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 t
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.
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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.
