4  Ruben KRISTIANSEN
  3  Jaroslaw FOJUT     
  6  Adnan CAUSEVIC  (o.g.)   (30  Runar ESPEJORD 71)
19  William FRANTZEN (14  Hans NORBYE 69)

17  Remi JOHANSEN
15  Magnus ANDERSEN
  8  Thomas BENDIKSEN (c) (28  Hendrik HELMKE 77)
  5  Morten MOLSKRED

10  Thomas DRAGE
13  Zdenek ONDRASEK
 

Unused subs: 
12  Frederik BAKKELUND
20  Matihias JOHNSEN
23  Kent Are ANTONSEN
16  Lars Gunnar JOHNSEN

16  Kyle NAUGHTON
12  Vlad CHIRICHES
20  Michael DAWSON (c)     
35  Zeki FRYERS (  5 Jan VERTONGHEN 72)

19  Mousa DEMBELE 
15  Etienne CAPOUE     

21  Nacer CHADLI (14 Lewis HOLTBY 72)
22  Gylfi SIGURDSSON (33 Erik LAMELA 78)
17  Andros TOWNSEND

  9  Roberto SOLDADO     

Unused subs: 
56  Jordan ARCHER
43  Ryan FREDERICKS
47  Kenneth McEVOY
41  Shaquile COULTHIRST
 

With all eyes on AVB, it was oh, so cold in Tromso as the four months of darkness fell today ... but who would it fall on ?  With the scribes having poisoned pens at the ready to formulate their reports, the letters from the Arctic Circle eventually spelled out something inconclusive for them and for Tottenham.  Qualification for the knock out stage had already been achieved and the race to top the group was not ever going to be closely contested, so this game saw Spurs manage to get a 2-0 win without freezing on the night.

As the snow fell on the artificial pitch, the tractors moved across it to remove the worst of the white stuff. But as it fell through the first 20 minutes, it slowed the ball's passage as Tottenham tried to pass it across the surface. Like snail trails, the path of the ball could easily be picked out against the green astro-turf.

After Sunday's nightmare start, Tromso almost caught Spurs out at the beginning of the match. A nice touch put Ondrasek through and with the Spurs defence caught on the turn, he was in on Friedel. Taking his shot early, he failed to make sure it was on target and it went a yard wide to waste a fine chance to make a fine start.

There were a couple of other chances for Tromso in the first ten minutes. Fryers did well to nick the ball away from Andersen and the home team were moving the ball about well, having the experience of playing on a surface where you have to turn and balance differently to playing on grass.

Eighteen minutes in, Spurs had a chance when Capoue almost gets onto the end of a Soldado flicked header from a corner. Then Dembele shot high, Townsend cut the ball back as he ran into the centre of the area for Sigurdsson to hit a low shot inches wide before Capoue had a shot deflected just wide as a Tromso defender tried to block it. Townsend then tested Benny Lekstrom by firing in a low shot that made the keeper dive to his left at the foot of his post and fumble the ball wide.

But despite the pressure, a goal did not come. A great chance to remedy that was when Gylfi played a perceptive pass from the centre of the pitch with the outside of his right foot to Chadli on the left, but the Belgian winger, with a clear run in on goal, smashed the ball hard but way over the goal and into the unoccupied seats behind the goal.

While Soldado was working away well, he was not getting the service he needs. Earlier in this competition, he showed that early, low balls into the corridor of uncertainty produced opportunities, which he could get on the end of and convert. Here he was frustrated by the ball being turned back behind them, when players got to the line.

At half time, with the Anzhi game with FC Sheriff having finished in a draw, it meant that Tottenham had won the group, so you hoped they might be a bit more relaxed to go out in the second period and play with a bit more freedom.

While there was a good passing start to the half, once more, Spurs failed to penetrate the Tromso defence and were caught conceding free-kicks around our box, which either went straight to Friedel or ended up in his arms from a free header. When Spurs did get into good positions, they were wasted. Townsend dumped Kristiansen on his backside, not an unusual place for the left back to be, before playing the ball across the box to Chadli. The winger brought the ball back inside and curled a shot a good few yards wide.

It seemed like the referee was conspiring to stop Spurs scoring. Soldado had been penalised for handball when the ball popped up off the surface and hit his chest before he set up Sigurdsson to score, which was ruled out.

However, when Gylfi robbed Andersen of the ball as he tried to shield it out of play, he turned into the box and looked to pick out a team-mate, but the referee pulled play back for a tug on the Icelander's shorts outside the area. Close to the dead ball line, Sigurdsson played a firm, low ball into the box and Chiriches went for it at the near post, but it was Causevic who came in behind him who steered the ball into his own goal from a couple of yards out.

In the 75th minute, Tottenham passed the ball out from the back and worked it up the right wing, between Townsend and Naughton, When the ball got near the box, substitute Lewis Holtby quickened it up to play in Sigurdsson on the edge of the area. Gylfi was aware that Dembele was inside of him and he took the ball, steadied himself and shot past Lekstrom to make it 2-0. It is the sort of position you want to see Mousa in more often, but during the preceding 74 minutes, he had looked lackadaisical and his control was loose.
Moments later he could have made it three, when he was played in 22 yards out and he took it early, poking it past the keeper but saw the ball come back off the foot of the left hand post. He got to the rebound to the right of the goal, but hit the shot into the side-netting with Sigurdsson free in the middle.

In added time a hopeful ball forward saw Dembele try to control the ball in his own box, fail to do so and it dropped for Andersen, who failed to take an immediate shot and the opening was gone. It was only left for Chiriches to make a run up the right wing, showing off his ability on the ball before the final whistle brought the end to a 2-0 win and another clean sheet and another Europa League win.

Not thrilling, but workmanlike and a win is a win. Such a repeat on Sunday might not be enough, but it will be a much changed side then, with much different opposition.

Winning the group has advantages, with a home game in the second leg of the round of 32, also allowing a weakened side to take the field against Anzhi in two weeks time.

Winning this game gives AVB a little bit of breathing space from the naysayers who want him gone. There is a tough run of games coming up, so the pressure might yet build on the Head Coach, but it is how the team respond to the set back at Manchester City.

Pete Stachio