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  • Defoe (70)
  • Nugent (59)
  • Date:2009-01-18
  • Kick-off:16:00
  • Venue:White Hart Lane
  • Attendance:36011
  • Referee:Bennett, S

Live Commentary

90mins

The whistle goes for full-time.

90mins

Full-Time: TOTTENHAM 1-1 PORTSMOUTH.

90mins

Darren Bent has a low shot which is straight at David James and easily saved.

90mins

Niko Kranjcar is replaced by Hermann Hreidarsson.

90mins

There's three minutes of added time for someone to grab the three points.

89mins

Niko Kranjcar has a shot from well outside the penalty area which goes wide.

88mins

Marc Wilson comes on in place of Younes Kaboul.

86mins

Jermain Defoe strides into the penalty area but his effort goes well wide.

85mins

Sylvain Distin puts in a great challenge against Vedran Corluka and Portsmouth break away.

84mins

Glen Johnson's free-kick from 40 yards out is easily cleared by Spurs.

82mins

Luka Modric squares the ball and Sylvain Distin makes a vital clearance from under his own crossbar.

80mins

David Bentley puts in a perfect cross and Darren Bent is unmarked at the far post but manages to put it wide.

79mins

Darren Bent surges into the area but two Portsmouth defenders are with him and get the ball back to David James.

78mins

Jamie O'Hara has a shot from distance which is straight at David James.

76mins

Vedran Corluka's header from the corner is cleared off the line.

75mins

David Bentley's curling free-kick is put out for a corner by David James.

75mins

Younes Kaboul is booked for a foul on Luka Modric.

74mins

David Nugent makes way for John Utaka.

73mins

David Bentley has a free-kick from 30 yards out but it's way over the bar.

72mins

Vedran Corluka fires a shot in from outside the area but it's wide of the target.

70mins

TOTTENHAM 1-1 PORTSMOUTH. DEFOE equalises with a fine strike from the edge of the area.

69mins

David Bentley replaces Gareth Bale.

68mins

Jamie O'Hara can't direct his header goalwards from Aaron Lennon's cross.

67mins

Jonathan Woodgate heads Gareth Bale's free-kick over the bar.

66mins

Portsmouth are first to every ball now, and Heurelho Gomes does not look comfortable.

65mins

Aaron Lennon tries to take on Nadir Belhadj but over-runs the ball and it goes through to David James.

63mins

The Portsmouth defence are handling everything Spurs can throw at them at the moment.

61mins

The noise increases inside White Hart Lane as Spurs look for the equaliser.

59mins

TOTTENHAM 0-1 PORTSMOUTH. NUGENT puts Pompey ahead with a deflected strike from the edge of the area, the former Preston man's first Premier League goal of his career.

58mins

Aaron Lennon powers in a cross towards Darren Bent but it's fisted away by David James.

56mins

The game is very evenly balanced with defences on top at the moment.

54mins

Niko Kranjcar's corner flashes across goal and is cleared.

53mins

David Nugent wins a corner for Portsmouth.

52mins

Sol Campbell has played well today, as he makes another vital interception from an Aaron Lennon cross.

51mins

Aaron Lennon sends a low ball into Darren Bent in the area but Portsmouth clear.

49mins

The second half hasn't started at the same quick pace of the first.

48mins

Michael Dawson gets a touch on Gareth Bale's free-kick but the whistle goes for a free-kick for Portsmouth.

46mins

The second half gets underway.

45mins

Half-Time: TOTTENHAM 0-0 PORTSMOUTH.

45mins

Aaron Lennon has a run and shot which is saved comfortably by David James.

45mins

David Nugent has a first-time shot which flies over the bar.

45mins

Gareth Bale makes a good run towards the area but his shot is poor and well wide.

45mins

There's three minutes of added time.

43mins

Ledley King is injured and replaced by Michael Dawson.

42mins

David Nugent is in on goal but Heurelho Gomes makes a great save down to his left.

