Source: Daily_Mail
Tottenham 2 Fulham 0: Crouch starts party and Bentley finishes with flourish
First it was Roman Pavlyuchenko. Now it's David Bentley. Two players Harry Redknapp would love to see the back of are scoring vital goals for Tottenham.[LNB]Pavlyuchenko, on target against Leeds in the FA Cup fourth round, was injured last night but it was the forgotten Bentley, starting his first Barclays Premier League game in three months, who stepped up to score the second for Spurs after Peter Crouch had fired them ahead.[LNB] Peter the great: Tottenham striker Peter Crouch pokes the ball past Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal to put his side 1-0 ahead at White Hart Lane[LNB]It might well be Bentley's last for the club, with West Ham looking to strike a deal to take him from their rivals. But Redknapp, who is thought to be poised to pinch Eidur Gudjohnsen from under the nose of the Hammers, will not complain.[LNB]He has been trying for months to sell the winger who cost £18million from Blackburn but who only gets into the team when Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar are not available.[LNB]'He got a chance and he took it well,' said Spurs manager Redknapp. 'If he comes in, works hard and shows a good attitude, I've got no problems with him. I was pleased for him tonight. When you are not in the team you can get down and low. That's what'shappened to him. But he's a terrific footballer.'[LNB]Bentley's goal helped Spurs back to winning ways after a stutter and moved them three points ahead of Liverpool in the push for Champions League qualification.[LNB]Even the country's hottest young central defensive property Chris Smalling - the object of a tug-of-love between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger before the game - was unable to stop Tottenham.[LNB]You're not there yet: Fulham's Manchester United-bound defender Chris Smalling gets a word of advice from team-mate Brede Hangelaand[LNB]It was something of a surprise that Hodgson included Smalling in the team at the end of a day when Manchester United declared they had agreed a deal worth up to £7million for the defender, signed 18 months ago from non-League Maidstone for a nominal fee.[LNB]An hour before kick-off, Fulham had confirmed Smalling would be moving to Old Trafford in the summer as long as he passed a medical, planned for later today.[LNB]It had been quite a day for20-year-old Smalling and all eyes were on him as he made only his second Premier League start.He slotted into central defence alongside Brede Hangeland, with Aaron Hughes shifting to right back in a defensive reshuffle enforced by injuries to first-choice full backs John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky.[LNB]Smalling's admirers have likened his style to Rio Ferdinand. He is quick and comfortable on the ball and his talents were soon under even closer scrutiny withTottenham starting strongly, zipping the ball forward at a healthy tempo and working Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.[LNB]Tom Huddlestone forced two saves from Schwarzer in the first five minutes and Hangeland needed to be alert to beat Crouch to a dangerous cross from the left.[LNB] Rare sight: David Bentley is congratulated after firing in Tottenham's second[LNB]But, having survived his early tests with some degree of composure, Smalling was then caught ball-watching as Crouch prodded Tottenham into the lead from close range in the 27th minute.[LNB]Schwarzer misjudged a swirling cross from Bentley. The goalkeeper raced from his line but, under pressure from Crouch, sliced an attempted punch towards Luka Modric, darting in from the left at the far post.[LNB]Modric did well to keep the ball alive and, when he acrobatically turned it back into the goalmouth, Crouch had drifted behind Smalling to poke home his 10th goal of the season.[LNB]Modric almost made it two in first-half stoppage time, whipping a right-foot shot just over the bar, and Spurs continued to threaten after the break. Bentley became increasingly involved and Gareth Bale continuing his excellent form since replacing the injured Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left back.[LNB]Bale was outstanding against Leeds on Saturday and his attacking flair was in evidence again last night. It was his raid down the left which drew the free-kick forTottenham's second.[LNB]Bentley stepped up to take the kick, curling it with his right foot but it was a big deflection off the head of Bjorn Helge Riise, stretching to block the shot from the defensive wall, which beat Schwarzer.[LNB]Crouch said: 'I think we deserved to win the game. We had the better chances, we were the better side. If you don't score early on you get nervous so I'm glad to have done that, and after the second one we started playing the kind of football we can play.[LNB]'Liverpool are a big big team and they're going to be up there come the end of the season so for them to drop points is good news for us.[LNB]Hodgson said: 'We were a bit unlucky with the second goal, it took a cruel deflection. And I thought in the second half we evened things out, but to be fair their back four did well, and ours did well, too.'[LNB] Gudjohnsen and McCarthy move to West Ham with Bentley next on Zola's listChris Smalling completes switch to Manchester United as Arsenal lose out on Fulham defenderRobbie Keane makes Tottenham Hotspur a great football club insists Harry Redknapp TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC
