FAN'S VIEW: Frustration as we fail to beat Arsenal's 10 men

BY MIKE McKINLEY A NOVELTY from Spurs – a new way to leave the fans shaking their heads with disappointment as we left the derby. Whereas, for most of my adult life it seems to have involved us taking the lead and managing to blow it, this time we were given the great o

A NOVELTY from Spurs - a new way to leave the fans shaking their heads with disappointment as we left the derby.

Whereas, for most of my adult life it seems to have involved us taking the lead and managing to blow it, this time we were given the great opportunity to put one over the enemy only to spend an hour conspicuously failing to do so.

As we listened to the taunts from the visiting fans informing us "that's why you're going down", the team seemed compelled to confirm their words, drifting back to their most toothless and frustrating in failing to break down Arsenal's 10 men.

Yes, that lot have had an awful lot of practice playing minus one of their number, but the second half was an exhibition in huffing and puffing with precious little to show for it.

And even when the happiest of endings offered itself, the finishing touch proved agonisingly elusive.

It was a point towards the cause though, and I'm sure most would have taken that gratefully at kick-off.

Furthermore, it continued our unbeaten season against the "big four", a statistic which proves that - even if we're deeper in the mire than usual - this year's Spurs still have the gift of raising their game for the big guns.

Unfortunately, they are equally gifted at plumbing the depths when we expect the points.

So while I walked away from the game thinking that performances like that for the rest of the season would steer us away from disaster, that thought was instantly followed by the depressing certainty that such performances aren't too likely when the six-pointers come around. Please prove me wrong lads.