40mins

Heurelho Gomes complains about a back-pass which he side-foots out of play and seems unable to kick properly.

39mins

Jamie O'Hara has a long-range effort which hits the side-netting, watched all the way by David James.

38mins

Jermain Defoe is almost onto a throughball but it trickles through to David James.

37mins

Younes Kaboul dispossesses Jamie O'Hara and has a shot which hits the side-netting.

35mins

The pace of the game has dropped a little.

33mins

Gareth Bale's corner is hacked away by Sean Davis as Spurs step up the pressure.

31mins

Portsmouth have a corner but Younes Kaboul puts it harmlessly wide.

29mins

Pavlyuchenko can't continue and is replaced by Darren Bent.

28mins

Pavlyuchenko is still down and needs further treatment.

26mins

Sean Davis is booked for bringing down Pavlyuchenko.

26mins

The corner comes to nothing.

25mins

Vedran Corluka puts in a great challenge on Armand Traore in the area and it's a Portsmouth corner.

23mins

Jermain Defoe's header from Aaron Lennon's cross is tipped over the crossbar by David James.

21mins

Jamie O'Hara is causing Portsmouth problems and Spurs have another corner.

20mins

Pavlyuchenko's shot from the corner is blocked on the goal-line by Defoe and Portsmouth break forward.

19mins

David James makes a fantastic save from Aaron Lennon's shot and Spurs have another corner.

18mins

Spurs are enjoying a period of possession but Portsmouth are quick on the break.

16mins

Armand Traore goes for goal but hits the side-netting.

15mins

Jermain Defoe's shot is well saved by David James diving to his right.

14mins

Spurs counter-attack and Roman Pavlyuchenko has a deflected shot which is caught by David James.

13mins

Portsmouth have a corner and Heurelho Gomes doesn't look comfortable.

11mins

Glen Johnson has a low shot which is dropped by Heurelho Gomes but Peter Crouch can't make contact and the ball is cleared.

10mins

Aaron Lennon has a left-foot shot which is well held by David James.

8mins

Jermain Defoe has a great chance one-on-one with David James but puts the ball wide of the post.

7mins

Gareth Bale has an effort from distance but it's well wide.

6mins

Spurs have their first corner but it's cleared by Portsmouth.

5mins

Neither side can string more than two passes together as the game is being played at a frantic pace.

3mins

The ball is fizzing around and it's a lively start to the game.

2mins

The boos ring around the ground as Sol Campbell touches the ball.

1mins

Armand Traore has an early effort but it's cleared by Vedran Corluka.

1mins

Referee Steve Bennett gets the game underway.

0mins

The atmosphere's building at White Hart Lane as Spurs look to lift themselves off the bottom of the table.

Match Preview

Emotions will be running high at White Hart Lane on Sunday when Tottenham Hotspur host Portsmouth.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp left Fratton Park in October to take up his new post and angered Pompey fans by taking Jermain Defoe away from the south coast earlier this month.

Tottenham have endured a poor run of form over recent weeks, failing to win any of their last five Premier League outings.

They lie in 18th place in the league table, although just three points separate them from Newcastle in 11th.

Redknapp will be buoyed by a near-full strength squad. Spurs' only injury absentee is right-back Alan Hutton, who has fractured a metatarsal. The foot injury could keep the Scotland international out of action until April.

Defoe's transfer to Tottenham is the latest high-profile departure from Portsmouth, who have earned over £30million in transfers this month alone.

Despite a worrying run of form in the league, Tony Adams' side defeated Bristol City at Ashton Gate in an FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday.

Adams was ecstatic with the win and glad to have highly-rated defender Glen Johnson back in a blue shirt.

The former Arsenal stalwart said: "It's nice to have him back in the team. He was much more disciplined and put in an outstanding display at right-back."

