Collins (second yellow - foul on Adebayor)  63

    
Naughton (handball) 29
 

17  Joey O'BRIEN  (20  Guy DEMEL 62)
  2  Winston REID
19  James COLLINS               
  3  Aaron CRESSWELL

16  Mark NOBLE
  4  Kevin NOLAN (c)
  8  Cheikhou KOUYATE     
11  Stewart DOWNING

12  Ricardo VAZ TE  (21  Mohamed DIAME 68)
24  Carlton COLE  (31  Enner VALENCIA 81)

Unused subs: 
22  Jussi JAASKELAINEN
33  Reece BURKE
23  Diego POYET
10  Mauro ZARATE

16  Kyle NAUGHTON     
15  Eric DIER 
  4  Younes KABOUL (c)
  3  Danny ROSE

42  Nabil BENTALEB
29  Etienne CAPOUE

  7  Aaron LENNON  (17  Andros TOWNSEND 62)
23  Christian ERIKSEN
11  Erik LAMELA  (14  Lewis HOLTBY 62)

10  Emmanuel ADEBAYOR  (18  Harry KANE 83)

Unused subs: 
24  Brad FRIEDEL
33  Ben DAVIES
20  Michael DAWSON
  9  Roberto SOLDADO
 

There is nothing better than a late winner at Upton Park for Tottenham and there have been a few over the last few years.  The fact that West ham didn't capitalise on the extra man in the capital derby cost them the points and looks like costing Fat Sam his position at West Ham, but Tottenham look like they have uncovered a gem in match-winner and debutant Eric Dier.

With Spurs missing their World Cup players and with Michael Dawosn injured, new signing Eric Dier was given a debut, with Nebil Bentaleb playing as one of the defensive two alongside Etienne Capoue.  Adebayor was up front, with Lamela, Lennon and Eriksen behind him.  West Ham lined up with two debutants, Youkate and Cresswell, with record signing Enner Valencia on the bench.  Originally, Spurs found it hard to break down the Old Irons Guard and Downing was showing a bit of pace on the line.

Following a messy attack, which Naughton dragged straight to Carlton Cole, the big striker tried a first time shot from the left corner of the box that went over the angle.  Tottenham's first effort came in the ninth minute when Collins went through the back of Lennon on the left and Eriksen fired in a low free-kick to Adrian's near post, but the keeper was right behind it.  There was plenty of endeavour in the middle third, but little in either last third, but Downing put in a centre from the right that eluded Kaboul and was taken down by the West Ham forward, but the ball was picked off his toe by Naughton as it looked like he might have had a goal-scoring opening with 15 minutes gone.

Around the 20 minute mark, West Ham tried to put a bit of pressure on the Spurs goal with a couple of high crosses, which Spurs just dealt with and a low cross form the left, which Rose did well to beat Downing to as he looked to finish it off.  A free-kick was headed out by Rose for a corner and from it, a scramble in the box came to Nolan and his shot hit Naughton on the hands as he turned his back and not only that but he has shown a red card to the full back.  Irony upon irony, Mark Noble steppe dup to take it instead of Nolan and he put the ball wide of the left hand post with Lloris going the other way.

With a penalty given against us and a sending off, it should have come as no surprise, as Chris Foy is hardly a referee who has given Spurs very much over the years and he is not going to change now.  In an ideal world the decision will be rescinded, but West Ham reap the benefit of no review of the decision being taken immediately.

So, just like last season, Tottenham had to play the Irons with ten men for the majority of the game.  Capoue dropped back to centre half and Dier went to right back, as Spurs went back to a 4-4-1 system.  Spurs settled down a bit and played the ball well, with O'Brien giving Adrian a tricky moment when he beat Adebayor to the ball and forced his keeper to a save at his near post.  When West Ham moved the ball to the Tottenham end, Cole was blocked when Capoue stopped his shot and then from the corner, Vaz Te hit a shot across goal which took a touch off a Spurs player for another corner, but this came to nothing.

