LFL: SPURS

This was a messy game and I thought it was never going to end but we did enough to win it, even if our winner had a big slice of luck. We’re up to 10th spot.

BEFORE

It really does seem an eternity since our last game and although the win against Newcastle United would have been a fitting way to end the season, of course I'd still love to see us win a few more games and finish as high as possible. Tottenham Hotspur have slipped into the bottom three after completely losing form at the worst possible time and it remains to be seen if the recent appointment of new coach Roberto De Zerbi will make them bounce back. Our tails are very much up and it looks very like Robin Roefs will be starting again this afternoon, which can only be for the best. Dan Ballard is still not ready to return and neither is Nilson Angulo. I rate Richarlison and he always looks a threat. I'll be at the game and I think it could go either of two ways, a comfortable win for us or a frustrating one-goal defeat. In the end, though, my match prediction is a 3-1 win for us.

I called in at A Love Supreme on the way over to the stadium for our traditional group hug and checked the team news whilst I was there. There were four changes from the starting lineup for the Newcastle game with Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo and Enzo Le Fee coming in for Melker Ellborg, Lutsharel Geertruida, Trai Hume and Chemsdine Talbi, all of whom were on the bench. I was in my seat in the Upper East Stand around 1:15pm. My friends' match predictions were: 3-0 to us, 2-1 to us and 1-1. The weather was very changeable as we approached kick off, with a mix of showers and sunshine. The Spurs area looked almost full as the teams emerged and our fans were in extremely good voice.

THE GAME

Spurs looked dangerous in the second minute as they managed to race down our right and get a cross in but Roefs was there to get hold of the resultant shot. In the fifth, Richarlison got a low shot on target that Roefs had well covered but I was alarmed that he’d been allowed so much space. Anyway, very soon after we won the first corner of the game. Granit Xhaka took it and it was curling into the net so Antonin Kinsky, in goal, had to tip it over for a second corner. Spurs were looking very pacey and the game was going from end to end. We conceded a free kick in the 12th but Pedro Porro wasted it by booting it straight out for a goal kick. Next thing, we won a free kick up the other end and it resulted in a looping effort from Omar Alderete being held by Kinsky. In the 17th, Brian Brobbey almost got on the end of a cross from the left after great buildup play but Kinsky just beat him to it. Just after that, a Brobbey header wasn’t far over the bar. In the 21st, referee Rob Jones awarded Spurs a penalty and it looked a right soft one to me. We should have stopped the move in the buildup, in fact, but were guilty of dithering. Anyway, justice was done as, after a VAR check, there was no penalty, much to the joy of the fans all around (well, nearly all around). 

We conceded our first corner in the 26th and it finally resulted in Roefs smothering a low shot. After a foul on Brobbey, some Spurs players were again guilty of harassing the ref as they’d done whilst he was checking the VAR. A Luke O’Nien header wasn’t far wide and, as we passed the half-hour mark, I felt sure there’d be a goal before too long. Following a long throw from the left, Xhaka hit a powerful shot that was very close to being the opener. There was a yellow card for Brobbey as the Spurs fans chanted, “You’re not fit to referee.”. Maybe I missed something there? Brobbey was fouled as he powered towards their box and we were awarded a free kick in a very good spot. My neighbour told me that we hadn’t scored from a free kick since 2016 and Xhaka proceeded to blast his effort well wide. With two minutes to the break we gave them a corner but, fortunately, didn't live to regret it. Five minutes of added time were announced and, following a free kick on the left, we had two powerful shots blocked. Roefs made a crucial block from Dominic Solanke and Spurs had another corner but that came to nothing. It remained 0-0 as the whistle went but it had been a rough and tumble game with several chances for both sides and I couldn’t see it ending goalless. Mind you, my neighbour thought it had 0-0 written all over it.

As it was International Fans Week, some of our international supporters were interviewed on the pitch during the break. Two were from the USA and the other was from… Durham, albeit via the Czech Republic. 

There were no changes as we kicked off again. The opening stages were sluggish and at times we were taking ages to get the ball out of the defence. In the 54th,  Habib Diarra had a shot but it was always going wide of their right angle. Our fans were still in good voice and the Spurs supporters were also singing loudly. I started to wonder which changes we’d make to pep the game up a bit and I fancied seeing Talbi coming on. We, again, gave Richarlison too much space and he managed to get a low shot on target but Roefs dived to hold it. Anyway, next thing we took the lead and it was Mukiele who got it with a low shot that took the benefit of a big deflection off Micky Van de Ven on the way. That was just around the hour mark and, next thing, Spurs made a triple switch with Joao Palhinha, Mathys Tel and Pape Sarr coming on for Archie Gray, Richarlison and Lucas Bergvall. There was a collision in the Spurs box, as Brobbey attacked, involving Kinsky and Cristian Romero which left them both prostrate for several minutes. Our fans tried to cheer up proceedings by chanting, “You’re going down!”. Both players were eventually able to get to their feet and received plenty of applause from our fans but Romero was subbed for Kevin Danso. There was bound to be a good deal of added time. 

By the time we got going again we were into the 70th minute and we were soon defending a Spurs corner. Chris Rigg was booked for a (rather mild) foul and then Diarra’s pass was a little too short for Brobbey as he ran into a great position in the box. A few of our substitutes started to warm up, so maybe we were about to have some changes for the last ten minutes of regular time? Soon Mukiele and Rigg were replaced by Hume and Talbi, to much applause. We’d been piling on the pressure and I fancied us for a second. We’d have to improve our final pass, though, as several great moves were let down by the last touch. A lot of Spurs passes were worse, I have to say. We had a penalty shout but the ref wasn’t having it and then a pass from the left rolled right in front of their gaping net but nobody was there to tap it in. 11 minutes of added time were announced and our fans didn’t sound too happy about that on the whole. 

Spurs were awarded a free kick, just to the left of our box, and Roefs managed to tip it onto the roof of the net. The resultant corner was nodded to safety. Our fans were making a great racket, to keep spirits up, as Spurs went for that equaliser. A powerful shot from Porro was tipped over for another Spurs corner but that was wasted with great jeers from our fans as a shot skied over. Brobbey received a loud ovation as he was replaced by Wilson Isidor with about three minutes left. A foul in our box relieved the pressure and very soon the final whistle went at last, and, we’d won.