- Doyle (3)
- Date:2009-12-12
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:White Hart Lane
- Attendance:36012
- Referee:Attwell, S
Live Commentary
90mins
Wolves celebrate a famous win, their first at Spurs in 36 years. They defended superbly after taking an early lead, but the home side did not ask enough questions despite bossing possession.
90mins
Michael Mancienne is cautioned for hacking down Modric 25 yards out.
90mins
Spurs are playing it long as time runs out.
90mins
Six minutes of stoppage time will be played.
89mins
Marcus Hahnemann is booked for time-wasting.
88mins
Crouch rises above Berra but heads wide with just the keeper to beat.
86mins
Crouch sets up Defoe, but the overhead kick is off-target.
83mins
Ebanks-Blake nearly seals the three points, firing a deflected shot just wide. The corner is cleared.
81mins
Another neat save by Hahnemann denies Huddlestone again. The pressure is building.
81mins
Huddlestone drives a powerful shot from the edge of the area, Hahnemann saving well to his right.
80mins
Wolves are sitting deeper and deeper. Can they hang on?
79mins
Lennon delivers for Defoe but the ball won't drop for Crouch to shoot.
79mins
The final substitution of the match is made - Richard Stearman makes way for Chris Iwelumo.
78mins
Dos Santos Giovani replaces Niko Kranjcar.
76mins
Kranjcar fires wide after good work by Corluka. Spurs' best chance of the half.
74mins
Modric has not got into the game yet as Spurs start to look desperate.
73mins
Stephen Ward is booked for time-wasting.
70mins
Lennon beats Stearman to reach the byline and cross for Kranjcar, but the shot is blocked. Wolves are defending stubbornly.
69mins
Mick McCarthy makes a defensive move, bringing on Michael Mancienne for Nenad Milijas.
66mins
Jarvis crosses well from the left and Assou-Ekotto clears behind for a corner under pressure from Doyle.
65mins
Assou-Ekotto crosses for Crouch, who gets ahead of Craddock to head at Hahnemann. Another easy save for the Wolves keeper.
63mins
Wolves are defending bravely as Crouch is penalised for fouling Richard Stearman from another Spurs corner.
61mins
Spurs have suddenly slipped up a gear as they search for the equaliser. The much-awaited return of Modric has lifted the home fans.
59mins
Another Spurs corner is headed over by Sebastien Bassong.
58mins
Kevin Foley replaces the injured David Edwards.
57mins
Luka Modric replaces Wilson Palacios.
57mins
Harry Redknapp needs to change something as Wolves are defending their lead with some comfort. Peter Crouch is on for Robbie Keane.
56mins
Stephen Ward clears a Niko Kranjcar cross behind for a corner after David Edwards slipped nastily.
55mins
Luka Modric and Peter Crouch are ready to come on.
52mins
Milijas is fouled by Kranjcar in Tottenham's half and the free-kick is cleared behind for a corner. The danger is cleared but the hosts haven't got going in the second half.
50mins
Berra clatters into Keane on the halfway line and Henry risks a second yellow card by stopping Huddlestone taking the free kick early.
47mins
Wolves nearly start the second half as they did the first, Ebanks-Blake forcing a decent save from Gomes.
45mins
Spurs get the second half underway. Can Wolves hold out for a vital three points?
45mins
The half time whistle goes. Wolves have defended their lead well, but Spurs need to improve.
45mins
Matt Jarvis leaps over a Corluka challenge and is booked for diving.
45mins
A Defoe shot is blocked by Berra as the interval looms.
45mins
Lennon cuts in from the left flank but his shot is weak and straight at Hahnemann.
45mins
Three minutes of first half injury time will be played.
44mins
Spurs are keeping a high tempo in search of an equaliser, but Wolves continue to defend stubbornly.
42mins
Kranjcar plays in Huddlestone who goes down in search of a penalty, but referee Attwell says play on.
40mins
Spurs continue to build the pressure, but the clear-cut chance still won't come.
38mins
There is a delay as Nenad Milijas is helped from the field with a head injury after an accidental collision with Wilson Palacios.
36mins
Vedran Corluka drives in an excellent cross but Defoe, under pressure from Christophe Berra, can't beat Hahnemann.
34mins
Kranjcar crosses for Keane but the header loops onto the top of Hahnemann's net.
32mins
The away team are already getting everyone behind the ball - they have a long time to hang on.
30mins
Spurs are still bossing possession but the first signs of frustration are showing - the men in white are perhaps too keen to deliver a killer ball.
27mins
Karl Henry fouls Huddlestone twice in a minute and earns the first booking of the match.
25mins
Wolves enjoy a decent spell of possession but Doyle and Ebanks-Blake can't fashion a shooting chance.
23mins
Keane evades Jody Craddock but has his shot blocked by the big defender. For all their dominance the hosts are yet to seriously test Hahnemann.
21mins
Defoe drops deep to collect and shoots from 30 yards, but his effort is straight at Hahnemann.
20mins
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake breaks well but is crowded out by defenders with support lacking. Wolves need to make the most of their opportunities on the break.
18mins
Spurs win their first corner. Poor delivery by Niko Kranjcar allows Doyle to head clear.
