FOOTBALL Live

Saturday August 29, 2009 Finished White Hart Lane

2 - 1

Tottenham Hotspur

  • Crouch 72’
  • Lennon 90’

Birmingham City

  • Bowyer 75’

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  1. Lennon earns Tottenham late win

    Lennon earns Tottenham late win

    Aaron Lennon scored an injury-time winner as Tottenham kept their 100 per cent record in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Birmingham. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Tottenham Hotspur
    • Birmingham City
    • 90+4' FULL-TIME!! Tottenham snatch a dramatic late victory to maintain their 100% record.
    • 90+3' 2-1 TOTTENHAM!! A slip by Carr near halfway, Pavlyuchenko takes the ball on and finds Lennon who cuts inside and his shot from 18 yards smuggles under Hart and into the net for surely the winner.
    • 90+2' Late corner for Birmingham but dealt with Spurs who have been under the cosh.
    • 90+1' Gary McSheffrey replaces Larsson.
    • 90' Three minutes of added time.
    • 89' McFadden's deep free-kick is hooked across goal by O'Connor but Johnson cannot hit the target from no more than four yards!
    • 88' Palacios booked for a trip on McFadden.
    • 87' Tottenham cannot get the ball at the moment.
    • 86' Cudicini really should have come off his line to claim a high, hanging cross but Hutton does just enough this time.
    • 85' McFadden's free-kick is cleared by Bassong and then Palacios.
    • 84' Hutton hauls down Benitez and is shown a yellow card.
    • 83' Benitez has been a real danger since coming on.
    • 82' McFadden's deep cross almost embarrasses Cudicini but it curls just over the crossbar.
    • 81' Bowyer and Huddlestone in action. Match Image
    • 80' Corluka and McFadden battle for the ball. Match Image
    • 79' O'Connor spurns a golden chance. Benitez gets the better of Corluka and combines with Bowyer before feeding the Scottish striker who passes his shot into the side netting.
    • 78' Lennon tries to surge into the area but his run is ended by Carr.
    • 77' Defoe is caught by a flying boot and although he seems ok, he is replaced by Roman Pavlyuchenko.
    • 76' Alex McLeish's first League match in charge of Birmingham was their 3-2 win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on December 2, 2007. Could they repeat that feat?
    • 75' Spurs are unhappy with the goal, claiming that Hutton was pushed by Benitez.
    • 74' 1-1 EQUALISER!!! The lead was short lived as O'Connor's attempted pass deflects off Bassong and bobbles around the penalty area. Hutton, under pressure from Benitez, fails to deal with it and nor does Cudicini, who has come off his line, and Bowyer has the simple task of tapping into an empty net.
    • 73' Carsley has been sacrificed.
    • 72' Christian Benitez comes on for Birmingham as they chase an equaliser.
    • 71' 1-0 TOTTENHAM!! Lennon is tripped by McFadden and that gives Huddlestone a chance to swing in a free-kick. The delivery is inch perfect and Crouch climbs high above Johnson at the back post to plant a header over Hart and into the net.
    • 70' Just for the record the shot count is up to 25, 17-8 in Tottenham's favour.
    • 69' Probing run down the right from Larsson but he cannot pick out O'Connor, the only Birmingham man in the penalty area.
    • 68' Stuart Parnaby and Aaron Lennon in action. Match Image
    • 67' A superb cross from Lennon but Crouch's header hits Parnaby and Keane cannot direct his follow-up shot on target.
    • 66' SO CLOSE!! From the corner, it's Crouch once again with a towering header but Carr denise his former team by nodding off the line.
    • 65' Keane's cross from the left is met by the stooping Crouch but his header strikes the crossbar with Hart beaten.
    • 64' James McFadden and Vedran Corluka in action. Match Image
    • 63' Corluka heads across goal but Defoe's acrobatic effort on the turn is over the top.
    • 62' Assou-Ekotto's rasping shot hits Carsley and goes behind for a corner.
    • 61' Assou-Ekotto's deep cross is headed back across the face by Crouch but Johnson makes a vital clearing header.
