Saturday 30th March 2002, 5.35pm

FA Premiership, Riverside Stadium

MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Queudrue 69)

Crossley; Stockdale, Ehiogu, Southgate (c), Queudrue, Wilkshire (Murphy 57), Greening, Mustoe, Whelan (Windass 90), Boksic, Carbone. Unused subs: Beresford (gk); Marinelli, Gavin

Iversen

Rebrov (Sheringham 71)

Etherington

Sherwood

Poyet

Anderton (Davies 77)

Thatcher

Gardner

Perry

King

Keller

Subs not used: Hirschfield, Richards, Clemence

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (Iversen 32)

Referee: - P Dowd

Attendance: -  31,258

While Spurs had plenty of chances to win the match a draw was probably a fair result at the end of what ended up a decent end of the season encounter on the Teeside. When the season is analysed over the summer it will not be the two points dropped here after Iversen’s first away goal since Sunderland away in Oct 1999 had looked set to give us a consecutive away wins for the first time since April 1999.

Can you ever think of a really great Boro Spurs match ever? Click here for a prompt – not in my lifetime, although 7-1 in 1952 sounds good – so why the hell did the TV companies decide to show this end of the season encounter between two midtable teams with nothing to play for? and then, why did they put the bastard on at 5.35pm, when there were no trains back to London after the match. This is the 12th of 13 League matches we have had either the time, date or both ponced about with for TV. Why is it that fans that go to matches have their lives pissed about with just to fit in with the best time to put beer adverts in for some bloater who never puts anything directly into football? Come the revolution, they will be one of the first against the wall.

Spurs lined up with the 4-4-2 that was successful at Fulham with a new look left side containing Thatcher and Etherington. There was also a change in goal with Keller coming in for the injured Sully and Canadian Lars Hirschfield being promoted to sub keeper after a couple of reserve matches on a trial.

Injury to Ferdinand and the injury doubt hanging over Sheringham meant that we started with our second string strikers Rebrov and Iversen. The only disappointment was that again, Davies could not find a starting place, even amongst this weakened team.

Before the match we had a walk round Boro, an ugly outpost in at the top of the North York Moors. The club mascot Roary the Lion was doing his stuff in the main shopping area, amusingly having more adults than kids pose for photos with him. The main shopping area also contained one of the club shops (something Spurs should be looking to do in central London) I was nearly tempted to get a Boro Cup semi final 2002 rosette but found the Alan Boksic energy drink highly amusing, surely a sedative would have been more appropriate for his style. Met up with Lynford and his mate Chris and had a couple of pre-match pints in Bar Zatina where the thinking was avoiding defeat being a decent result & that it was a dead cert 0-0 after the previous two TV matches this weekend had ended 6-2 and 3-4.

This was my first trip to the Riverside and I have to say I was impressed. The stadium is exactly the same as Pride Park, Derby (although spending an extra £20 could have got them a clock in the stadium – and no big screen always makes you yearn for the lane) but unlike some of the new grounds like St Mary’s this had a proper atmosphere. There was plenty of space as you would expect with the difficulties imposed upon the Spurs supporters to get to the match, but many of the usual suspects were there inc Osama, Compo and “Dean Richards”.

 

Spurs kicked off attacking the goal at the other end and quickly settled into a solid shape, with Sherwood playing the holding role in midfield and Poyet playing deeper (i.e. doing some work for a change) and doing his bit. Anderton, as ever when played wide, more often than not found himself in the middle.

With the striker uncertainty and restrictive prices on first goalscorer, I again chose Poyet at 10/1 and thought my luck was in after similar bets against Charlton and Fulham when he got on the end of a Ledley cross after a minute or so, but he fluffed what was a difficult chance.

While there were several notable performances for Spurs, mainly in defence, the best player on the pitch was Carbone who looked dangerous every time he received the ball in his deep striking role. He gave us our first worry when Thatcher did well to deflect his 20 yarder over for a corner.

 

The game was open if a little scrappy during the first half, but Spurs had plenty of control forcing  a couple of quick corners. Rebrov had another of those games that Rebrov supporters forget, where he was either brushed off the ball, or dived looking for a foul whenever a defender came near him and was never in the box in a goalscoring position when we attacked.

Boro also had their chances and all the defenders had good games as a unit as well as individually, and Mr Ed did what Mr Ed does best when getting in a last second saving tackle on Boksic when we looked in danger.

Just as news that the Queen Mother had died was spreading thro the Spurs end Spurs took the lead. Spurs worked the ball out to the left and Etherington won himself a bit of space and sent over a cross to Poyet and someone else at the front post. Everyone including the defenders missed it and it went thro to Iversen, who slammed his shot home, via Crossley’s leg.

Iversen nearly made it two soon after when sent clear by Sherwood. He did everything right in taking the ball around Crossley but Ehiogu had got back to clear his shot off the line. A good effort by Iversen and things looked ok for Spurs at half time.