15mins
Matt Jarvis wins the first corner of the match off Lennon; Milijas delivers and Doyle evades his marker but doesn't get proper contact.
13mins
Keane and Defoe combine to release Lennon down the Spurs right, but the cross is poor and Stephen Ward clears.
10mins
Keane nearly latches onto a Tom Huddlestone through ball, but Hahnemann is quickly out to nick the ball off the Irishman's toes.
9mins
Wolves can't keep hold of the ball as Spurs continue to dominate possession.
8mins
Aaron Lennon delivers a teasing cross into the Wolves box, but Marcus Hahnemann collects with an unmarked Jermain Defoe lurking.
7mins
Spurs have settled into their passing groove after that setback, pushing Wolves into their own half.
5mins
Former Wolves man Robbie Keane beats the visitors' offside trap, but his square ball is cleared.
3mins
Wolves take an early lead, Kevin Doyle nodding in a well-delivered Nenad Milijas free-kick.
1mins
Wolves need to contain the hosts early on if they are to record their first league win at Spurs in 36 years.
0mins
Referee Stuart Attwell gets play underway at White Hart Lane.
0mins
Spurs have won seven and drawn one of their last eight meetings with Wolves in all competitions.
0mins
Harry Redknapp brings in Robbie Keane for Peter Crouch as the only change from the team that threw away two points at Everton last Sunday. Wolves are unchanged from the team that beat Bolton.
Match Preview
High-flying Tottenham Hotspur will take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and, on paper, this is a fixture they have to win.
Harry Redknapp's boys will be wounded beasts after they let a two-goal lead slip at Everton on Sunday and there was still time for Premier League hot-shot Jermain Defoe to miss a vital spot-kick to win the game at the death.
However, the north London outfit do not sit in fourth place for no reason.
They remain undefeated in their last four league games, a run that included a 9-1 thumping of Wigan Athletic and, with Wolves locked in the relegation zone, they should be confident of inflicting further damage.
Another win would cement their place in the top-four ahead of Aston Villa, who are breathing down their neck.
Mick McCarthy's side will be buoyant after their win against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend but Spurs should be a completely different proposition at White Hart Lane.
With talent in the form of Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios, Niko Kranjcar, Jermaine Jenas and Aaron Lennon to help support 12-goal star Defoe, they should have too much for their Midlands opponents.
The narrow 2-1 win against Bolton halted a miserable run for the Molineux-based club. They accumulated just three draws from the eight games prior to last weekend and that is certainly relegation form.
Central defensive pair Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King will still be missing for Spurs through groin and hamstring injuries respectively.
Luka Modric's rehabilitation from his broken leg continues to gather pace while motorcycle crash victim Carlo Cudicini is out for the season.
McCarthy's talismanic wide-man Michael Kightly continues to be sidelined by an ankle injury alongside Chris Iwelumo, who is struggling to overcome a broken foot.
Match Report
Kevin Doyle scored the crucial winner to help Wolves move out of the bottom three and put a huge dent in Tottenham's Champions League aspirations.
Doyle netted the only goal of the game after just three minutes with a close-range header and gave Wolves their first victory at White Hart Lane since 1973.
It was only Wolves' second away victory of the season but will give them a major confidence boost as they look to steer clear of a relegation dogfight.
Mick McCarthy's side got off to the perfect start when they opened the scoring after just three minutes.
Nenad Milijas curled a free-kick into the box and Doyle rose the highest to flick a close-range header past Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes into the corner of the net.
Jermain Defoe had a quiet start to the game but nearly got his name on the scoresheet on 21 minutes when he fired a 25-yard shot which produced a comfortable save from Marcus Hahnemann.
Tottenham were dominating the proceedings and blew another chance to grab an equaliser on 43 minutes when Niko Kranjcar's ball into the box fell to Tom Huddlestone who dragged his shot inches past the post.
Despite Tottenham creating all the best openings, it was Wolves who could have added a second just 60 seconds into the second half.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake broke free of the Tottenham defence and fired a low shot which produced a fine save from Gomes diving low to his right.
Redknapp was desperate to turn things around and made a double substitution on 58 minutes by bringing on Peter Crouch and Luka Modric for the ineffective Robbie Keane and Wilson Palacios.
The move almost paid off on 77 minutes when Vedran Corluka's cross into the box fell to his Croatian colleague Kranjcar, who was totally unmarked inside the box, but he fired his shot wide of the post.
Wolves keeper Hahnemann then produced the save of the match on 81 minutes.
Huddlestone fired a powerful shot which look destined for the top corner, but the American keeper produced a superb one-handed save diving away to his left to hand Wolves a priceless three points.
Tottenham Hotspur Team
- Heurelho Gomes
- Sebastien Bassong
- Michael Dawson
- Vedran Corluka
- Benoit Assou-Ekotto
- Tom Huddlestone
- Aaron Lennon
- Wilson Palacios
- Niko Kranjcar
- Robbie Keane
- Jermain Defoe
Wolverhampton Wanderers Team
Tottenham Hotspur | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
Corners
| 3 | 5 |
Fouls
| 9 | 16 |
Goal attempts
| 18 | 4 |
Shots off target
| 11 | 2 |
Offsides
| 4 | 1 |
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90mins
Huddlestone shoots from the resulting free-kick, but the wall blocks it.