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match-reports
Sun 02 Dec 2007, White Hart LaneReferee: Phil Dowd
Tottenham Hotspur
 
 Team Lineup 
1
Robinson
2
Chimbonda
20
Dawson
5
Kaboul
  
(45)
16
Bale
  
(74)
25
Lennon
4
Zokora
15
Malbranque
10
Keane
    
9
Berbatov
23
Bent
(45)
Substitutes
17
Boateng
3
Lee
(74)
18
Defoe
(45)
12
Cerny
22
Huddlestone
(45)
 
 Match Quotes
Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Gustavo Poyet
"We created enough chances to win the game but unfortunately we didn't score early doors, we gave the penalty away and again had to make a big effort to come back. We were looking to go on and win the game. If we had scored six or seven no-one would have been surprised."

- Gus Poyet

 
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Birmingham City 3
Scorer: Keane (49 pen., 52)
Scorer: McSheffrey (23 pen.)
Scorer: Jerome (61)
Scorer: Larsson (90)
Attendance: 35,635 FT (17:55)

 

Former Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson produced a stunning injury-time winner to open Alex McLeish's reign at Birmingham City in triumphant fashion.

Larsson, recalled to the starting line-up by McLeish, fired an unstoppable 93rd-minute shot that inflicted a first defeat on Tottenham Hotspur under Juande Ramos.

Spurs captain Robbie Keane scored twice in three minutes to reel in Birmingham, only to then be sent off for a challenge on Fabrice Muamba.

The Blues were under constant siege when they took a shock lead after Spurs defender Younes Kaboul conceded a penalty that Gary McSheffrey converted.

Prior to the goal, Spurs had missed chances through Darren Bent, Dimitar Berbatov and Keane during a one-sided first half.

Four minutes after the interval, Johan Djourou conceded a penalty that Keane converted before adding his second shortly after.

In full command, Spurs looked set for victory but Cameron Jerome, returning to the team after a hernia operation, leveled with a brilliant finish.

Spurs were up against it without Keane in the final 22 minutes after he was sent off and the pressure eventually told with Larsson landing the telling blow.

Ramos started with a three-pronged attack in Bent, Keane and Berbatov. Jermain Defoe was on the bench following his bout of flu.

Bent started in an advanced position alongside Berbatov with Keane lying deeper, but despite the impressive strike force on show the early danger came in Spurs territory.

Jerome floated a pass dangerously across the face of goal but Muamba could not reach the ball.

A poorly struck shot from Berbatov flew into the arms of keeper Maik Taylor, recalled by McLeish, and moments later Birmingham were saved by poor finishing from Keane.

no mistake

Brilliant interplay between Bent and Keane - started by Kaboul's long ball - saw the Republic of Ireland skipper jink into the area only to sky his shot from close range with just Taylor to beat.

Tenacious work from Aaron Lennon, completed by a cheeky backheal, set up Keane but he picked out Berbatov near the far post and the Bulgarian nodded over.

Another Lennon backheel unlocked Birmingham's defence but this time Keane did not have the legs to capitalise.

Spurs kept up the pressure with Taylor doing well to keep out Bent, but his save ricocheted on to the leg of Liam Ridgewell who nearly put the ball into his own net.

Birmingham then surged ahead against the run of play through McSheffrey - with Kaboul helping them into the lead.

Larsson and McSheffrey combined to send the Blues forward charging down the left of the box where he was clipped by Kaboul and he made no mistake from the spot.

Normal service resumed after the Blues had taken the lead with Spurs back on the offensive.

Keane was pulling the strings beautifully behind the front two, releasing Lennon whose bullet pass was cleared by Larsson in the nick of time.

lofted ball

A perfectly placed 37th minute free-kick by Gareth Bale was heading straight for the top right corner but Taylor produced a superb stop.

Berbatov rampaged down the right but his final ball was deflected clear by Djourou as the home side continued to dominate.

Four minutes after the break Didier Zokora sent Berbatov racing through and, in an echo of Kaboul's challenge, Djourou tripped the Spurs forward who went tumbling.

Keane rifled home the spot-kick for his 12th goal of the season and just three minutes later the club captain sent Spurs ahead.

A corner was cleared as far as Huddlestone and the midfielder saw Keane's run, finding him with a lofted ball that was prodded into the net.

But Birmingham leveled through Jerome in the 62nd minute, the England Under-21 striker waved through midfield by weak tackles from Michael Dawson and Zokora before finishing neatly.

Berbatov was cleared off the line by Ridgewell and Spurs were dealt another blow in the 68th minute when Keane was sent-off.

A diving one-legged challenge on Muamba resulted in a straight red card from referee Phil Dowd.

Defoe looked lively in the final 20 minutes but Spurs, a man down, found themselves stretched as Mikael Forssell hit the crossbar from point blank range.

Paul Robinson made a smart save from Olivier Kapo but then the Blues struck, Larsson breaking Spurs' hearts to register his side's first win at White Hart Lane for 24 years.

 

 Fantasy Player Pick
Sebastian Larsson of Birmingham City

Sebastian Larsson

(Birmingham City)
Scored one and assisted another to help his team secure all three points.
 IKTS Snapshot
One per cent
A mere one per cent of IKTS players correctly predicted a 2-3 away win for Birmingham City.
Please note: Fixtures are subject to change. Reproduced under licence from Football DataCo Limited. All rights reserved. Licence no. NEWMEDIA/PREMLGEGE/FDCED0910/118839.
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Birmingham City
 
 Team Lineup 
1
Taylor
2
Kelly
5
Schmitz
   
(62)
6
Ridgewell
16
Djourou
20
De Ridder
(66)
7
Larsson
12
Nafti
26
Muamba
11
McSheffrey
(77)
10
Jerome
Substitutes
13
Doyle
9
Forssell
(66)
21
Parnaby
(62)
23
Kapo
(77)
8
O'Connor
 
 Match Quotes
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish
"It was a long 90 minutes. The quality of Tottenham's midfield and forwards was fantastic but we did feel we had a chance of scoring and to score three was unbelievable. We rode our luck a bit in the first 15 minutes and it would have been all too easy for heads to go down (after going behind) but we have asked them to retain belief and I think they got their reward for that."

- Alex McLeish

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