Redknapp’s late fluke goal kills off Rovers

Blackburn 1 Tottenham 2

Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Manchester City and now Tottenham have found Rovers vulnerable as the final whistle approaches, with this time Jamie Redknapp’s fluke goal securing victory for Spurs.

These two sides will probably be challenging for European qualification at the end of the season, and this was a fascinating tactical battle - won hands down by Glenn Hoddle in the first half before Graeme Souness took back the initiative in the second.

For Spurs, Robbie Keane’s masterful solo strike will live long in the memory, but Blackburn’s second-half resurgence - crowned by Egil Ostenstad’s goal - should have been enough for a point at least. Redknapp’s piece of luck however, slicing a ball into the net, ruined Rovers’ day.

The game also featured an American mini-drama with the rivals for the USA number one jersey in each goal. Blackburn’s Brad Friedel won the contest with Kasey Keller, as he did in the World Cup, with two outstanding saves at crucial moments but he ended up on the losing side.

Blackburn had taken the honours in the clubs’ last meeting - the Worthington Cup final - but Spurs took a matter of six minutes to exact some revenge, courtesy of a quite brilliant individual goal by Keane.

Tugay’s sloppiness in midfield was to blame initially for conceding possession, but when the ball dropped to Keane there was still plenty to do. As it was, he took the ball in his stride, left his marker standing and struck a tremendous left-foot drive which arrowed right into the top corner. After such a poor first half for Blackburn it was no surprise that Souness made changes at half-time, switching the system to 3-5-2 with Ostenstad and Keith Gillespie coming on for Andy Cole - who looked to be suffering from a midweek knock - and Henning Berg.

The home side immediately revived and Thompson had Keller worried with a low left-footed drive which flew wide.

Friedel kept Blackburn in the game with an outstanding piece of goalkeeping to steal the ball from Redknapp. Sheringham’s delicious reverse pass sent Redknapp through on goal but as he tried to take the ball past the keeper the American stuck in a hand to snatch possession.

Ostenstad struck to level the scores after 59 minutes. Dunn’s fantastic touch to Tugay’s pass sent the ball rolling into Ostenstad’s path and as Keller hesitated the Norwegian made no mistake. With one minute left, a freakish goal by Redknapp won the game for Spurs. Blackburn were at sixes and sevens as Steffen Iversen ran at the defence and crossed, Redknapp miskicked at the centre and sliced the ball in an arc over Friedel into the net.

BLACKBURN Friedel, Taylor, Berg (Gillespie 45), Johansson, Neill, Thompson, Dunn (Grabbi 69), Tugay, Flitcroft, Duff, Cole (Ostenstad 45).

TOTTENHAM Keller, Taricco (Perry 69), Bunjevcevic, Richards, Thatcher, Davies, Redknapp, Freund, Acimovic (Iversen 69), Sheringham, Keane.

Referee: A D’Urso (Essex).