Jermaine Who? - Spurs Everton report

By Dave P
January 2 2005

To the game and a quietish first ten minutes with little or no goalmouth action and with Defoe missing it looked as though scoring may be a problem.

A very woolly head on me this afternoon as I made my way over to Tottenham for a potentially tricky encounter with Everton. Top three side but missing a couple of key players in Martyn and Ferguson. They play a 4-5-1 system that has caused Spurs a few problems when it has been encountered in the past - notably Crystal Place the other day so when it was confirmed on the ca radio that Jermaine Defoe would not start I resigned myself to being happy to settle for a point. Inside the ground and you could see Jonh and Ray standing around on the far touchline like a couple of spare parts and when the time for the NLP Player of the year award to be made I pointed out who was who to my mate. He took one look at Jon and said "its Minty" which made me laugh. Another bit of kudos for the board and perhaps a lucky omen I wishfully thought.

Then there was the team selection. No Defoe confirmed, No Brown either - that was a bolt out of the blue, and a start handed to Dean Marney. No recognised striker on the bench either so if things got tricky Davenport to be thrown on up front!

To the game and a quietish first ten minutes with little or no goalmouth action and with Defoe missing it looked as though scoring may be a problem. A Gravesen free kick dealt with by Robbo and a Kilbane Header followed by a Kilbane flick on from the resultant corner and then we came to life. Keane got his head onto a Mendes pass and knocked it in front of Dean Marney who took the chance superbly. His first Goal and 1-0 Tottenham. A few minutes later and a heart stopping moment as Naybet got a toe onto a Hibbert Cross and just about got it round the post. Then back down the other end and Edmans throw, flicked on by Kanoute and the Everton defence all stood still looking for something as Ziegler chested the ball down and volleyed it home. 2-0 Tottenham and a first Premier goal for Ziegler.

A couple of minutes later and it should have been three nil as Keane left the gooner reject floundering but the bar came to Wrights rescue.

Then we seemed to take the foot of the pedal and Everton threw bodies forward resulting in a well taken goal for Cahill. Five minutes til half time and as always our team find a way of making sure our pacemakers are in working order.

For five minutes or so after half time Everton looked the more dangerous side and we were dearly in need of the comfort of a two goal cushion. Ziegler came close but it was not until the 58th minute that Keane, Marney and the outstanding Kanoute combined to set Pedro Mendes up. A touch to swap feet and a precision finish that gave Wright no chance at all. Another first goal and a well deserved one at that for Mendes.

Nine minutes later, Kanoute to Marney, perfect cross and even my grandmother would have been able to do what Keane did. Simple tap in and 4-1 Spurs

Everton responded with a triple substitution but we were now rampant, inspired by a Kanoute that could do no wrong. Some of the one touch play, the dummies, the flicks (and that was just Kanoute - they were all at it now) were the finest football I have seen at the Lane for many a moon. When Marney broke through and Kean and Kanoute peeled away taking defenders with them you just knew something special was on the cards and so it was. 5-1 and the Jol era gains momentum. Shame about the consolation that made it 5-2 but who would in all honesty have predicted this.