SPURS AWAY, JANUARY 29TH.

By Mark Deeks
February 11 2003

Mark writes his Spurs away column. Sorry for the delay, but both Newcastle v Spurs and Newcastle v Arsenal columns are now online.

SPURS AWAY
JANUARY 29TH

After my New Year's resolution to make sure I got all my columns done promptly, it wasn't until I sat down to do the Arsenal Home column (February 9th!) along with a gentle reminder from our esteemed host Matthew, that I realised I hadn't written the Spurs Away one!!!

Whoooopppss!

Or I could just blame it on the joy gained by doing those irritating Cockney's on their own park for the second year in a row (and the bevvies consumed afterwards!!!)

Anyhow, if the bloke watching the game for Sky Sports had been any more bored by the game I would have almost switched off me'sell. But the longer it stayed 0-0 I found myself screaming at the telly, "Come on lads, NICK IT, NICK IT!!!" more out of hope than belief.

Certainly, when Gustavo "THORN IN THE TOON'S SIDE FOR YEARS" Poyet stroked home, what replays showed to be a very debatable, offside "goal", our travelling hordes could have been forgiven for thinking for a second that it was all about to go horribly wrong. But praise be to the skies, the linesman decided he'd strayed the wrong side of the line and the gods smiled as they brushed a speck of angel dust from the front of their toon shirts!

Then when the clock seemed to be ticking towards a not altogether disastrous point, big man Titus surged forward, let Little Craig take over to unleash a shot which Keller could only parry, and wonder kid JJ bundled the loose ball home.

What then followed can only be described as tongue display of Gene Simmons' proportions (ask your mosher-mate, everyone's got one!), as JJ went off towards our delirious throng! Daylight robbery, Smash and grab, call it what you will. But the joy of seeing the Toon slip into second place, albeit temporarily, was not in the slightest dampened by the manner of the victory. 3 points is 3 points is 3 points.

Job done.