BoringOldFan
It's better to burn out than to fade away...
- Sep 20, 2005
- 9,955
- 2,498
Yes, in a change from what the first team have served up so many times this season, the reserves recovered from a one-goal half-time deficit to overcome a good Fulham side with two goals in added time. Clive Allen’s canny substitutions and change in tactics finally came good before the final whistle.
Spurs put out a strong-looking team, with a back four of Gunter, Dervite, Rocha and Gilberto in front of Tommy Forecast. Jake Livermore returned from his loan spell at MK Dons to join Danny Rose in centre midfield. Jacques Maghoma was wide right, and patrolling the left side was Adel “The Enigma” Taarabt. Simon Dawkins and Tomas Pekhart started up front.
Fulham were not to be outdone, with first-teamers Christanval, Moritz Volz, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Jari Litmanen all starting. Recovering from a bright start by Tottenham, Fulham took control of the game to lead 1-0 at half-time.
Early play went through Taarabt, and he showed all his irritating traits of much skill combined with a lack of seeing the early pass, over-elaborating and losing possession. The best chance fell to Jacques Maghoma, who blazed over from less than six yards.
Fulham got their well-deserved lead when Ricardo Rocha unwisely decided to engage in some amateur decapitation, as he tried to beat Simon Elliott in the air with a bicycle kick. Jari Litmanen tucked the penalty away low to Forecast’s left. The half ended with Danny Rose being booked for a foul but Fulham failed to capitalise with the free kick.
The second half began with Archibald-Henville coming on for Dervite and Taarabt given a more free-roaming role. Or maybe he just strayed from his given position, it’s hard to tell. Another bright start faded and Fulham again settled down. Christanval was commanding at centre back, but was taken off for Thompson.
Adel Taarabt then had a mad few minutes. Up-ended again with no free kick given, he sat on the turf like a petulant schoolchild and threw his gloves on the pitch. Moments later he threw a hissy fit when flagged offside, which he was by a good five yards. Another foul and it was imminent toy-from-pram ejection time.
Adrian Leijer was rightly booked for a thunderous challenge on Chris Gunter, who had been making some good runs up the right. The formation changed when Mtandari came on for Pekhart and Taarabt played off Dawkins and Rose moving to wide left. But the turning point came when David Hutton came on for Jacques Maghoma.
Hutton is as nippy as they come, but still a bit lightweight. But this was his moment and his first contribution was to race down the right after a lost cause and hook in a magnificent cross. Dawkins headed goalwards for the ‘keeper to save, only to see Rose turn it in with an overhead kick.
The game looked like ending as a draw, but Spurs continued to press. The last chance in normal time came when Dawkins mis-cued a left foot shot just wide. But Taarabt is nothing if not unpredictable.
Latching on to a through ball just ahead of his marker, he feinted one way, went past him and arrowed a diagonal right-foot shot just inside the far post. And he wasn’t finished yet. A strong run forward saw him – for once – lay off the ball to the better-placed Livermore, whose shot was blocked by ‘keeper Brooks-Meade but Simon Dawkins was on hand to follow up and fire the ball home. 3-1 and it was all over.
The last home game is on April 14 against Chelsea.
Spurs put out a strong-looking team, with a back four of Gunter, Dervite, Rocha and Gilberto in front of Tommy Forecast. Jake Livermore returned from his loan spell at MK Dons to join Danny Rose in centre midfield. Jacques Maghoma was wide right, and patrolling the left side was Adel “The Enigma” Taarabt. Simon Dawkins and Tomas Pekhart started up front.
Fulham were not to be outdone, with first-teamers Christanval, Moritz Volz, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Jari Litmanen all starting. Recovering from a bright start by Tottenham, Fulham took control of the game to lead 1-0 at half-time.
Early play went through Taarabt, and he showed all his irritating traits of much skill combined with a lack of seeing the early pass, over-elaborating and losing possession. The best chance fell to Jacques Maghoma, who blazed over from less than six yards.
Fulham got their well-deserved lead when Ricardo Rocha unwisely decided to engage in some amateur decapitation, as he tried to beat Simon Elliott in the air with a bicycle kick. Jari Litmanen tucked the penalty away low to Forecast’s left. The half ended with Danny Rose being booked for a foul but Fulham failed to capitalise with the free kick.
The second half began with Archibald-Henville coming on for Dervite and Taarabt given a more free-roaming role. Or maybe he just strayed from his given position, it’s hard to tell. Another bright start faded and Fulham again settled down. Christanval was commanding at centre back, but was taken off for Thompson.
Adel Taarabt then had a mad few minutes. Up-ended again with no free kick given, he sat on the turf like a petulant schoolchild and threw his gloves on the pitch. Moments later he threw a hissy fit when flagged offside, which he was by a good five yards. Another foul and it was imminent toy-from-pram ejection time.
Adrian Leijer was rightly booked for a thunderous challenge on Chris Gunter, who had been making some good runs up the right. The formation changed when Mtandari came on for Pekhart and Taarabt played off Dawkins and Rose moving to wide left. But the turning point came when David Hutton came on for Jacques Maghoma.
Hutton is as nippy as they come, but still a bit lightweight. But this was his moment and his first contribution was to race down the right after a lost cause and hook in a magnificent cross. Dawkins headed goalwards for the ‘keeper to save, only to see Rose turn it in with an overhead kick.
The game looked like ending as a draw, but Spurs continued to press. The last chance in normal time came when Dawkins mis-cued a left foot shot just wide. But Taarabt is nothing if not unpredictable.
Latching on to a through ball just ahead of his marker, he feinted one way, went past him and arrowed a diagonal right-foot shot just inside the far post. And he wasn’t finished yet. A strong run forward saw him – for once – lay off the ball to the better-placed Livermore, whose shot was blocked by ‘keeper Brooks-Meade but Simon Dawkins was on hand to follow up and fire the ball home. 3-1 and it was all over.
The last home game is on April 14 against Chelsea.