Tottenham did manage to hit the Irons on the break, with Eriksen picking out Adebayor, who laid it down for Lennon to shoot just over the bar from the edge of the box.  The hoe team should have scored shortly after, when Vaz Te headed a cross into the ground with nobody in front of him except Lloris and the French keeper was able to take the ball simply.

Half time gave Poch a chance to lay out his plans of how to deal with the opposition with a man short, while Allardyce would have to try to get this side to improve on one shot out of eleven on target.

Spurs had chance when Eriksen found himself in the box with the ball at his feet, but his shot was charged down with jut two minutes gone of the half.  Spurs were grateful that Hugo was carrying on his good form from the World Cup, with a save low down in front of him from Downing's 20 yard drive, but the ball ran loose and he got to it first before a claret shirt.  As the West Ham player hit the ground, the Irons fans wanted a penalty straight away.  This time it didn't come, although you wouldn't have been surprised if Foy had pointed to the spot.

Spurs were giving it a go, when Rose skipped away from a challenge on halfway, he ran down the left, with his low cross just failing to find Lennon running in form the opposite side.   With 62 minutes gone, Tottenham again broke away and when Ade pushed the ball past Collins, it looked as though he wouldn't get it, but Collins turned a hip into him and picked up his second yellow card and he had to walk, leaving the game poised at 10 v 10.  Unfortunately, the West ham stewards weren't doing their job either and a fan ran onto the pitch, holding up play, so that when Eriksen took the free-kick, it went too high.  Having just made a substitution at the back, West ham had to shift Kouyate back into the middle of the back four and Vaz Te was sacrificed for Diame coming on in midfield. 

Townsend's ball curled into towards Adrian and as Adebayor went in, the keeper reacted and there was a flare up, but it came to nothing and then Andros has a swirling shot tipped over from 20 yards.  The corner was worked to him again, just outside the area and his low drilled effort took a touch that sent he ball just wide, as Spurs upped the pace.  But there was a lack of concentration when Kaboul brought the ball out of defence, allowing Noble to run forward to hit a low shot to Lloris' right and the goalie got down well to stop the shot.

Substitute Enner Valencia wrestled Capoue to the ground as he was trying to shepherd the ball off for a goal kick and they got a corner.  From it, Lloris punched clear, but when t he ball came back in, Bentaleb just beat Valencia to it and the clearance hit haphazard ref Foy in the penalty area.  If only he had sent himself off !!   When the Irons attacked again, Downing floated his second cross of the afternoon behind the goal, belying the stat about him being the most accurate crosser of the ball last season.

West Ham pushed towards the end and Lloris raced off the line to block Downing's shot as he stumbled through a challenge in the box to keep the home team out.  Spurs had not given up hope of getting something out of the match and Eric Dier's rampaging break out up the right wing took the play to West Ham and from the throw-in, the ball eventually came to Bentlaeb to strike a 25 yard drive that Adrian dived left to beat away.

And it was Dier who popped up in the third minute of added time, when Kane slipped a pass to the left channel of the West Ham area and it was Eric running forward who took the ball around Adrian and then slipped it left footed into the net to open the scoring with just a minute left.  It was taken like a forward and his ability on the ball shows he is not just a thump it forward defender such as was lining up in the other side.

It was a gritty performance and not one that saw Spurs flow in their new system under Mauricio Pochettino, but three points is a considerable improvement on last season's result at the Boleyn and stopped West Ham's bragging.  You can't hate West Ham can you ?  And Mark Noble's penalty could be what is the difference between them staying up or going down at the end of the season.  But in the long run, after Gold and Sullivan's comments about how they want the team to play, if that is attacking from West Ham ... goodness help them !!

As for us, there is more to come and without the World Cup stars this was a great three points under the circumstances.  Given a bit more time, there could be some good days ahead.

PETE STACHIO

Even though it is early in the season, Tottenham's win has left West Ham in Dier straits.
 

The way he passed the ball past the post from 12 yards out was precision !!

I bet he was gutted when Dier scored and he had to say some nice things about the Tottenham goal ;o)

The sooner the Premier League dump the old duffer Foy the better.
 

Be careful what you wish for !!