Source: Telegraph
Birmingham City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1: match report
Tottenham's players are clearly not acquainted with, or subscribers to, Friedrich Nietzsche's theory that the driving ethos evident in every human is the 'will to power'. [LNB]With his first goal in five games, Jermain Defoe had found a way through the force field that has been the Birmingham City defence at St Andrews this season, and put Spurs in a comfortable, if not commanding, position in the race for fourth. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League tablePremier League actionTelegraph player raterSport on televisionPremier League fixturesTransfer TalkThen came the characteristic crash in concentration almost as if they do not want to consolidate their position and Liam Ridgewell was allowed to make amends for a dismal performance with an equaliser from point-blank range in the 90th minute. As against Leeds eight days ago, Spurs let it slip at the last. [LNB]'They were never in the game until we scored, sat back and invited them to come at us,' Harry Redknapp said. 'It was like Everton away That goal was horrendous. It was really poor defending.' [LNB]Especially frustrating for the Spurs manager was that his side had controlled much of the match. In the absence of Aaron Lennon, Spurs' right flank might resemble the crawler lane on a duel carriage way, along which David Bentley and Vedran Corluka trundle and splutter. But acceleration is not everything, as Ridgewell was discovering to his detriment. [LNB]Simple passing, good communication, astute positioning and a touch of trickery are just as good and, linking with Wilson Palacios, the pair worked their way through the blue shirts, rather than around them. [LNB]With Lennon suffering from a suspected hernia, Bentley has an opportunity to repair his reputation, and although he was trying a little too hard to force the issue by having a crack from well outside the area in the second minute, it was his deflected shot which should have got Spurs rolling, the ball spinning away to Luka Modric, who then missed from ten yards. [LNB]By then, Birmingham should have been one ahead. Christian Benítez, the diminutive striker, brought the ball down on his chest on the edge of the are, flicked it to James McFadden, who turned supplied Lee Bowyer for a shot. [LNB]It was a respectable effort but Gomes was down quickly, his hands shooting out like lizards tongues, and bringing the ball into his chest. [LNB]The goalkeeper cannot have believed his luck soon after, when Benítez produced a bumbling embarrassment of a strike after turning Michael Dawson inside out. He had the penalty area to himself, and time on his side chances like that usually only come along once a game. [LNB]Defoe was more fortunate. He had two. The first was botched by allowing the ball to get caught under his feet after being sent lean through by Modric, Crouch's attempt at assistance coming to nothing more than a fluffed chip. [LNB]But he was more alert with the second, when Gareth Bale rounded Keith Fahey, his cross found a kneeling Crouch's head. The ball flicked on to Defoe, who summarily lashed it past an onrushing Dann and an immobile Hart for his 17th goal of the season. [LNB]But as so often, Spurs minds started wandering. McFadden's late cross was allowed to be headed back across goal by Cameron Jerome, and Ridgewell was there, unmarked, at the far post. [LNB]What will worry Alex McLeish is that, again, it was someone other than one of his strikers to score. It has grown apparent that Jerome and Benítez cannot be relied upon to score regularly. [LNB]Negotiations for Roman Pavlyuchenko kept from a place the bench by a groin strain and Aruna Dindane have broken down. Birmingham must bring in reinforcements by 1700h on Monday. Spurs, meanwhile, have secured Tottenham Younes Kaboul from Portsmouth for £5m. [LNB]
