolutely delighted for the team,” Bjorn said. “We started a bit shaky, going 1-0 down, then 2-1 down, but to come back mentally, physically and tactically was a credit to the players.

“It was a fast game in the first half from both teams, but our individual quality helped us get our goals, and stats-wise we had more shots on target. We also had the better chances, playing against one of the best youth teams in the country – and against players who have been in and around their first team.

Adam Brett netted twice against Spurs on Tuesday night. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“So we knew it wasn't going to be easy; we knew it was going to need a lot of hard work and we knew the game would not be decided in the first 30 minutes.

“We kept calm, stuck together and the players were pleased at half-time with how they had got back into the game and taken the [3-2] lead. We didn't want to let that lead slip and the second-half performance was more like us. We started to control the game more and more and overall we deserved to win.”

Albion had beaten Spurs' under-18s 4-1 in a league encounter at Lancing ten days prior, but Hamberg insists that performance had little bearing on the cup victory.

“Their coach was new and we knew it would be a different team from the one we faced in the league, so it was a different game,” he added. “We knew the level would go up as a result and this was probably the best team we've faced this season. But it's also the best team we've put out, so coming into the game we knew we had a chance. We had to dig deep, of course, which is exactly what we did.”

Bjorn Hamberg speaks to his team after the terrific victory. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion now face a trip to QPR, with Hamberg well aware of the importance – and history – of this prestigious youth cup competition.

“I have definitely learnt to understand what this competition means to the players and to the club,” he revealed. “But it's only a big game if you win it, and that's why we didn't come here just to play the game; we came here for the victory.

“We tried to embrace the fact that it was a knock-out game and now we are through to the next round, which is great for this team.”