Adams is short of midfielders, with Richard Hughes (groin), Jerome Thomas (back) and Papa Bouba Diop (knee ligaments) are likely to miss out. Diop is expected to be missing for three months.

Pompey travel to White Hart Lane searching for their first Premier League victory since November, a run which has seen them plummet to 14th in the table, just three points above Spurs.

Redknapp saw Portsmouth defeat his new team in September when they beat Spurs 2-0 at Fratton Park.

Defoe got on the scoresheet that day and Redknapp will be hoping the England international makes a habit of scoring against his former teams.


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Match Report

Jermain Defoe made it a home debut to remember when he netted the crucial equaliser against his former club to help Tottenham move out of the bottom three.

Portsmouth looked to be heading for all three points after David Nugent had given them the lead just before the hour mark.

But Defoe showed why Tottenham have forked out £15million for his signature when he scored a trademark goal to lift them off the bottom of the table.

All the headlines had surrounded Harry Redknapp facing Pompey for the first time since he left Fratton Park to join Spurs in October and he received a barrage of abuse from the away supporters at White Hart Lane.

Sol Campbell also faced a cauldron of hate from the Tottenham fans, but the Pompey skipper produced a superb display to silence all his critics and ensure his side came away with something.

Sean Davis almost gifted Tottenham the lead on eight minutes when he played a long-range ball straight into the path of Defoe who was clean through on goal.

The home supporters were waiting for the prolific forward to make it a dream home start against his former club, but he fired the ball wide of the post.

Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes was clearly feeling the affects of a groin injury he suffered against Wigan last week and nearly produced another major howler on 12 minutes.

Gomes failed to hold onto a shot from Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch looked certain to knock the loose ball home, but the Brazilian keeper somehow managed to flick the ball away at the second attempt.

Defoe was determined to get on the scoresheet against his former club and went close again on 15 minutes when he fired a low shot which produced another fine save from James diving low to his left.

Aaron Lennon then tested James four minutes later when his dipping shot was turned around the post by the Portsmouth keeper.

From the resulting corner, Jonathan Woodgate's header was flicked into the path of Roman Pavlyuchenko whose shot looked destined for the back of the net only for it to be blocked by his strike partner Defoe.

Lennon was causing all kinds of problems for the Pompey defence and he burst clear into the penalty area on 23 minutes and crossed for Defoe whose close-range header was tipped over the bar by James.

Vedran Corluka produced an excellent piece of defending three minutes later to stop Armand Traore giving Portsmouth the lead.

Nugent broke the offside trap and cut the ball back for Traore who had the easy task of knocking the ball into an empty net, but his shot was superbly blocked by the Croatian defender.

Tottenham then suffered a major injury blow on 28 minutes when Pavlyuchenko was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Darren Bent.

And it was Portsmouth that should have taken the lead three minutes before half-time when Nugent found himself clean through on goal, only for his shot to be kept out by Gomes' legs.

Things got even worse for Redknapp when influential skipper Ledley King was forced to leave the field on the stroke of half-time after picking up a hamstring strain. He was replaced by Michael Dawson.

Nugent made up for his earlier miss when he opened the scoring for Portsmouth on 58 minutes - his first Premier League goal for the club following his £6million move from Preston.

Traore played the ball into the Pompey forward who fired a fierce shot which took a wicked deflection off Gareth Bale and flew past Gomes into the corner of the net.

Defoe made it a homecoming to remember when he netted the crucial equaliser on 70 minutes. Luka Modric laid the ball into the path of the England forward who fired a left-foot shot through the legs of Campbell and past James.

Corluka could have grabbed a winner for Tottenham with 15 minutes left when his header was cleared off the line by Davis.

Substitute Bent blew a late golden chance to hand Tottenham all three points when Modric picked him out at the far post but, with the goal at his mercy, he somehow headed the ball wide.

Tottenham Hotspur

Portsmouth

Corners

84

Fouls

610

Goal attempts

2610

Shots off target

116

Offsides

30

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