BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH, 2015
(7.45pm)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3(1) SWANSEA CITY 2(1)

Spurs scorers:-
Chadli, 7
Mason, 51
Townsend, 60

Swansea scorers:-
Ki Sung-Yeung, 19
Sigurdsson, 89

Attendance:- 34,008

Referee:- Michael Oliver
Assistants:- J. Collin & I. Hussin
Fourth official:- A. Madley

Teams:-
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Lloris (Capt.); Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose (sub Davies, 78); Mason, Bentaleb; Townsend (sub Dembele, 64), Eriksen, Chadli; Kane (sub Soldado, 76)

Subs not used:- Vorm; Chiriches; Paulinho, Lamela

Booked:- Dier (foul on Oliveira)

Swansea (4-3-2-1):- Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams (Capt.), Taylor; Ki Sung-Yeung, Cork, Shelvey (sub Montero, 73); Sigurdsson, Routledge; Gomis (sub Oliveira, 12)

Subs not used:- Tremmel; Amat, Rangel; Britton, Emnes

No bookings

A little too close for comfort in the end.

Having established a comfortable two goal lead with half an hour of the game to go, Spurs conceded a late goal to old boy Gylfi Sigurdsson (who graciously did not celebrate), and then had to endure a worrying three minutes of added time, during which Hugo Lloris was required to make one of his finest saves from a Fernandez header. The Spurs crowd was urging the referee to blow his whistle, and was finally relieved to hear that magic sound.

The precious three points does not lift us any higher, but if we can follow it up by beating QPR on Saturday, then we would go sixth, and send a message to those above us to the effect that we do intend to pursue a top four place.

Mauricio Pochettino started with the same team that had played at Wembley on Sunday. There were two changes to the bench though, with Chiriches in for Fazio, and Paulinho replacing Stambouli.

Swansea included three former Spurs players with Kyle Naughton at right back, and Sigurdsson and Wayne Routledge in the midfield. The Swansea shape looked like a 4-3-2-1 to me, with an emphasis towards their left, perhaps targeting Andros Townsend and Kyle Walker, as they bombed down their right flank (Swansea's left).

That strategy gave Danny Rose more room on the other side, partnered by Nacer Chadli.

It was not quite a full house, which was a shame, as we were formally saying farewell and paying homage to one of Spurs' very greatest legends, Dave Mackay, who died on Monday. The game was preceded by a hearty one minute's applause, and former players lined up to join in the applause. There was also a half-time tribute featuring Cliff Jones, Phil Beal, Pat Jennings and Alan Mullery.

Spurs took a seventh minute lead thanks to an excellent cross from the left by Danny Rose, which was converted towards the back post by Nacer Chadli to shoot home for his first league goal since New Year's Day when we beat Chelsea. It was a great start.

Only a couple of minutes after the goal however, there was a real scare when Swansea's striker Bafetimbi Gomis simply collapsed to his knees and fell face forward to the ground. Numerous medics raced to the scene, and I saw Vertonghen put his hands to his head in horror. For a few moments, we feared another Fabrice Muamba situation, but it was not long before Gomis moved and although he was stretchered off, manager Garry Monk later said his player wanted to carry on. He had to be replaced by Oliveira though, after several minutes' delay.

Andros Townsend had a great left footed effort held by Fabianksi, after the ball had been worked from the right through Bentaleb and Eriksen.

However, it wasn't long before Swansea went level. Gylfi Sigurdsson had beaten Lloris with a free kick from some 22 yards, but the ball rebounded out off Lloris's left post. In the ensuring period of play from Swansea's left side, Jan Vertonghen mis-judged an attempted clearance and Ki Sung-Yeung scored form a very acute angle with a shot across the goalmouth which just crept inside the far post.

Eric Dier recovered well to clear from Wayne Routledge who threatened to break clear. After a Spurs throw from the left the ball was passed across the outside of the Swansea area, before Walker passed it back to Ryan Mason, whose shot was held by Fabianski.

Swansea had an attacking throw on the left, and the ball reached Naughton in acres of space beyond the Spurs defence. Naughton fired wide across the goalmouth, and the wrong side of Lloris's right post.

After 41 minutes and a decent period of Spurs possession, Eriksen crossed from the left, but the ball just evaded Fabianksi and those challenging for the ball including Chadli. Townsend looked as if he was going to be stopped in his tracks as he advanced down the right, but he got the ball inside to Chadli, who fed Bentaleb for another shot held by Fabianksi.

There were six minutes of added time at the end of the first half.

In the first minute after the break, Lloris had to stretch both arms up to push a powerful Lloris effort over the bar for a corner. Spurs responded with an attack down the left side, with Danny Rose's cross being headed just wide back across goal by Harry Kane, who wanted a corner, but got no joy from referee Michael Oliver.

Spurs took the lead in the 51st minute, with the ball again being worked from the left, and Christian Eriksen managing to keep possession of the ball under tight marking, moving across the edge of the box, before teeing up Ryan Mason for a great right foot finish, for his first goal since that League Cup game against Nottingham Forest back in September. Mason celebrated with gusto in the north-East corner, and the Spurs fans lauded him as "one of their own", just like Harry Kane.

Eric Dier had an on-target header blocked from Townsend's free kick on the right. Fernandez had a shot saved following a corner taken on the right.

Spurs' third goal came, in part, courtesy of a very good decision to allow Spurs to play on, after Nabil Bentaleb had been fouled and was on the ground deep in his own half. Townsend made a break for it down the left flank, and got all the way into the penalty area, where despite Swansea trying to cover, Andros beat the keeper to his left. He was also "one of our own".

Dier got the only booking of the game when fouling Oliveira just outside the box. Sigurdsson's free kick was blocked by the wall.

Townsend was then replaced by Dembele, and Spurs took control of the game, with plenty of possession passing, but without going for the kill, which ultimately might have proved costly.

Kyle Walker made a run down his right flank, crossing for Kane, who forced his way into the box, but saw his shot deflected for a corner. Kane had a shot saved from that corner.

After a sequence of substitutions, which included Ben Davies for Danny Rose, Dembele fed the ball to Walker on the right. Kyle passed inside and Soldado hit his shot wide.

Spurs had been playing a lot of quick and short passes, but threatened Fabianski insufficiently. Ben Davies was not given a fond reception by his former fans, but nearly had the last laugh when his low cross passed just in front of Soldado, who last scored a league goal in November, against Everton, when Mr. Oliver last refereed one of our games.

Swansea's second goal came with a minute of normal time remaining. Montero crossed from the left (probably allowed too much room by Walker), and Sigurdsson fired home an early shot with his right foot.

Spurs had to see out three added minutes, most of which was spent in the Spurs half, with Lloris having to make that dramatic save from Fernandez, with a superb reaction dive to his left. It might have been shades of Gordon Banks. Whatever the case, Hugo had saved the day yet again, and Spurs got their first league win for four weeks, after five games without a win. Only two of these had been league games, against Liverpool and West Ham.

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