Match report
A long trip to an independent part of a far flung Eastern European
nation is not the ideal preparations for two games in four days, but
this is what Spurs were called upon to undertake ahead of their
league and League Cup meetings with Hull City on Sunday and
Wednesday. However, the depth of the squad allowed Andres
Villas-Boas to rotate and come out with a fully rounded 0-2 win to
keep the 100% record in the Europa League group going, but the match
was not without a worry or two.
Sheriff put Spurs under some
early pressure with a couple of corners which Vertonghen and Lloris
dealt with. There was also pressure on Tottenham's players on the
ball to deny them time and space, so it took until the 12th minute
for them to mount an attack. A corner was won by Lennon's run down
the right and Eriksen and Lamela worked a short corner, with the
Dane's cross finding Jan Vertonghen. The captain jumped well above
the man who was supposed to be marking him and put the ball into the
net from eight yards out. It was a simple goal and despite Sheriff's
effort, Spurs were ahead.
The lead might have only lasted until the 15th minute, when a ball
through the Spurs defence put Luvannor through and he rounded Lloris
to the left, then shot at goal, but Vlad Chiriches had tracked back
and threw himself parallel with the ground to block the effort for a
corner.
Sheriff were reliant on players breaking at pace, with the Spurs
defence often found matched in numbers, but it was similar break at
the other end that almost saw Aaron Lennon double the lead. Flicked
through by Eriksen, the winger was one on one with the keeper and
with Lennon putting his shot low to the keeper's right, his leg
kicked the ball out.
A couple of attempts to play Sheriff players through failed to
breach the Spurs defence, but the team held the ball well and went
forward to build play towards the home team's goal, as the Spurs
fans made themselves heard in the chill Transnistria night. Weirdly,
it might not have felt that cold to the home side, as their manager
was down to a Joachim Loew type V neck jumper, but with a thick
scarf around hid neck, while AVB preferred the full length bench
coat.
30 minutes in, a ball over Kyle Naughton saw Sheriff get into the
Tottenham box and the ball was played to Cadu on the left and his
rising shot beat Lloris, but not the linesman, who had noticed he
had strayed offside and the goal was ruled out. A minute later,
Chiriches was the player who slid for, but failed to reach, a ball
through and Isa was in a similar position, but curled his shot wide
of the far post.
In the move, Zeki Fryers picked up an injury and Michael Dawson came
on for the young full back, with Naughton moving to left back and
Chiriches to right back. An attack down the Spurs left saw a low
cross pulled back into the middle and the ball flicked off Dawson
before falling to Ricardinho, who hit a shot on the turn over the
bar. It took until nearly half time before Defoe got a shot on
goal, taking it early, but stabbing it too high. The game fizzled
out as the half finished with Chiriches picking up a booking for
trying to pull back a Sheriff man, who was breaking past him on the
halfway line.
In the 52nd minute, Eriksen slipped Defoe through on the left, but
his left foot shot failed to carry much power and Tosic saved
simply. When Spurs worked a 55th minute free-kick, Eriksen played to
Sandro, 25 yards out and his shot was blocked for a corner, with two
Sheriff players colliding in trying to prevent his effort being on
target. It ended with Cadu coming off worse and needing treatment.
Isa once more got a ball run to him in the box, but he was robbed by
a good tackle by Sandro, but the Sheriff man made such a lot of the
challenge that he managed to roll a good ten yards out of the area.
Then Spurs attacked, when Sandro popped off a pass before he got hit
by a late challenge and it found Aaron Lennon, who took on his man
and moving right, shot left and the ball hit the inside of the post
and came out
Spurs were opened up on
their right, with a low cross picking out Ricardinho and his shot
was deflected wide by Dawson's block in the 71st minute. Tottenham
were holding the ball well, but not making a lot of inroads into the
Sheriff defence, but the crowded ranks of defenders made Spurs try
to over play the ball and when they didn't Chiriches moved forward
to the edge of the home team's box to fire over, with Lennon free
outside him. But, just afterwards, in the 75th minute, Nacer
Chadli touched a little ball back in front of Jermain Defoe and from
25 yards out, his fierce shot flicked off Balima to flat-foot the
keeper and fly into the net to put Tottenham 2-0 up. It was a
typical Defoe goal and one that had not looked like coming for him,
but it put him level with Martin Chivers on 22 European goals.
At 2-0, the Sheriff's game plan was shot. They looked disheartened
and Spurs were taking their foot off the pedal, which almost lead to
them being caught out, with Isa being played in over the top and
being met by Lloris racing out, forcing him to toe the ball past the
French keeper, but wide of the goal with ten minutes left. The
Holtby to Defoe move that has worked so well in Europe almost paid
off again, but with seven minutes left, the offside flag saved the
little forward the embarrassment of his shot finding the keeper's
midriff.
An ankle injury to Naughton in the last five minutes saw him have to
leave the field for treatment, during which Fernando hit a shot over
the top from 20 yards. When Kyle did return, he was running tenderly
on his left ankle. That left Tottenham playing keep ball to prevent
Sheriff getting after the left back and the end of the game came
with an anti-climax.
Lamela is still finding his feet and while a lot of fans are asking
if he was worth £30 million, it is still relatively early days, but
Chadli worked hard and wanted to take people on, while Sheriff's
players seemed to be content to try to take Spurs players out at the
end of the game. Lennon didn't have the most impressive game,
but still did enough to worry the home side's back four and hit a
post, while Defoe didn't do too much ... except score !! It is
what he is there for. Lloris was on his toes when required and
the back four played fast and loose with an attacking mindset, but
this did allow Sheriff the freedom in our last third. Eriksen
showed some nice touches, but was not as imposing as he has shown,
while Sandro had a quiet game for The Beast.
Not that any of that
mattered too much, as we won 2-0 without over-exerting ourselves and
some of these players will no doubt be featuring in the League Cup
tie against Hull City next Wednesday. Then again against
Sheriff for the return at the Lane on 7th November. After
that, qualification as group winners might be signed and sealed.
James
Martindale |
