Ryan not Swan for sentiment
TOTTENHAM..3 SWANSEA .....2
RYAN MASON netted his first Premier League goal for Tottenham as Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis collapsed on the pitch.
The Spurs academy product popped up to fire his side back in front after Swansea star Ki Sung-Yueng had cancelled out Nacer Chadli’s opener.
And Andros Townsend grabbed Tottenham’s crucial third as old boy Gylfi Sigurdsson scored for the Swans to set up a grandstand finish.
Before kick-off, both sets of fans paid tribute to Dave Mackay with a minute’s applause to mark the Tottenham legend’s passing aged 80 earlier in the week.
And the game was only seven minutes old when Chadli volleyed Spurs in front, arriving in the box to smash Danny Rose’s cross home.
The match did not restart for more than five minutes, however, as straight away Gomis suddenly collapsed in the centre circle.
It was a chilling reminder of the moment Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba’s heart stopped for 78 minutes just a few feet away in an FA Cup tie in 2012.
Paramedics treated Gomis on the pitch for more than five minutes before he was stretchered off with an oxygen mask on his face.
Thankfully, the striker – who has a history of blackouts – had only fainted and quickly recovered without having to go to hospital.
Swansea did not let it put them off though and were back level on 19 minutes as Sigurdsson curled in a 25-yard free-kick that smacked back off a post before Ki made them pay with a smart finish.
Both sides then swapped chances, with Jonjo Shelvey forcing Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris into a save and Harry Kane heading wide at the other end.
But Spurs hit back in style from Sunday’s Wembley heartache as Mason bludgeoned Spurs back in front in the 51st minute with an unstoppable shot past Swans keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Tottenham’s tails were up and Townsend sprinted away to make it 3-1 on the hour mark after ref Michael Oliver had played advantage following a foul on Nabil Bentaleb.
Sigurdsson pulled one back against his former club with just two minutes remaining.
But Spurs held firm to keep themselves well and truly in the hunt for a top four-finish and a Champions League spot. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Townsend; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Chiriches, Davies, Dembele, Paulinho, Lamela, Soldado. SWANSEA (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Ki, Cork; Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Gomis. Subs: Tremmel, Amat, Rangel, Britton, Oliveira, Emnes, Montero. Referee: Michael Oliver.