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Fig's the Mayn man as Spurs are sunk

Sun 11 Jan, 04:30 PM


Jermain Defoe made his second debut for Tottenham but was upstaged by Maynor Figueroa, whose late header earned Wigan a 1-0 win on Sunday.The England striker, watched by national team boss Fabio Capello, did not have a single shot on goal as Spurs struggled to match their hosts' energy and invention.

In a game short on chances the breakthrough finally came in the 91st minute when left-back Figueroa headed home Ryan Taylor's corner.

It was the Honduran's first goal for the club since arriving last January and typified the spirit which Steve Bruce has engendered among his squad.

With Emile Heskey and Amr Zaki returning after injury both lacked a little sharpness and so it was important other members of the side did their bit.

Figueroa's goal secured Wigan's fifth successive Premier League victory at the JJB Stadium and, on the balance of chances, they deserved their win.

The visitors, with Ledley King in a holding role in front of the back four, began brightly but faded badly.

In the second minute, King's header from Jamie O'Hara's left-wing free-kick was half-saved by Chris Kirkland, with the goalkeeper turning Michael Dawson's follow-up behind.

Defoe's first real intervention saw him fouled by Titus Bramble on the left of the Wigan area but O'Hara screwed wide Luka Modric's free-kick.

Heurelho Gomes had to be quick off his line to boot away the ball under pressure from Heskey in the 11th minute while Zaki wasted a good opportunity when he delayed his shot too long and Michael Dawson came across to block.

Kirkland easily saved another Dawson header from O'Hara's cross as the visitors failed to make the most of their possession.

Around the half-hour mark, the balance of play swung and Wigan finished the half the stronger side.

Dawson had to concede a corner from Zaki's cross after being put through by a neat pass from Lee Cattermole, while Ryan Taylor was only inches over with his inswinging free-kick from the left angle of the penalty area.

Gareth Bale was booked in the 33rd minute for a late challenge on Antonio Valencia after the Ecuador winger had neatly turned the Spurs left-back and from Taylor's free-kick Zaki got in front of the defence but his glancing header went just wide.

Wilson Palacios was unlucky his overhead kick from the edge of the area from Heskey's knockdown went straight at Gomes, who in the 39th-minute had to smother a close-range effort from Heskey after Zaki had left Dawson trailing in his wake to swing over the cross.

Didier Zokora summed up the last 20 minutes of the half for Spurs when he blazed embarrassingly wide.

After watching his side struggle for a long spell Redknapp took just eight minutes of the second half to change things, replacing the ineffectual Roman Pavlyuchenko with Darren Bent.

Zaki escaped with just a talking to from referee Andre Marriner after his raised foot caught the stooping Dawson in the face in the 55th minute.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp made his second change two minutes later with Luka Modric making way for Aaron Lennon as Spurs went to a flat midfield four.

Wigan continued to make all the running and Valencia raced past Bale to cross to the near post but he could not pick out Heskey and Spurs cleared.

Valencia was shown Wigan's first yellow card when he was cautioned for catching Bale in the face with his arm and he was followed into the book by Palacios for bringing down Zokora 35 yards from goal.

Bale drilled the free-kick into the wall and Kirkland collected.

Zokora took his revenge on Palacios in the 72nd minute when he chopped him down in midfield and was also booked, while Woodgate was

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  1. Well , I can take the defeat , but i,m eternally fed up with the fact that no discernable tactics have been tried to prevent tottenham conceading in the last couple of minutes of matches ?? it happened all throught the last two seasons and is starting to be regular this season ?? can nobody at the club do anything ?? I,m no coach , but surely the introduction of an extra defender in the 85th minute whatever the situation would not only bolster the defence but create a determination to buckle down in those fading minutes within the team , doesn,t harry ever talk up the final minute curse we have ?? we have conceaded double the number of last minute goals to the nearest worst performers in the last 3 seasons ??? Is there any body out there ????????

    From I, on Sun 11 Jan 6:19PM
  2. Well done Defoe! You have carried on from where you left off at Pompey!

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Sun 11 Jan 5:04PM
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