Tottenham face 'uphill task' after late late show

Tottenham face an uphill battle to qualify for the last 16 after a makeshift side conceded two late goals in sub-zero temperatures in the Ukraine. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has other priorities, including the Carling Cup final at Wembley next weekend, and the team he sent out for the first leg of their last-32 tie against the Ukrainian champions held on until the 79th minute, when Yevgen Seleznov headed home. Jadson added a second goal just before the whistle and, to stay alive in Europe, Spurs have to turn around the two-goal deficit in the return leg next Thursday. With six games in 17 days, including the Carling Cup final against Manchester United, Redknapp had feared losing players to injury on a surface he branded unfit for non-league football. Dean Parrett, 17, made an encouraging debut and only Michael Dawson and Jermaine Jenas remained from the side that drew with Arsenal in their previous game. While Spurs' problem is fixture congestion, Shakhtar have been on a winter break and had not played in more than two months – but they showed no signs of being rusty when play got started and could have wrapped up the tie with sharper finishing. Shakhtar's first goal came with 11 minutes remaining, with substitute Seleznov glancing home a Jadson free-kick. Seleznov beat the punch of Heurelho Gomes, who then needed treatment for a knock. Jadson added the second two minutes from time, wriggling into the penalty area and finishing low into Gomes' bottom corner. Dawson said: 'It's going to be an uphill task but we still believe we can do it.'

Source: Telegraph