TOP SHOW FROM AKINDE
LINCOLN
HEN the manager says a team are only a ‘question mark’ in the Premier League title race, the danger is that his players start to believe him.
The phrase of Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino rang only too true yesterday as his team tumbled to a humbling home defeat against Wolves.
This was an exclamation mark of a result – and a giant dent to the confidence and ambitions of Spurs.
After taking the lead through a magnificent early goal from Harry
Kane they flattered to deceive, foolishly under-estimating their opponents, and succumbing to complacency – that eternal enemy of football teams.
Even when Spurs were ahead for 50 minutes of this game, there was never a sense of the home crowd being energised or enthused by their team as potential title-challengers. That has an impact on players too. The consequence was another team winning away this season against Tottenham at their temporary home of Wembley.
When the previous three were Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona it shows the fine company Wolves are now keeping, and their sweat-soaked joy at the final whistle was a symbol of a club on the rise after so long in the doldrums.
Nobody could complain about the result. The team being built by Nuno Espirito Santo are stylish, intelligent and hardworking.
They weathered the early pressure of Spurs, they stayed in the game with stubborn defence, and in the second half they pounced on the folly of the home side.
Wolves had their first attempt on target in the 72nd minute – and that was their first goal when a corner by Joao Moutinho was headed in by Willy Boly.
It was so easy for the giant defender, virtually unchallenged as he jumped, and it was an equaliser that had been coming after a spell of concerted pressure by Wolves and lax play by Tottenham.
Pochettino looked thoroughly disgusted on the bench, but could not have imagined the horrors to swiftly follow.
The mood darkened and Spurs were desperate. Kane was shown a yellow card when the referee ruled that he had dived just outside the box.
Wolves were ahead in the 83rd minute, a smart counter-attack ending with a low
went six points clear at the top after coming from behind to win 2-1 at
Having gone 1-0 down in the 28th minute via Jabo Ibehre’s header, the Imps levelled in the 70th thanks to a superb Neal Eardley free-kick and John Akinde then hit what proved the winner five minutes later.
Second-placed drew
2-2 at being denied victory by substitute Junior Morias’ stoppage-time equaliser.
John Stead blew a golden opportunity for when he put a
Cambridge. MK Dons Northampton, Bury
W74th-minute penalty over the bar as the Magpies drew 0-0 at rock-bottom
were beaten 2-1 at home by 10-man who had Alex Whitmore sent off.
Sol Campbell’s 23rd-placed
were defeated 2-1 at Managerless fared impressively in their first match since sacking Frankie Bunn, bouncing back from the 6-0 Boxing Day loss at Carlisle with a 4-1 win at
Notts County. Exeter Macclesfield Carlisle. Port Vale. Grimsby, Oldham