The sun was shining, but there were no clean sheets out to dry this afternoon. Spurs hoped to secure this increasingly elusive treasure, finally taking their goal difference in the league to 0, but relegation candidates Watford managed to break through and grab a last-minute goal. By that time, however, the result was in the bag and another day at the office over. After a slow start the game came into being and Spurs scorers Jenas, Robinson and Ghaly ensured another victory for the in-form home team.
Like Chelsea manager José Mourinho, Martin Jol had decided to rest some key players for all or some of the game, in preparation for the FA-cup clash on Monday. The feeling was that this was a game that had to be won by as little effort as possible, result more important than performance for Spurs. With strike force Berbatov, Keane and Lennon on the bench and Watford in defence mode the game hardly looked like it was going to be a classic match of beautiful football. The first half was initially sluggish, Watford effective at breaking up Tottenham’s play and trying to capitalise on defensive mistakes by the home team rather than create great chances. Spurs had the better attacking moves, especially on the left side where Malbranque and Lee linked up beautifully, but their efforts where to no avail as nobody came to meet their crosses. The Spurs strikers, Mido and Defoe, where well closed down by the Watford defence and Hossam Ghaly was missing in action on the right.
A nice pass by Lee to Jenas, who fed the ball to Defoe forced a great save from Ben Foster as the England striker made an equally great shot. A few moments later Watford nearly went ahead as a weak back-pass from Pascal Chimbonda, who was not having the best of days, was intercepted by Priskin – but Michael Dawson and Ricardo Rocha blocked his efforts. The crowd erupted in deafening cheers when Keane and Berbatov went for a little warm-up run, but in the end that was all the action required of them. A few minutes before half-time Spurs made it 1-0, as a beautiful cross from Chimbonda was expertly headed in by Jermaine Jenas.
The game came to life in the second half, with the Spurs players looking more comfortable in their positions and their passing. More fluent in attack, the home team tormented their visitors and tested their defensive abilities. Ben Foster had ample opportunity to display his goalkeeping skills ahead of going into the England camp next week. But it was England’s number one who made the evening one to remember after all. Taking a free kick from over 80 yards away, Paul Robinson hit it hard, high and far and the unfortunate Foster had to watch the ball take a bounce over him and into the net. It was all smiles as nobody could quite believe what had happened. Foster good-naturedly said that he would avoid the papers today. Probably wise, but the goal should not detract from an overall great performance by the young keeper.
Mido, struggling to make an impact on a game which was an opportunity for him to make a case for a starting position, missed a great opportunity on 73 minutes. Ghaly, much improved in the second half fed in to Huddlestone, whose powerful shot was blocked by Foster. The rebound fell to Mido’s feet, but the Egypt striker managed to miss the open goal and instead hit Foster’s foot. With six minutes to go Spurs made a display of lovely team work; substitute Stalteri fed a ball to Defoe, who neatly passed it to Lennon. The winger, who had come on for Malbranque (presumably to rest the energetic midfielder) gave the ball to Ghaly, allowing the Egyptian to shoot past Foster.
Spurs were cruising, but erratic defending at the very end opened up a chance for Watford. Chimbonda, deputising at left back for Lee, lost his mark and the ball and Smith passed it in to Henderson, standing alone and unmarked in front of goal. The Watford striker tapped it in to make the final score 3-1. Still without a clean sheet in the league since October, Robinson may be forgiven for feeling that this was a great game nevertheless.
Tottenham
Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Rocha, Young-Pyo Lee (Stalteri 80), Ghaly, Jenas, Huddlestone, Malbranque (Lennon 71), Mido, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Berbatov, Keane.
Goals: Jenas 41, Robinson 63, Ghaly 85.
Watford
Foster, Mariappa, Doyley, Shittu, Powell, Chambers (Kabba 77), Mahon, Williams (Rinaldi 62), Smith, Priskin (Henderson 56), Bouazza.
Subs Not Used: Lee, Williamson.
Goals: Henderson 89.
Attendance: 36,051.
Referee: M Halsey
No comments:
Post a Comment