    • 60' O'Connor is booked for a late lunge on Lennon.
    • 59' Hutton's long-range effort is blocked.
    • 58' A raking diagonal pass from Hutton is met by Crouch at the far post and his header is scrambled around the post by Hart.
    • 57' A superb run by McFadden and he seems to be tripped from behind by Wilson Palacios but ref Walton says no penalty and Birmingham are enraged.
    • 56' Huddlestone fails to lift the resulting free-kick over the wall but the ball runs away for a corner.
    • 55' Bassong heads clear, Spurs break with pace through Lennon and his run in ended in cynical fashion by Carr who is correctly shown a yellow card.
    • 54' A late tackle by Bassong on Bowyer and Birmingham have a chance to put it in the mixer.
    • 53' Keane is playing down the left and picks out Defoe with an astute pull back but his first touch is heavy, Birmingham clear and a golden chance is wasted.
    • 52' insideyourcooch said: "Crouch should of started this match instead of Keane.­ He deserves a chance". Well they are both on the pitch now.
    • 51' Modric cannot continue and is replaced by Peter Crouch.
    • 50' What a chance for Birmingham! Spurs only half-clear the corner and the ball comes out to McFadden whose cross is met by the head of Carsley but he can only steer his effort from 10 yards wide of the post.
    • 49' The free-kick flicks off Huddlestone's head and it is an early corner for Birmingham.
    • 48' Modric gets tangled up with Lee Bowyer and needs some treatment.
    • 47' It means Corluka will switch to centre-half alongside Bassong.
    • 46' A change for Spurs at the start of the second-half with Alan Hutton replacing King who has tweaked a groin.
    • 46' Half-time and no goals but plenty of action.
    • 45' Three in the box but Queudrue heads clear the cross from the right.
    • 44' Bowyer's snap shot from 20 yards is low and straight at Cudicini.
    • 43' It is not a mistake in the line-up, Birmingham do only have six men on the bench today.
    • 42' The jink on the French full-back as O'Connor nicks the ball off him in the corner but Spurs eventually snaffle out the danger.
    • 41' Assou-Ekotto is making his 50th Premier League appearance for Tottenham today, he could be the most improved player in the top-flight.
    • 40' Birmingham sit of Modric and he curls a 20-yard effort narrowly wide of the far corner.
    • 39' Spurs break quickly, a great turn by Defoe in the centre circle but the run is ended abruptly on the edge of the penalty area.
    • 38' Birmingham win their first corner.
    • 37' O'Connor uses the run to create space on the edge of the penalty area but his attempted curler hits Huddlestone on the back of the heel.
    • 36' Only three teams in Premier League history have won their opening four matches of the season and failed to finish in the top four. Newcastle United (6th) in 1994-95, Sheffield Wednesday (7th) in 1996-97 and Charlton Athletic (13th) in 2005-06. An omen for Spurs?
    • 35' The lone striker O'Connor meets a cross from the right but cannot direct his header from 15 yards on target.
    • 34' Garry O'Connor is struggling for support with McFadden hugging the left flank.
    • 33' Defoe goes down in the penalty area after cutting across Queudrue off the ball but referee Peter Walton did not see the incident.
    • 32' The veteran Carsley has been ubiquitous in his defensive midfield role.
    • 31' Assou-Ekotto again at the forefront his cross from the left is cleared.
    • 30' Spurs have a formidable home record under Redknapp, they have won their last seven League matches at the Lane, since a goalless draw with Arsenal on February 8.
    • 29' 13 efforts on goal in the opening half hour.
    • 28' A marauding run from Lennon is ended by a sliding challenge from Carsley.
    • 27' An astute pass down the left channel but Keane makes a complete hash of his attempted centre.
    • 26' Wilson Palacios' long-range piledriver is charged down by Carsley.
    • 25' Larsson scored for Birmingham in both matches against Tottenham in the 2007-08 season and the former Gunner has twice gone close today.
