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Some controversial Graham Poll
officiating and some dodgy behaviour from the visiting Chelsea players
ensured that our poor run against the West Londoners continued in what
became a game decided by which way the whistle blew. With most
of the important moments in the match decided by Poll in the favour of
his beloved Chelsea, a win in the game was never within Tottenham's
reach.
Some early efforts by Spurs showed that
the side Martin Jol has forged did not fear the Pensioners.
Edman fired in a shot that rocketed over the bar. A moment of
slow-motion action in the 17th minute almost cost Spurs a goal when a
long Makelele ball was chased down by Drogba and he got there before
Robinson's hesitant advance from goal, but the Frenchman's lob over
the England number one dropped wide into the side netting.
Defoe was starved of supply throughout
the game and he was double marked most of the match, but with 19
minutes gone, he picked up the ball on the left wing and weaved his
way back outside the penalty area and struck a shot that must have
caught Cech off balance, because he pushed the ball out in the
continental style rather than take would should have been a routine
catch. King's partnership with Naybet was restored in the centre
of the defence and they took turns to produce timely tackles to stop
Drogba and Robben getting in on goal, but when Duff got the ball on
the "D" and hit an early shot on the half hour, Robinson
reacted well to push it wide of the goal. Then
Pamarot got caught the wrong side of Robben as he ran into the area
and although the first contact took place outside the box, Robben's
weakness was exposed as he crumpled inside the area and claimed a
penalty. Needless to say, Pamarot and Naybet did not agree and
stood over him berating him vehemently. Mr. Poll ... well, all
he did was have a quick word with the Flying Dutchman.
Damien Duff, obviously jealous of
Robbie Keane's nomination for FAI Player of the Year, while he was not
put up for the award, pulled his international team-mate back and then
held onto the ball getting a yellow card for his trouble. From
the open play resulting after the free-kick, Pedro Mendes could have
taken a first time shot, but chose to wait and float an attempt that
drifted wide of Cech's goal. But then, before you knew it, we
were a goal down.
It was a moment that turned the game in
Chelsea's favour, as they had looked little like scoring before
that. A long ball was retrieved by Duff and laid into the box,
when Ledley King went to clear it. At the same time, Smertin
came in and dropped to the turf to hear the whistle blow in his
favour. It looked a dive and TV evidence later showed that it
was harsh at the very least. But that doesn't worry Poll and he
gave Lampard the opening to give Chelsea the lead, which he took, but
only just - putting his spot-kick inches out of Robbo's reach.
The resolve among the Blues to keep their lead showed in some cynical
play, with Johnson felling Ziegler straight after the goal in what
might be leniently described as a "no-nonsense
manner." Only a woeful piece of finishing from Robben saved
Spurs from going in to the dressing room 0-2 down, after Drogba had
held of King to lay the ball into the winger's path, but proved that
he is not the best thing since sliced bread by slicing it wider than a
doorstep sandwich. For me, the
crucial decision came just four minutes after the restart, with Robbie
Keane receiving a low left wing cross from Ziegler in the penalty area
and Gallas came in with a challenge in an incident exactly the same as
King's on Smertin, but this time Poll was disinterested. With a
clear view, he chose to ignore the fact that there was as much contact
and that the only difference was that Keano failed to hit the ground
like the Russian Blue boy. This opened a spell in the match that
saw a chance at each end. With Drogba using his power to latch
onto a 56th minute ball through the middle, he seemed away for the
second goal, but Naybet caught him up as he stalled his run and got
enough on it to take the ball off him. Then, three minutes
later, a Spurs corner on the left wing was whipped in low to the near
post by Defoe and Smertin tried to clear the ball, but only succeeded
in getting a knee to it, which took the ball in an arc up and a foot
wide of the far post with nobody alive to it ... including the Chelsea
defence. It was a lucky escape and evidence that luck is not on
Tottenham's side at the moment. Again,
the two teams exchanged attempts on goal, with Ziegler hitting a shot
wide and Drogba rising to head a Ferreira cross powerfully, but off
target. With 25 minutes left, Jol decided that he needed some
physical presence up front, so brought on Gardner for Ziegler.
Thinking he might throw the tall central defender into central attack,
the coach switched King up front and installed Gardner in the back
four. Chelsea tried to counter this by introducing Jarosik to
the park. While few clear cut
chances came from this new tactic, the panic it cause dint he Chelsea
defence might have brought Spurs some joy. A long Edman cross
was nodded down by King to Defoe and the ball ended up at Mendes' feet
and he lashed a shot in that flashed across the face of goal.
Then a cross from substitute Marney on the right found Keane at the
far post and he took a touch inside to beat his man and hit s fierce
shot that was always rising over the bar. Yeates'
introduction was designed to get him to run at the defenders and when
he slipped the ball inside to Defoe, we had high hopes, but the shot
was dragged weakly wide. With just six minutes left, all hell
broke loose. A free kick was given and Terry grabbed the ball
and would not release it. Poll brandished the yellow card in his
direction and as Tottenham lined up the free-kick with Edman and
Carrick on the ball, Brown stationed himself in the wall and got a
shove from Makelele. Brown pushed back and received an elbow in
the head for his troubles. This took place just five yards from
Poll and his decision ?? A yellow card each. Hardly
fitting punishment when a raising of hands = red !! When the
dead ball was eventually hit, Carrick floated an effort into Cech's
hands. With injury time on the
clock, Spurs had a throw-in near their own corner. It went down
the line, but a header won it for Chelsea and Gudjohnsen took it down
left wing to the touchline and cut it back. Robinson got a hand
to it and pushed it out, but only to Lampost who hit a low shot past a
couple of players on it's way in. It was a cruel ending and one
that the Spurs team did not deserve as they were not two goals worse
than Chelsea on the day. Arising from the fact that Spurs were
pushing for an equaliser and the defence being caught on the break,
the same almost happened in the fourth minute of added time, but
Gudjohnsen's shot went wide. Another
dodgy decision against a top three team and another loss in a London
derby. It is hard to see where a win against either will come
with the lack of fortune we experienced. But even without the
luck we needed, it is a more optimistic outlook for Tottenham and even
though we failed to get a point as we did at Stamford Bridge, I think
there is enough evidence to show that the team has progressed since
then.
MEHSTG TOP MAN : - MICHAEL CARRICK
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