Source: Telegraph
Burnley 4 Tottenham Hotspur 2: match report
Tottenham Hotspur will look back on the season as a whole with rather more relish than this last-day capitulation as they threw away a two-goal lead to fall victim to a stirring Burnley comeback. [LNB]Victory for Arsenal ensured Spurs' London rivals secured their place in the pecking order behind Champions Chelsea and Manchester United.[LNB]West Ham United 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2: match reportBurnley v Everton previewDespite this surprise defeat, a fourth-place finish and progression to the Champions League qualification round and the potential riches that offers is ample consolation for Harry Redknapp's side. [LNB]The visitors looked to be cruising to an 11th win in 13 Premier League games thanks to early goals from Gareth Bale and Luka Modric. But Wade Elliott gave Burnley hope by pulling one back before the break. [LNB]Second-half goals from Jack Cork, Martin Paterson and substitute StevenThompson sealed an unlikely comeback as the hosts rounded off a miserable campaign with only a second win in nine games. [LNB]Bale arrived un-marked at the far post to beat Brian Jensen with a confident left-foot drive, after Aaron Lennon easily out-paced Danny Fox to deliver an inviting low pull-back from the visitors' right. [LNB]The opening goal arrived as early as the third minute, and the Wales international was heavily involved as the visitors doubled their advantage shortly after the half-hour. [LNB]Bale's intelligent ball in from the left found Luka Modric on the edge of the box. There was still plenty for the Croatian to do, but in one fluid movement, the midfielder ghosted past his marker Steve Caldwell before firing a powerful shot into the top corner past Jensen from a diminishing angle 12 yards out. [LNB]While Tottenham eye entry into Europe's premier club competition next season, Burnley could also join them in locking horns with continental opposition, albeit courtesy of a more spurious route via the Fair Play League. [LNB]With skipper Ledley King further pressing his claims for inclusion in England's provisional World Cup squad, which is named later this week, with a fourth consecutive start, Tottenham were made to pay for not further exploiting their early dominance. [LNB]Ben Alnwick, making his Spurs Premier League debut almost three-and-a-half years since joining from Sunderland, was beaten by Elliott's close range finish shortly before the break to launch the fight-back. [LNB]Lennon struck the foot of a post with a low angled drive, but 50 years on from their last English top flight title, Burnley were a different proposition after the break. Alnwick saved from Paterson and Cork, before Steven Fletcher, stretching, fired over from five yards. [LNB]An unmarked Cork headed Burnley level from Paterson's cross from the right 10 minutes into the second-half, and only a last-gasp challenge from King denied Fletcher. [LNB]Paterson capped the come-back 19 minutes from time, heading into an empty net from Fletcher's inch-perfect cross. [LNB]King headed against the bar late on, but a leveller for Spurs at that point would have been harsh. [LNB]Substitute Thompson put the icing on the cake for the hosts when, shortly after coming on, he diverted home a shot from Elliott two minutes from the end.[LNB]
