A SMASHING match, good enough to satisfy
the most demanding of critics. Villa thought they had it won with plenty
to spare after Dion Dublin marked his debut with two goals in four first
half minutes and Stan Collymore made it 3-0 after 48, but Spurs battled
back to condemn the League leaders to an anxious finish.
Rory Allen, Tottenham's third substitute, shot into the side-netting in
the 90th minute, and at the end Villa Park exploded with relief as much
as celebration. Villa consolidated their position at the top of the table,
and remain unbeaten in the League, where they have made their best start
for 66 years, but it will concern their manager, John Gregory, that they
have conceded nine goals in their last three games.
If there was much to admire about the invention and penetration displayed
by Villa's team of 11 Englishmen, there must be praise, too, for Spurs'
fighting spirit. Defeats have never been the currency of George Graham's
management, but there was consolation in the never-say-die commitment
shown here. The defensive inadequacy is quite another thing, of course.
Putting that right is the first thing he intends to address, and he told
me that a centre-half and an assertive midfield player, in
the David Batty mould, were his immediate priorities in the transfer market.
Graham also said he thought Villa might just be good enough to win the
League: "Why not? With Arsenal and Manchester United distracted by the
European Cup, this could be the year when a surprise package does it."
After two confidence-shaking defeats in the Worthington and Uefa Cups,
4-1 to Chelsea, then 3-1 to Celta Vigo, Villa were grateful for the boost
provided by Dublin's arrival. Their cause was also helped by the return
of Steve Watson and Paul Merson, both cup-tied in midweek. They altered
their system to accommodate their latest recruit, switching from 3-5-2
to 3-4-1-2, with Merson in the "hole" behind the main strikers.
Spurs had the mercurial David Ginola back after suspension, but Les
Ferdinand and Chris Armstrong were again absent, injured. Initially,
they sought to occupy the Villa wing-backs and deter them from getting
forward to provide a service from the flanks by playing two withdrawn
wingers, Ruel Fox and Ginola, in support of a lone striker, Steffen
Iversen. It worked for half an hour, but Villa still fashioned the better
chances, and deserved the lead Dublin gave them with two goals between
the 31st and 35th minutes.
The debutant, who will feel he should really have had a hat-trick -
he had one "goal" disallowed - was off and running when Alan Wright's
left-footed corner got away from John Scales at the far post. The ball
bounced obligingly for Dublin to drive gleefully into the roof of the
net from four yards.
Shaken by an early collision from Dublin, Scales was horribly at fault
again when he and Darren Anderton were caught in an
embarrassing dither which let Dublin seize possession before shooting
low past Espen Baardsen from the 18-yard line.
Villa might have scored earlier but Scales's block denied Merson, Collymore's
25-yard curler hit the crossbar and Dublin was only a foot wide with
a header from Merson's cross.
Spurs contrived a couple of decent chances of their own. Ginola dispossessed
Ugo Ehiogu in midfield and broke clear on the left, only to shoot straight
at the 'keeper from an unpromising angle with Iversen much better placed
and screaming for a cross to his right. When the Norwegian did get a
good centre, from Fox, he wasted it by heading into Michael Oakes's
midriff.
Spurs reappeared for the second half in 3-5-2 formation, with Andy Sinton
on at left wing-back for Fox, and Ramon Vega the third centre-back in
place of Edinburgh. It got worse before it got better. They conceded
a third goal within three minutes of the resumption, when Lee Hendrie's
cleverly chipped pass from the left enabled Collymore to hold off Sol
Campbell before hooking the ball in from 10 yards.
Villa thought they were home and hosed. Collymore threatened to make
it four when his thumping free kick, from the edge of the penalty area
on the left, was touched against the bar. Then Dublin might have had
his hat-trick with a near-post header, tantalisingly wide.
Their defence may be dodgy, but there is nothing wrong with Spurs' heart
these days, and after Anderton had shivered the crossbar with a high-velocity
free kick which had Oakes transfixed, they were lifted by a 65th-minute
penalty. Ginola's long run produced it, panicking Ehiogu into bringing
him down, and Anderton scored it, with an emphatic crack.
Villa still created the better opportunities, and after Baardsen
had saved well from Hendrie, the loose ball fell to Dublin, who ought
to have had his third instead of firing wildly wide. The Spurs keeper
distinguished himself again by repelling the firm header with which
Ehiogu met Hendrie's corner.
Spurs, however, kept battling to the end, and set up a storming, edge-of-the-seat
finish when they made it 3-2 with a quarter of an hour left. The goal,
like so many scored by Graham's teams, came from a well executed set-piece,
Scales helping on Anderton's corner at the near post for Vega to shoot
in from six yards.
Allen might have secured a point at the death, but the result was the
right one. "A typical Tottenham performance," said Graham, with a wan
smile. "The first goal was sloppy, the second even worse, and at one
stage I thought it was going to be four or five. We showed a bit of
character to come back, but we've got to cut out sloppy play. To do
that I've got to
improve the playing staff."
Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Southgate, Ehiogu, Watson, Taylor, Collymore,
Merson, Dublin (Draper 82), Barry, Hendrie. Scorers:Dublin 31, 35, Collymore
48.
Tottenham Hotspur: Baardsen, Carr, Nielsen, Fox (Sinton 45), Anderton,
Edinburgh (Vega 45), Ginola, Scales, Iversen, Campbell, Clemence (Allen
82).
Scorers: Anderton 65 pen, Vega 76.
Substitutes: Aston Villa: Dublin (Draper 82min). Tottenham Hotspur:
Fox (Sinton 46min), Edinburgh (Vega 46min), Clemence (Allen 82min).
Booked: Dublin (2min), Ehiogu (50min), Taylor (52min), Ginola (70min).
Referee: R Harris (Oxford).
Attendance: 39,241.
Joe Lovejoy©
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