STOKE SO NEARLY REGISTER THEIR FIRST DOUBLE AGAINST SPURS

TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS 1  STOKE CITY FC 1

Stoke arrived at White Hart Lane where Saturday’s traumatic event was fresh and raw. Warming was the shared hope expressed by the teams for a full recovery for Fabrice Muamba, and also the prolonged applause from the crowd.

Stoke gave as good as they got for the first 25 minutes or so, with good chances falling to Cameron Jerome and Peter Crouch. Spurs gradually came into the picture, and were in control as the half came to an end.

The Potters held firm from the beginning of the second period, growing in strength. Spurs were clearly frustrated, pushing men forward in an effort to break through the Stoke rearguard. Stoke themselves looked increasingly strong on the break.

We were well worth our goal on 74 minutes. A freekick from the left outside the Spurs penalty area, was flighted in beautifully by Jermaine Pennant. It seemed as though Robert Huth got a head on the ball, but it was a lightening dart forward from Jerome that culminated in him stretching out a foot to push the ball into the net between keeper Friedel and his post.

Despite some, but hardly concerted, Spurs pressure, we looked likely to take three points, until 3 minutes into the 6 minutes of added on time, when Bale fired in a dangerous cross which Van der Vaart headed home to take a share of the points.

Still one point means we’re up to 11^th again. Time to take Man City on with confidence on Saturday,blacksheep Tevez an’ all.