Early in the second period, Boro had what looked like a decent shout for a penalty when Ledley tracking back Boksic in the box saw the ball roll off his chest and on to his arm as he guided it back to Keller. No penalty given, and while we were a bit lucky to get away with that, we were certainly hard done by with the free kick later so it was about even.

In the next 5 minutes Spurs should have wrapped up the game with a couple of good chances – but, like Villa away and numerous other games before this season we did not take our chances and had to settle for less than maximum points. A massive clue here as to the position we need to strengthen in the summer.

The first of these chances came as Iversen pulled wide right and got on the end of a long pass by Sherwood. He got around his defender and sent over a deep cross to Etherington who hit a goal bound shot which was scrambled off the line for a corner. Should have scored! From the corner, Poyet got in a firm header that thumped against the crossbar and away for (put the mullet on) the 20th time we have hit the woodwork without scoring this season. Still only 1-0 and Boro were still in it.

In the next phase of the match, Boro had a fair amount of the ball, but did not look much like scoring and while it was only 1-0 it was a fairly comfortable lead – only something out of the blue or dodgy looked likely to rob us of 3 points.

Both out of the blue and dodgy – Boksic went over from a Gardner challenge – never a foul and even the Boro website described it as “awarded a free-kick not all referees would have given”. Even then, more cheating saw Iversen dragged out of the wall before a 20-yard left footer went in the corner giving Keller no chance. The rest of the ground erupted and we were left to think of hanging on for a point. In a toe curling moment, the announcer gave the scorer as French Franck Queudrue  - oh dear!

Rebrov was removed straight after the equaliser for Sheringham and soon after Anderton made way for Davies. Rather than going on the back foot hoping to hang on Spurs looked a better side with Sheringham up front and more dangerous with Davies on the right. Sheringham got the ball after Ehiogu slipped and although his first effort was blocked, he squared the ball to Etherington, who was denied for the second time in the half with a goal line block.

And that was that – disappointing not to have won, but no disgrace in a point. After the match, we were indebted to Lynford and Chris for a lift back to Whitby where we were staying over the Easter weekend – top blokes.

The Word of Hod

"I felt the referee had a very good game, but on that one, I think he got that wrong and I think he probably got a penalty wrong for them. It was disappointing because I felt we deserved to win the game with the chances we created and the way we played.

"How they got the free-kick for the goal warranted the frustration because Anthony played really well, as did Chris Perry. The whole back four played well. It was Boksic's frustration and the referee unfortunately bought it, as we call it in the game, but that happens, and we felt that Steffen Iversen was pulled off the end of the wall as well.

"But we had the chances before that at 1-0 to really have tied the game up to be honest and that's where perhaps we've got to improve and it's something that's happened this season before. But we're very pleased with the way we played and that's two decent performances back-to-back away from home."

Keller (6/10) – In for the injured Sully and again performed with credit

King (7/10) – Another strong display out of position at right back, but along with the rest of the back 4 he was solid allowing Spurs to have a good platform to build on

Gardner (7/10) – Another accomplished match for the Ant – a must on the team sheet from now on, lets hope

Perry (7/10) – It was set up for one of those matches where Mr Ed plays well and he did not disappoint with a man of the match display of saving tackles, blocks and good defending when the pressure was on.

Thatcher (7/10) – If you forget that we signed him for £5m and he spent most of the first 18 months of his Spurs career in a mess – Thatcher has had a good 2002 and continued this with a decent display of solid defending and supporting Etherington when the opportunity arose

Anderton (/10) – Had a better match than of late, but is still carrying the knock that saw him subbed for the final 15.

Sherwood (6/10) – A solid display in the middle was only ruined by a return to the pointing antics which characterised his dismal period before the Chelsea semi’s earlier this year. He is a poor version of what we need, but when he does his best, you cannot complain.

Etherington (6/10) – A good display, setting up the goal and nearly scoring himself when set up in the second half. Lets himself down by not going outside his defender more often but at last he is beginning to look the part as a potential premiership player.

Poyet (6/10) – Hit the bar in the second half, but turned in a good solid performance where he worked for the team all over the pitch

Rebrov (4/10) – Anonymous and poor – going thro the motions. Just hope someone out there has £11m to spend, and thinks Rebrov is worth it over the summer.

Iversen (6/10) – Scored his first away goal in the League for Spurs since Sunderland 31st October 1999! and generally played well in what was often a lone strikers role in the absence of Rebrov. Lets hope he stays fit and gets back into the frame for Spurs.

Subs:

Sheringham (6/10) – Did ok when he came on and finally Iversen had some support up front

Davies (7/10) – As at Fulham, looked excellent when he came on and it is impossible to think that we have one, let alone 11 better players than him to restrict him to a subs role. Start Davies, please!

 

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