UNHAPPY HARRY

STOKE CITY FC  2  TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS  1




Cast your mind back to the QPR match.We didn't play well, maybe deserved to fall behind,but even when we roused ourselves from our torpor,the referee gave us nothing,obvious penalties denied,so we took nothing from the game.What goes around comes around,we said.

Well,sure enough, it did on Sunday,and that left Spurs manager,Harry Redknapp fuming,a distinctly unhappy Harry.Spurs arrived at The Britannia Stadium on a fine winning run.For the first half they were unable to cope with us,as we chased,harried,bullied them out of their stride.Our contingent of ex-Spurs players were well to the fore.Matthew Etherington netted twice and could have had another.Peter Crouch won everything in the air,held the ball up when it was needed,prompted his teammates,and set up Etherington's first.Woodgate coped quite well with Bale and Lennon.

Tottenham simply never got to grips with us,from the off ,totally thrown by our all action approach.

Redknapp  changed things around at halftime.His substitutions and change of formation,brought about a complete change in the visitors.They played some splendid football,got a goal back,an Adebayor penalty,after Whelan was adjudged to have fouled Modric.The ball pinged around our box,Sorensen made several classy saves,last ditch blocks and deflections,all contributed to the excitment.Ryan Shawcross led a charmed life,indeed could have conceded two penalties (certainly as Redknapp saw it),first wrestling with Kaboul in the area,then clearing off the line with his elbow.Adebayor had a legitimate goal chalked off by the assistant referee.

Stoke were hanging on by their fingertips,a number of the players looking completely drained 20 minutes from the end,indeed looking as though they were running through treacle!Can't say that I've ever seen Jon Walters so tired that he was unable to chase a ball down.Ten minutes from time he still managed to chase down the left,fell over when challenged by Kaboul,the defender getting his second yellow,and a sending off.

A figure 5  was plucked from the air by the officials,by way of added on time,just to heighten the tension.

Stoke,to their credit,held on to record a magnificent result.It was a pleasure to be there to see it,though in the closing stages not easy on the nerves or the heart!