It is said that managers learn more about their squad in adversity than victory so this match, despite the result, was exactly what Gary Waddock wanted from his pre-season.

Tottenham Hotspur may only have brought an XI to the EBB Stadium but their side featured a potent mix of experience and dashing youth.

Paul Stalteri has made close to 200 top-flight appearances in Germany and England; YP Lee has played in World Cup and Champions’ League semi-finals with South Korea and PSV Eindhoven respectively; Ricardo Rocha is a Portuguese international; Tottenham paid close to £5million for Kevin Prince Boateng a year ago.

And then there were the youngsters: Tomas Pekhart, a giant Czech Republic U21 international striker; Andrew Barcham, who played 25 games for Leyton Orient in League One last season; and 16-year-old John Bostock, whose recent transfer from Crystal Palace caused such anger at Selhurst Park.

So, sign of Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric or manager Juande Ramos there was not — Waddock’s former Queens Park Rangers team-mate Clive Allen took charge of Spurs — but this outfit was still comfortably good enough to outplay the Shots in the first half, racing into a 3-0 lead.

Aldershot struggled to get hold of the ball and, when they did, they quickly surrendered possession, caught out by Spurs’ speed of movement and thought. This was a lesson in how to pass and move the ball with pace — Waddock’s ideal for his own team.

So, it was to the Shots’ credit — and Waddock’s delight — that they did not allow their heads to drop, and more than held their own in the second half, scoring a deserved goal through Danny Hylton.

“You get nothing out of pre-season if you go through it winning all of your matches by high scores,” said Waddock afterwards.

“I don’t want easy games. We worked very hard here tonight as in the first half Tottenham kept the ball very well.

“We had to get close to them and press, while trying to keep our shape. That requires a lot of hard work but by the second half we were pushing them and that says a lot about our fitness levels. I’m very pleased with where we are in that respect.

“We can take a lot of positives from tonight,” added Waddock. “When you look at Tottenham’s squad and the players they’ve brought down here — and we thank them for that — they are worth millions.

“There was a lot of experience of playing at high levels out there. And, let’s face it, anyone who pulls on a Tottenham shirt is going to be a player of quality.”

Nikki Bull had already made a good save from Pekhart when, in the fifth minute, the Czech easily beat Chris Blackburn, who had his first uncomfortable outing in an Aldershot shirt. David Hutton smashed Pekhart’s cross past Bull.

On 17 minutes it was 2-0, after Boateng was given far too much space and his stinging shot could only be parried by Bull, straight into the path of Pekhart.

Ben Starosta struggled all half against the pace and trickery of teenage winger Danny Rose but the Shots loanee did clear off the line after Bull had flapped and missed at a high cross.

Things got worse for Bull in the 31st minute when Barcham’s speculative low shot from distance slipped through the keeper’s hands.

Not that Aldershot didn’t have their moments, encouraged all game from the dugout by Waddock to pass their way out from the back, despite Spurs’ superiority.

“We’ve got players who are comfortable in possession,” said Waddock. “We’ve got results playing that way and we’re not going to change. There is no point being direct when we haven’t got the players to do it.”

With John Grant, Rob Elvins, Junior Mendes, Rhys Day and Dave Winfield all injured, Waddock made just two changes to the starting XI beaten 1-0 by Leyton Orient last Saturday.

Lewis Chalmers came in for Louie Soares, with Scott Donnelly, who again had a bright game, pushed out wide. Anthony Straker replaced Dean Howell at left back.

Anthony Charles and Hylton went close with first-half headers and, a minute after Spurs had gone 3-0 up, Hylton was very unlucky to hit a post from a narrow angle, after rounding Spurs’ keeper, David Button.

Hylton also came close to a goal on the stroke of half-time, after he took the ball off the feet of strike-partner Marvin Morgan.

Waddock used the second half to try out a number of different options, employing Soares in an unfamiliar role up front, with Straker playing, to good effect, in left midfield. Substitute Howell even had a spell at centre-half.

“Louie Soares is a great example of our versatility,” said Waddock. “He can play right back, left or right midfield and he did well just off Danny Hylton tonight. We need players who can do that – fill in in different roles.”

While Howell nearly scored a comical own-goal, forcing substitute keeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz into an ungainly save on the line from Howell’s mis-directed backpass, and Bostock missed when clean through, this was a far better half for the Shots.

Ben Harding thumped a shot on target, before Hylton picked up the scraps from Hudson’s deep cross and buried the ball home at the near post.

“Danny’s been a menace to Spurs tonight,” said Waddock. “He caused them problems and took his goal well, showing a lot of composure. He’s coming on, he’s maturing.”

With so many other strikers injured Hylton is certainly stating a strong case for a starting role once the league season is under way.

Hylton smashed a shot on the run into the side-netting soon afterwards and Soares then forced a fine save from Button, after a clever quick free-kick from Harding.

Kirk Hudson became increasingly influential in the closing stages, forcing Spurs deep with his fast and direct running. “Kirk is very quick, just like a number of their players tonight,” said Waddock. “But the good news is that, while we have Kirk, we won’t come up against players as quick as that on a week-to-week basis in League Two.

“The lads should be proud of tonight’s performance. Tottenham showed the quality they have got but at times we did too.

“Our attitude was first class, as we work towards the first league game at Accrington. Our target is making sure we are ready for that game and I’m more than  happy with our fitness levels.”

On Saturday Charlton Athletic arrive at the EBB Stadium for Aldershot’s final pre-season friendly before the trip to Accrington.

Waddock said this week that he is expecting a ‘strong side’ to represent Charlton but, with the club also having a home fixture against Athletic Bilbao at The Valley on Saturday, that remains to be seen.

One player who may feature is Stuart Fleetwood, last season’s Conference top-scorer, signed from Forest Green Rovers. Another prolific striker from the Conference — Aldershot’s Grant — may be back from injury.

Kick-off is at 3pm.