MATCH SPY: Five-man midfield fails to bring Spurs a first victory
From Fratton Park
Portsmouth 2
Tottenham h 0
Att: 20,318
SPURS are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season after Sunday's two-goal defeat at Portsmouth.
The Lilywhites continue to prop up the table with just two points from their opening six matches. Coach Juande Ramos reverted to a five-man midfield with Roman Pavlyuchencko as the lone striker. But Tottenham looked pedrestrian, especially in the first half, leaving with too much space between midfield and the Russian striker.
Heurelho Gomes made two decent saves before a moment of madness from skipper Jermaine Jenas - needlessly handling a free kick in the area - allowed former Spur Jermain Defoe to open the scoring from the spot.
Aaron Lennon replaced Gilberto for the second half and Spurs should have had a penalty when Lennon's cross was handled by Lassana Diarra but referee Mike Dean only gave a corner.
Spurs surprisingly replaced Didier Zakora with Giovani dos Santos just before the hour mark but they still failed to trouble keeper David James.
Pompey added a second through Peter Crouch and Ramos responded by replacing Pavlyuchencko with Darren Bent - much to the annoyance of the Spurs fans.
Bent blazed over his only chance and Diarra's dismissal came too late to lift Ramos's beleaguered players.
SPURS PLAYER OF THE GAME: ghghghgh: ghghghghghg
Team: Gomes 7, Zokora 5, Woodgate 5, Corluka 6, Assou-Eketto 5, Bentley 5 (Lennon 6 64), Jenas 5, O'Hara 5, Bale 6, (Huddlestone 5 80), Bent 5, Pavlyuchenko 5, (Campbell 5 46). subs not used: Cesar, Gilberto, Gunter, Giovani.
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