    • 24' Modric's header hits Queudrue and is hacked clear.
    • 23' That really should have been the opener. A precise pass from Huddlestone bisects Roger Johnson and Franck Queudrue but the in-form Defoe, clean through on Hart, pulls his shot wide.
    • 22' Birmingham have posed a danger on the break and Larsson shaves the post with his angled shot from 12 yards.
    • 21' Lennon's shot goes through Lee Carsley's legs but his effort is saved, low to his left by the busy Hart.
    • 20' Modric bamboozles Parnaby on the left and his low cross reaches Lennon at the far post but his shot is blocked on the line by former Spur Carr.
    • 19' Birmingham have not kept an away clean sheet in 16 Premier League matches since a goalless draw at Liverpool in September 2007.
    • 18' Modric is pulling the strings and almost picks out Keane with a ball over the top.
    • 17' Lennon twists and turns but his final shot is tamely into Hart's body.
    • 16' Garry O'Connor's low strike from 20 yards is saved, low to his left by Cudicini.
    • 15' Modric swings in the free-kick but King nor Bassong make contact with their attempted headers.
    • 14' Stuart Parnaby is having a mare in the opening 15 minutes and he hauls down Assou-Ekotto.
    • 13' Assou-Ekotto's cross drops to Keane whose shot is blocked and Defoe cannot get his effort on the turn off in time.
    • 12' Huddlestone tries to pick out Keane with a chip over the top but just too much purchase on the pass.
    • 11' Certainly an all action start at the Lane. Harry Redknapp did promise open games with this line-up.
    • 10' A chance out of the blue for the visitors and Sebastian Larsson unleashes a fierce shot from the angle which Cudicini pushes away to safety.
    • 9' Another long-range shot from Huddlestone and in-form Jermain Defoe is so close to deflecting it past Hart.
    • 8' At the other end, Ledley King makes a good block to stop Barry Ferguson's effort reaching Carlo Cudicini.
    • 7' Tom Huddlestone's shot from the edge of the penalty area is blocked by a posse of Birmingham defenders.
    • 6' Good save by Joe Hart to claw away Lennon's diagonal shot from 20 yards. Roger Johnson then clears the danger.
    • 5' All Spurs early on. They know Chelsea have relieved them from top spot in the Premier League after their win over Burnley.
    • 4' Modric almost sets Assou-Ekotto away down the left with a cute reverse pass but the ball runs out of play.
    • 3' Sebastien Bassong meets the free-kick from the right with his head but cannot direct his effort on target.
    • 2' Nice backheel from Luka Modric but Benoit Assou-Ekotto's cross is cut out only for James McFadden to be penalised for a tug on Aaron Lennon.
    • 1' And we are underway!
    • 14:55 The teams come out ona a bright sunny afternoon in North London.
    • 14:50 Former White Hart Lane favourite, defender Stephen Carr, is in the Birmingham line-up.
    • 14:45 Harry Redknapp has named the same side which beat West Ham last weekend.
    • 14:40 The Blues have lost their last six away matches in the Premier League, their longest run of away defeats in the top flight in 26 years since losing six consecutive away matches from January to April 1983.
    • 14:35 Spurs are looking to win their opening four matches of a top flight season for only the third time in their history, having done it in both 1925-26 and 1960-61.
    • 14:30 Only once before have Tottenham been top of the table at the end of August. In 2002-03 they won three and drew one of their first four matches to lead the table, three points clear of rivals Arsenal, but eventually finished in tenth place – 33 points behind Champions Manchester United.
    • 14:25 Birmingham have won their last two League matches against Tottenham, doing the league double over them in 2007-08. Tottenham's last win was 2-0 at St Andrews in March 2006.
    • 14:20 Tottenham Hotspur have won 38, Birmingham City 26 and there have been 14 draws.
    • 14:15 Welcome to our coverage from White Hart Lane as Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City meet for the 79th time in the league.

