| 18.03.2008 |
A pulsating
first half was a little more subdued after the break, but a comeback
goal earned Birmingham
City a 3-3 draw.
David Button was the first keeper into action
when he
pushed out a De Ridder shot in the ninth minute, but in the next 60
seconds City took the lead.
De Ridder's corner saw Martin Taylor rise to head into the six yard
box and Jervis got there first to knock the bal into the net with his
head.
Adel Taarabt was showing his skills, but his
finishing didn't match his ability on the ball as he slashed wide when
well placed, then Spurs were 0-2 down with Gary O'Connor leaving his
marker to meet another De Ridder cross, this time from a free-kick, to
slide the ball past Button with 13 minutes gone.
Button was in the right place to save a shot
straight at him by Mutch and then again from Wilson, before play moved
to the Birmingham end as David Hutton's corner dropped for Mtandari to
shoot, but there were too many bodies in front of him to get it through.
Taarabt once more showed that he needs to sharpen up his shooting skills
as he blazed over from long distance, but it came just before Tottenham
scored after Fraser-Allen's 33rd minute cross was volleyed home by David
Hutton at the far post as he ran in unmarked.
Taarabt did better when he exchanged passes
with Mtandari and as he shaped to shoot, Doyle dashed out at his feet to
save. He was the architect of the second Spurs goal in the 39th
minute, as he beat three men in the box and Lifted the ball over the
keeper for Tomas Pekhart to head into the net. Spurs still had to
be alert and Button needed to dive to push Mutch's 30 yard effort past
the post in time added on at the end of the first half.
The second half saw long periods of stagnant
play, but Tottenham took a 3-2 lead with a goal in the 52nd minute, as
Kyle Fraser-Allen played the ball through to Taarabt to slide the ball
past Doyle and into the net. The young Frenchman then almost
created a fourth, as he put Hutton through, but his left foot shot went
just wide.
With a minute gone past the hour mark,
Birmingham got another equaliser. And once more De Ridder was the
man who opened the Spurs defence to cross for O'Connor to rise at the
far post to head back into the top corner for 3-3.
As both sides battled away, the game reached a
bit of a stalemate, but three minutes from the end Tottenham came
closest to grabbing a winner, as Taarabt and Pekhart played in Mtandari,
who hit a shot from the edge of the area that was blocked by the Blues
defenders and a draw was the final result.
Teams :
Birmingham City - Doyle, Wilson,
Schmitz, Taylor, Queudrue, Sammons (O'Brien 57), De Ridder, O'Connor,
Jervis (Sheldon 78), Mutch, Aydilek (Joyce 46)
Subs not used : Lyness, Hubbins
Spurs - Button, Gunter, Hughton, Kasim
(Hutchins 78), Archibald-Henville, Martin, Fraser-Allen, Mtandari,
Pekhart, Taarabt, Hutton (Obika 78)
Subs not used : Jansson, Olsen, Mason
Attendance : - ,
|
