|
Strangely, Clarets took to the field in front of the magic lantern, with an odd choice of defenders, Stan electing to play the Grimsby line up that conceded six a week ago, McGregor partnering Arthur with Davis remaining in midfield. This was an odd selection and so it proved as the game began with Spurs seeing their best attacking option down Clarets right, where with Little watching from the dugout, West was repeatedly put under pressure from the many raids in the early stages that saw Spurs very much in the ascendancy, the home side paying far too much respect to their supposed superiors from above.
With no Little or Alan Moore, Clarets had a very negative look about them and once again Weller (repeatedly tackling with his arse) and the anonymous Grant were AWOL in the early stages of the game. It was not until the twelfth minute that Clarets finally broke up field, Briscoe's bright run ended abruptly and resulting in the first booking of the evening, referee Dermot Gallagher's eyesight not failing him at that point, but more of him later.
The game was quiet, with little goalmouth action after Iversen’s third minute header was saved on his line by Beresford and Spurs would not threaten again until the quarter hour when they took the lead in simple fashion, Davies' corner powerfully headed home by Poyet, Beresford unable to move to the ball as Etherington position on the line blocked his path forwards. Poyet's arrogant celebration was matched by the chants of the good visiting following, the Premiership side clearly thinking that this was an easy ride.
Blake's weak shot on the turn on twenty minutes was the best the Clarets could muster going forwards whilst at the back Branch put Marlon under needless pressure with an under hit back pass, forcing him to pick up the ball in front of Iversen, conceding an unnecessary free kick in the process.
Briscoe was booked before Grant's poor control on the edge of the Spurs area set up a quick counter attack, Clarets looking very uneasy at this stage at the half way point of the half. McGregor was withdrawn, replaced by Little, Davis reverting to centre defence in another managerial rethink, this was to be a half of two halves in which the Clarets would not look back from this point.
The move inspired first the crowd and then the team, as the talismanic Little of old took to the field, full of trickery, good control and with a final ball to test the Spurs defence, in this form he is a joy to watch in his rightful right wing berth. Almost immediately, he set up Taylor whose aerial lunge to the ball only acted as a clearance from within the six yard box, it was though a drastic improvement on the dross that had gone before.
The game was now even, almost a contest, though Spurs were ably supported by the curious sequence of favourable decisions from Mr Gallagher, who earned an ironic standing ovation when awarding a Clarets corner on twenty five minutes. Ten minutes from the break, Briscoe's swerving drive almost deceived Keller, brought into the game for the first time, the confidence clearly growing in the home camp as Spurs began to look a little shaky, the confident edge going from their game.
A farcical view of the offside law left the Clarets rearguard questioning the eyesight and parentage of the linesman as even Iversen pulled up when clean through, such was the margin of error, the dear little assistant shaking his head at his remonstrators, he the only person in the ground claiming 20/20 vision.
West's needless foul on the half way line saw him unnecessarily booked, this the last action of what had been a poor start with an improving display as the half progressed for the home side, whilst for the visitors theirs was a performance that peaked in the fifteenth minute courtesy of Poyet's goal. So off went the magic lanterners into the pundit land and Chris Waddle's drivel, whilst for the hardy ones in the stadium it was a hearty welcome back to Ralph Coates.
Clearly not happy with how his team had been performing Hoddle saw fit to bolster his front line and immediately sent on Robbie Keane instead of Les Ferdinand who had disappointed during the first half. But it was the Clarets who continued much as they had finished the first half and three attacks inside the first two minutes underlined Clarets intentions and Stan's new gung ho approach to footie.
Openings were being created through Clarets bright open play and West's dreadful finish only five minutes in saw him caught in two minds after Little and Briscoe had combined well, setting up Weller's neat header down to the full back.
|
Robbie Keane immediately broke the offside trap and his poor finish lifting the ball over Beresford but well wide of the post meant there was to be no cartwheel this time around. Darren 'sick note' Anderton came on for Etherington, Spurs clearly needing to do something about a game rapidly disappearing from their control.
The Clarets were to have none of it at that stage and went into the lead when adding a second goal within five minutes of the first, Davis' majestic downward header from eight yards giving Keller no chance, play that music tannoy man one more time.
Spurs were clearly rattled and moments later a defensive blunder saw Blake intercept the poor clearance, dummy two men and hit an unstoppable shot for three one with only twenty five minutes remaining. It couldn't be surely and sadly so it proved the ball cannoning back off the inside of the post, "oh dear" is what I think I said at the time.
Bunjevcevic was booked for a late tackle on Little before Keane's poorly executed lob left him with his head in hands in embarrassment as Beresford was easily able to take the ball, snuffing out the threat once more with time ticking away. A disappointing Iversen was replaced by Doherty, before Blake left the field to a fully deserved standing ovation, Papa... replacing him with only ten minutes to go.
With five minutes remaining Little's tremendous mazy run saw him wriggle past three defenders and from within the six yard box his pass to a surprised Taylor saw the latter stub his toe, Keller forlorn on the ground grabbing the loose the ball with 24 x 8 just gaping along with the thirteen thousand in the stadium as it remained two-one.
Branch tried another one of his short back passes with only five anxious minutes remaining and he could be thankful to Arthur for just doing enough to knock Keane off his stride and Marlon saved the shot with his legs. A rare return for Paul Cook saw him replace a tired Briscoe with two minutes remaining as the last action of an absorbing second half saw Robbie Keane's amazing dipping volley on the turn from twenty five yards cannon off the bar with Marlon beaten all ends up.
But that was that and no one saw the fourth officials LED indicating the longest seconds in time, with another Premiership side turfed out of the Cup on yet another night of Worthington Cup shocks, many a happy face prepared to forget the first twenty minutes after what they had seen in the following seventy.
Att:- 13,512
Star Gazer
Tony Grant. Sadly another below par performance and failed to get really involved in a game where his team-mates rolled their sleeves up and having got stuck into the game began to believe in themselves, a mode currently beyond our Rodney Trotter.
Glass Half Empty
The opening team selection and formation left the team with no wide man or outlet from which to break from defence. With no Moore's on the field and Little confined to tracksuit wearing this was a poor performance from the kick off. There was no chuckle in the boots until the reorganisation of the team following Little's introduction.
Star Geezer
A close run thing with three players in consideration, but my vote goes to Steve Davis. Once into his central defensive role, his presence and leadership were there for all to see muting first Ferdinand then Iversen then Doherty. Somehow he is more able to break through from defence than when in his midfield role and more commanding when doing so. Oh and he scored the winning goal.
Glass Half Full
Overall a superb all round team performance. Relatively tight at the back, more determined than of late in midfield and defending that started from the keenness of the front men to chase back and harry their men, this was a performance to take heart from. Allied to the silky skills and craft of Blake, the determination of Taylor and the sheer delight of Little when in this form, Clarets were more than able to carry a constant threat to a Spurs side who were made to look very ordinary and at times disappointing.