Premier League - Old boys return to haunt sorry Spurs

Eurosport - Mon, 29 Sep 12:23:00 2008

Rock-bottom Tottenham Hotspur had more misery heaped on them by two ex-players as Portsmouth beat them 2-0 at Fratton Park.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 Premier League Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe scores a penalty past Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes - 0

Pompey strike duo Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch both scored against their former employers to end their own side's terrible run of heavy defeats and move into the top half of the table, though they will now miss key player Lassana Diarra through suspension after he was sent off late on.

Midfielder Glen Little - making his Portsmouth debut after being plagued by injury since his summer move from Reading - was a constant threat and he won a free-kick on the right wing that Spurs captain Jermaine Jenas subsequently handled to concede a soft penalty on 33 minutes.

Defoe - who scored 64 goals for Spurs during his four years at the club - stepped up and fired his spot-kick clinically into the bottom corner. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes went the right way but the strike had him beaten.

The 25-year-old also had a hand in partner Crouch's goal. He set up full-back Armand Traore whose fierce shot was saved by Gomes but the ball kicked up to Crouch - who spent two years at White Hart Lane as a trainee - and he nodded into the net for his first Portsmouth goal.

Portsmouth's French midfielder Diarra - who turned down a summer move to Tottenham - was highly influential yet again. However, he is now facing a suspension after his wild lunge on Benoit Assou-Ekotto earned him a second yellow card and a sending off in the final few minutes.

Defoe had the ball in the back of the Spurs net as early as the third minute, after he latched on to Crouch's flick-on and finished past Gomes one-on-one. However, the flag was already up for offside against him.

Tottenham will feel aggrieved that they did not have a penalty of their own in the second half. Aaron Lennon - a half-time replacement on the left wing for the ineffective Gilberto - fired a cross in from the by-line that Diarra blocked with his raised hand. Referee Mike Dean didn't see the handball and awarded a corner to Tottenham.

Tottenham had the majority of possession throughout the match and had plenty of shots, but they failed to create many clear-cut opportunities, with a misfiring David Bentley unable to supply lone striker Roman Pavlyuchenko with any decent service, leaving the Russian isolated for most of the match.

Darren Bent replaced Pavlyuchenko - rather than come on to partner him - with less than 20 minutes remaining, and although he managed to get a couple of shots away he could not drag his team back into the match.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

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  1. I am 76yrs old and a lifelong spurs supporter-- boys enclosure 45-47 and I have never seen such a sorry sad start, maybe the problems are in the boardroom rather than the dressing room?? from john davis

    From J D GRANDAD, on Sun 28 Sep 4:47PM

  2. I am 76yrs old and a lifelong spurs supporter-- boys enclosure 45-47 and I have never seen such a sorry sad start, maybe the problems are in the boardroom rather than the dressing room?? from john davis

    From J D GRANDAD, on Sun 28 Sep 4:47PM

  3. I am 76yrs old and a lifelong spurs supporter-- boys enclosure 45-47 and I have never seen such a sorry sad start, maybe the problems are in the boardroom rather than the dressing room??

    From J D GRANDAD, on Sun 28 Sep 4:46PM

  4. That's funny man. Didn't Arsenal lose to a Championship side yesterday, at home? Arrogant North London @#$% pot.

    From lee, on Sun 28 Sep 4:43PM

  5. Time to wave goodbye to Ramos... bring in Kinnear after his Newcastle reign...!

    From IAN, on Sun 28 Sep 4:38PM

  6. come on you spurs. i felt real down after arsenal played bad and lost to hull. but i would like to thank spurs for making me happy again.
    there is only one team in north london, come on you gunners

    From blue eyes, on Sun 28 Sep 4:34PM

  7. so the spuds won the carling cup last season beating arsenal reseverves in the semi final and all of a sudden they were the bees knees. they partied like they had just won the league and by the looks of things they are still on the booze. it goes without saying that the spuds will never be a big club, never have never will be. spot on arry !!! gooner for life. lilly whites? well at least they are keeping us entertained. go and watch football the way it should be played. exciting flowing passing football, a team managed by a great manager who finds talent at bargain prices and doesent waste millions on players that cant handle the pressure. go watch the best team in north london. this will get you spuds going. have a nice day.

    From Phillip, on Sun 28 Sep 4:18PM

  8. Everyone keeps blaming Ramos but I have never seen a Spurs Team drops there heads so much.

    From David, on Sun 28 Sep 3:46PM

  9. PLAY UP POMPEY

    From andycameron98, on Sun 28 Sep 3:45PM

  10. how does ramos expect a team to operate well when you let go the main fighters of your team and replace with a bunch of second rate players.

    we keep bent let defoe go a player that would score in any team,has ramos any idea what he is doing.

    From sparkie49@..., on Sun 28 Sep 3:45PM

  11. PLAY UP POMPEY

    From andycameron98, on Sun 28 Sep 3:45PM

  12. Bye Bye spurs your going down.up the villa.

    From alan, on Sun 28 Sep 3:43PM

  13. Too many negatives here. Sort your own lives out or take up golf chaps. Spurs have a wicked team. It's true they play like kids right now but that'll change. Stay up-beat and don't let another lose spoil your day.

    From lee, on Sun 28 Sep 3:41PM

  14. Too many negatives here. Sort your own lives out or take up golf chaps. Spurs have a wicked team. It's true they play like kids right now but that'll change. Stay up-beat and don't let another lose spoil your day.

    From lee, on Sun 28 Sep 3:41PM

  15. ramos was the messiah after you won the cup in march and now you want rid after yet another bad start to the season, at that was when ramos wasnt even there!, ramos is a good cup manager he was brill at seville, he needs time to get the league right, but i dont think spuds will give him enough, just another newcastle in the making

    From scott b, on Sun 28 Sep 1:34PM

  16. to be honest if you dont beat pompey or score against em , youve got problems already

    From scott b, on Sun 28 Sep 1:27PM

  17. Ramos isnt a bad manager , 2 uefa cups , 2 spanish cups and a euro super cup doesnt make you a bad manager, maybe the "Bad" area is on the pitch , think about it!!

    up the gunners!

    From scott b, on Sun 28 Sep 1:26PM

  18. should of kept jol, shouldnt ya?

    From scott b, on Sun 28 Sep 1:25PM

  19. poor dos santos..team like tottenham also dun have 1st 11 place for him

    From Fahmi, on Sun 28 Sep 1:25PM

  20. lets hear redknapps excuse when pompey lose this week, something new everyweek,

    up the gunners

    From scott b, on Sun 28 Sep 1:24PM
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