BY MIKE McKINLEY The quest for Europe remains on after a satisfying win over Everybody s Second Team at the Lane on Sunday lunchtime. And the way it was earned said plenty about Spurs in the spring of 2009. One nil may not have been the most popular scoreline around thes

The quest for Europe remains on after a satisfying win over Everybody's Second Team at the Lane on Sunday lunchtime.

And the way it was earned said plenty about Spurs in the spring of 2009.

One nil may not have been the most popular scoreline around these parts in times gone by.

But we're certainly getting used to it now, and the number of clean sheets is reaching uncharted heights.

Not bad for a team with a clown in goal, eh Alan Hansen?

As I said last week, I am a very bitter man, and the joy at beating the Geordies was enhanced by a certain penalty miss at Wembley later in the day.

Come on, I wasn't the only one to laugh.

It was tinged with the knowledge though that what the current side is missing for all its doggedness and resilience, is some genuine magic to help us turn superiority into goals.

It's all well and good keeping the clean sheets, but there will come a day when the cushion of an extra goal or two will make the difference, which means that despite Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe returning, a top centre forward may still be top of the summer shopping list.

The bad karma earned from all that weekend giggling will now come back to collectively bite us at Old Trafford, of course.

It would be very nice to continue our unbeaten league run against the top four though, and Manchester United aren't exactly at their best.

We owe them one for Carling Cup final misery at Wembley too, and a bit of early payback would go down a treat on Saturday tea-time.

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