Carroll comes out on top in an ugly bunfight at Spurs

LATE PENALTY IS A FARCE

TOTTENHAM 1 NEWCASTLE 1 THE player with the most famous man- bun in football was supposed to arrive at White Hart Lane, give Spurs a massive shot in the arm and turn their season around.

Instead, the shot on the arm delivered by the second most famous man- bun in the game has left Jose Mourinho’s campaign rocking on its heels just a few weeks in.

While Gareth Bale sat helplessly at the back of the lower tier of the main stand, it was the much blunter instrument of Andy Carroll who wrecked Tottenham’s day.

With his huge mane netted tightly to the back of his head, he nodded the ball on to the arm of Eric Dier and effectively robbed Spurs of a win they thoroughly deserved when referee Peter Bankes eventually pointed to the spot.

But his demolition is nothing compared to the way the laws are being wrecked in order to bow down to modern technology, which has become a millimetre- perfect judge of right and wrong. The law, as it now stands, is an ass – rewarding huge, hopeful donkey- kicks into the penalty area any time an arm is slightly raised. It left Mourinho disgusted.

Spurs found a goalkeeper in near unbeatable form and a world- class striker in Harry Kane strangely unable to bury the multitude of chances that came their way. Son Heung- Min twice hit the woodwork with rasping shots. When the cross- hairs at Stockley Park decided that Carroll was millimetres onside before heading the ball downward, Dier must have sensed he was in trouble. He must have felt the ball hit his arm with it flailing quite understandably as he tried to maintain balance while jumping to challenge. He would not have seen it – he was looking the other way. Callum Wilson’s low shot beat Hugo Lloris, much to the Spurs captain’s frustration.

A brilliant double- save by Karl Darlow in the first three minutes set the tone and the only time he was beaten was when Kane weaved his way through the inside left channel and crossed low for Lucas Moura to tap in at the far post. TOTTENHAM ( 4- 2- 3- 1): Lloris 6, Doherty 6, Sanchez 7, Dier 6, Davies 6; Winks 7, Hojbjerg 8; Son 7 ( Bergwijn 46, 6), Lo Celso 7 ( Ndombele 77), Moura 7 ( Lamela 79); Kane 6. Goal: Moura 25. NEWCASTLE ( 5- 3- 2): Darlow 9; Manquillo 6, Hayden 6, Lascelles 7, Fernandez 6, Ritchie 5 ( Lewis 69, 5); Hendrick 5 ( Murphy 74), Shelvey 6, Joelinton 7; Almiron 6 ( Carroll 77), Wilson 7. Goal: Wilson 90 pen.