ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Wolves 3 Tottenham 3:ON AN afternoon when Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur remembered the late Dean Richards with a moving pre-match tribute the two clubs served up a spectacle that included everything from brilliant individual goals to a dramatic finale and controversial refereeing decisions in between.
Wolves secured a deserved point when the substitute Steven Fletcher headed beyond Heurelho Gomes three minutes from time but a sense of injustice was still burning inside the home supporters at the final whistle. Mark Halsey, the referee, disallowed a Richard Stearman goal in the 80th minute after the Wolves defender was adjudged to have fouled Gomes, although his most contentious decision was to allow Alan Hutton to remain on the pitch after the full-back committed what looked to be a professional foul on Nenad Milijas in the 39th minute.
Spurs were 2-1 in front at the time, after two wonderful Jermain Defoe goals – remarkably his first in the Premier League this season – in the space of five minutes turned an absorbing match on its head, Kevin Doyle’s early header having put Wolves in front. Halsey pointed to the spot as soon as Hutton made contact with Milijas but after a lengthy delay the referee chose only to caution the defender.
Harry Redknapp, perhaps with some justification, claimed Stearman impeded Gomes in the other contentious incident – television replays were inconclusive although the Spurs keeper did appear to have both hands on the ball at one point – but he made no attempt to defend Hutton. “It must be a clear goalscoring opportunity,” the Spurs manager said. “He’s very lucky not to get sent off.” Mick McCarthy, however, felt that Halsey was wrong on both occasions. “I saw (the Stearman disallowed goal) afterwards, and I had a slow-motion view of it, but it’s a poor decision,” said the Wolves manager. “I think it’s poor in the sense that the goalkeeper gets the benefit of the doubt. I haven’t seen the Hutton incident again but the rules are, if you stop a clear goalscoring opportunity, it’s a red card.”
In many ways this result was a disappointment to both clubs. Wolves remain in the relegation zone while Spurs have missed out on the chance to leapfrog Chelsea and reclaim fourth spot. Redknapp lamented the poor defending that Wolves capitalised on but also highlighted a few positives, including the sight of Gareth Bale returning, before their Champions League last-16 second leg against AC Milan at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.
Bale, who has been out for six weeks with a back complaint, hardly looked like a player easing himself back into things when he replaced Steven Pienaar in the 69th minute and immediately tore down the right flank. “When Gareth started to run with the ball it was exciting and we’ve missed that the last few weeks, said Redknapp, who believes the Welshman has “every chance” of starting against Milan.
The Spurs manager is also confident Rafael van der Vaart will be fit to face the Italian club despite the Dutchman playing no part here.
Instead it was left to Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko to take centre stage and the duo seized their chance. Pavlyuchenko put Spurs 3-2 in front three minutes into the second half with a rasping left-footed shot, although it was Defoe’s goals that had both managers drooling afterwards.
His first was a thunderous 25-yard drive that swerved inside Wayne Hennessey’s left upright and the second was every bit as impressive, the forward curling a first-time shot into the top corner. “If he could get 10 goals between now and the end of the season it could make a massive difference,” said Redknapp.
Doyle has endured a similarly frustrating campaign for Wolves but he took his league tally to five with a header from Milijas’s cross and a coolly-executed penalty after Hutton’s foul. Those goals looked like being in vain when Pavlyuchenko struck just after the restart but Wolves’ persistence was rewarded when Fletcher climbed above Michael Dawson to head in Matt Jarvis’s centre.
The abiding image of the afternoon, however, was the emotive sight of Richards’s brave widow, Samantha, walking out on to the pitch beforehand alongside their two sons, Rio and Jaden. Richards, who played for Wolves and Spurs, died last weekend, at the age of 36, and it was impossible not to be moved by his family’s presence at the game.
Champions League: Last 16, second leg
Tottenham 1 AC Milan 0
INJURED AC Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng is unlikely to face former side Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesdays tie but the stretched Rossoneri still go to London with renewed confidence.
The Serie A leaders were crestfallen after the 1-0 home defeat in the first leg last month when fiery midfielder Gennaro Gattusos post-match clash with Spurs assistant coach Joe Jordan summed up the frustration of the seven-times winners.
Three weeks on and all seems rosy again after deserved domestic wins over Chievo, fellow title challengers Napoli and arch rivals Juventus. Boatengs ankle problem, which forced him off in Saturdays 1-0 victory in Turin, is the only negative.
We will try to have him back, coach Massimilano Allegri told reporters while chief executive Adriano Galliani said they were worried for the Ghanaian.
Boatengs fitness is key as midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini are injured long-term while Mark van Bommel is ineligible and Gattuso is banned.
A makeshift midfield of Clarence Seedorf, Mathieu Flamini and German youngster Alexander Merkel may be an option while with Antonio Cassano ineligible, Alexandre Pato should recover from flu to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho up front.
To win we need to attack. You cant only stay back and defend, you must always attack, defender Thiago Silva said.
European champions Inter Milan fought back from 1-0 down to hammer Genoa 5-2 yesterday. The victory meant second-placed Inter cut the gap to AC to five points.
Guardian Service
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