  • Summary

    • 90+3' 2-1 TOTTENHAM!! A slip by Carr near halfway, Pavlyuchenko takes the ball on and finds Lennon who cuts inside and his shot from 18 yards smuggles under Hart and into the net for surely the winner.
    • 89' McFadden's deep free-kick is hooked across goal by O'Connor but Johnson cannot hit the target from no more than four yards!
    • 79' O'Connor spurns a golden chance. Benitez gets the better of Corluka and combines with Bowyer before feeding the Scottish striker who passes his shot into the side netting.
    • 74' 1-1 EQUALISER!!! The lead was short lived as O'Connor's attempted pass deflects off Bassong and bobbles around the penalty area. Hutton, under pressure from Benitez, fails to deal with it and nor does Cudicini, who has come off his line, and Bowyer has the simple task of tapping into an empty net.
    • 71' 1-0 TOTTENHAM!! Lennon is tripped by McFadden and that gives Huddlestone a chance to swing in a free-kick. The delivery is inch perfect and Crouch climbs high above Johnson at the back post to plant a header over Hart and into the net.
    • 66' SO CLOSE!! From the corner, it's Crouch once again with a towering header but Carr denise his former team by nodding off the line.
    • 65' Keane's cross from the left is met by the stooping Crouch but his header strikes the crossbar with Hart beaten.
    • 58' A raking diagonal pass from Hutton is met by Crouch at the far post and his header is scrambled around the post by Hart.
    • 57' A superb run by McFadden and he seems to be tripped from behind by Wilson Palacios but ref Walton says no penalty and Birmingham are enraged.
    • 53' Keane is playing down the left and picks out Defoe with an astute pull back but his first touch is heavy, Birmingham clear and a golden chance is wasted.
    • 50' What a chance for Birmingham! Spurs only half-clear the corner and the ball comes out to McFadden whose cross is met by the head of Carsley but he can only steer his effort from 10 yards wide of the post.
    • 40' Birmingham sit of Modric and he curls a 20-yard effort narrowly wide of the far corner.
    • 23' That really should have been the opener. A precise pass from Huddlestone bisects Roger Johnson and Franck Queudrue but the in-form Defoe, clean through on Hart, pulls his shot wide.
    • 22' Birmingham have posed a danger on the break and Larsson shaves the post with his angled shot from 12 yards.
    • 20' Modric bamboozles Parnaby on the left and his low cross reaches Lennon at the far post but his shot is blocked on the line by former Spur Carr.
    • 10' A chance out of the blue for the visitors and Sebastian Larsson unleashes a fierce shot from the angle which Cudicini pushes away to safety.
    • 6' Good save by Joe Hart to claw away Lennon's diagonal shot from 20 yards. Roger Johnson then clears the danger.
    • 14:15 Welcome to our coverage from White Hart Lane as Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City meet for the 79th time in the league.

Team lineup & ratings

  • Lineup

    Live Team Line-Up

    • Tottenham Hotspur

      Manager: Harry Redknapp

      Captain: Robbie Keane

      Starting line-up

      • C. Cudicini
      • V. Corluka
      • S. Bassong
      • L. King Substitution Out (45′)
      • B. Assou-Ekotto
      • T. Huddlestone Yellow Card
      • W. Palacios
      • A. Lennon Goal
      • L. Modric Substitution Out (50′)
      • R. Keane
      • J. Defoe Substitution Out (80′)

      Subs

      • P. Crouch Substitution In50′ Goal
      • D. Bentley
      • A. Hutton Substitution In45′ Yellow Card
      • G. Dos Santos
      • K. Naughton
      • D. Button
      • R. Pavlyuchenko Substitution In80′

    • Birmingham City

      Manager: Alex McLeish

      Captain: Stephen Carr

      Starting line-up

      • J. Hart
      • S. Parnaby
      • R. Johnson
      • F. Queudrue
      • S. Carr Yellow Card
      • B. Ferguson
      • L. Carsley Substitution Out (74′)
      • S. Larsson Substitution Out (90′)
      • L. Bowyer Goal
      • J. McFadden
      • G. O'Connor Yellow Card

      Subs

      • K. Phillips
      • M. Taylor
      • G. McSheffrey Substitution In90′
      • C. Benítez Substitution In74′
      • G. Espinoza
      • J. O'Shea

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      - -
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      Substitution Out45′ - -
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      Midfielders
      Yellow Card - -
      - -
      Goal - -
      Substitution Out50′ - -
      Strikers
      - -
      Substitution Out80′ - -
      Subs
      Substitution In50′ Goal - -
      Substitution In45′ Yellow Card - -
      Substitution In80′ - -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
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      Yellow Card - -
      Midfielders
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      Substitution Out74′ - -
      Substitution Out90′ - -
      Goal - -
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      Strikers
      Yellow Card - -
      Subs
      Substitution In90′ - -
      Substitution In74′ - -

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