Tottenham 2 Birmingham City 3Alex McLeish admits he is an adrenalin junkie. Having narrowly failed to take Scotland to the Euro 2008 finals, after the most thrilling of rides, he could have sat tight in his international post, pressure free until September, save for the need to prepare for a handful of friendlies.
That is not his style. So when Birmingham City came calling, he jumped at the chance to return to action, to experience the Premier League for the first time. After a pulsating 90 minutes here in north London he emerged from his debut, exhausted and exhilarated and with three precious points. It was safe to say that he had enjoyed his fix.
McLeish will never forget the moment when Sebastian Larsson picked Dimitar Berbatov's pocket in injury-time and sized up, first time, the most audacious 35-yard shot. Neither will Larsson, who learned his trade down the road in north London at the Arsenal academy. The midfielder's right-footed drive careered into the top corner beyond the clutches of Paul Robinson, a winner in a million, to give McLeish that indescribable feeling.
The Scot embraced his assistants, Roy Aitken and Andy Watson, before clenching a fist in the direction of the travelling support, who had descended into delirium.
It was a fitting finale to an afternoon of high-octane excitement, one also peppered with controversy. Robbie Keane was the star performer and his two goals, the first from the penalty spot, appeared to have set Tottenham fair for victory or, at the very least, another game without defeat, that would have continued the steady progress under Juande Ramos, their new manager.
But after Cameron Jerome had equalised, following a fine individual run and strike, the match turned when Keane was sent off. The ball had run away from Keane and he launched into a challenge to win it back. He clattered into Fabrice Muamba, another former Arsenal youngster, to leave him writhing in agony but, though late, the challenge was neither malicious nor two-footed and Keane and Ramos were steeled for yellow at worst.
Yet Phil Dowd, the referee, paused ominously and appeared to seek a second opinion via his earpiece. Gus Poyet, the Tottenham assistant manager and a character previously known as "Radio", because of his talkative nature, accused Dowd of consulting with Uriah Rennie, the fourth official, before he shocked everyone present with a red card. Dowd has been here before. When he sent off Coventry's Michael Mifsud last month, against West Bromwich, he was accused by Iain Dowie, the Coventry manager, of relying on his fourth official via the radio link.
"I don't know who refereed today because he (Dowd) used the fourth official," said Poyet. "The referee on the pitch is in charge of the game and he should be the one making the decisions. I didn't know you could ask the fourth official to confirm. " It is understood that Rennie did not have access to a pitchside monitor. Tottenham intend to appeal the decision.
McLeish, immersed in the drama and living every tackle, had just brought on Mikael Forssell for Daniel De Ridder, a bold change, and he made another by sending on Olivier Kapo for Gary McSheffrey. Birmingham were not content with a point. Kapo crossed for Forssell to rattle the crossbar on 89 minutes and Kapo drew a smart save from Robinson before Larsson provided the coup de grace. It was some way for him to score his first Premier League goal. "It was a long 90 minutes," said a smiling McLeish, who halted a run of six Birmingham defeats in seven matches.
Spurs' concentration, or more precisely, that of Younes Kaboul, lapsed to present Birmingham with the lead. Kaboul lunged needlessly at McSheffrey inside the area and, despite Ramos's protestations, Dowd was correct to point to the spot. McSheffrey blasted straight down the middle. It was not until after the break, and a double substitution from Ramos, that Tottenham drew blood. Johan Djourou, the on-loan Arsenal defender, tripped Berbatov for Keane to profit and, moments later, the Dubliner volleyed home from Tom Huddlestone's chip. The drama, though, had only just begun.
Meanwhile, the Carson Yeung takeover of Birmingham appears to be off with both parties admitting little progress is being made.
