Wasteful Spurs make a mountain out of Myhill

HULL goalkeeper Boaz Myhill may have single-handedly kept Tottenham at bay but Hull boss Phil Brown has accused the home crowd at White Hart Lane of also playing their part in Harry Redknapp’s men dropping points.

Myhill’s seven saves were of the highest standard – including two double-saves, denying Robbie Keane on the rebound both times – and with each effort came more groans from Spurs fans who grew accustomed to home wins under Redknapp last season.

In the current campaign Spurs have lost to Wolves and Stoke on their own turf, with the defeat against Mick McCarthy’s side last month giving them the most home defeats among teams in the top half of the Barclays Premier League.

“I spoke long and hard to people who had frustrated them,” Brown said. “Tony Pulis and Peter Reid spring to mind, at Stoke City. Obviously Mick McCarthy at Wolves.

“They’ve come here, they’ve frustrated the home crowd. You can get on the backs of the players and it puts the home side under pressure and consequently those two sides nicked 1-0 wins and rightly so.”

Still, Brown needed Myhill to be in top form for his plan to work. The Wales goalkeeper said: “The game is a bit of a blur. It was definitely my best performance of late and I’m obviously pleased to help my team-mates in any way I can. We pulled together and got a great result for the club.”

Myhill also denied Defoe in a one-on-one, Luka Modric with a volley and Peter Crouch twice when the England striker came off the bench. His second-half save from Keane was a close-range block that came off his face.

“I’m quite fortunate I’ve got a big head. For that one I didn’t know anything about it,” he said.

Hull are still on a run of eight games without victory but taking a point has given them renewed hope in their bid to avoid relegation this season.

“We all pulled together manfully and I’m sure the manager is very proud of us,” Myhill said. “The manager asked for a fighting performance, like he always does. Obviously we’re delighted it’s worked out for us.

“The mentality was strong throughout the team, we were dying for the clean sheet and delighted we got there in the end. Anytime you get a clean sheet in this league it’s a positive thing.”

Spurs boss Redknapp took heart from the amount of chances his side created but also took a dim view on Hull’s time-wasting – a part of Brown’s plan that led to Nick Barmby being booked before the half-hour mark.

“They played six minutes extra at the end and four in the first half, that just shows you,” Redknapp said. “The referee needs to book people quicker. It’s all right adding time on but you’re killing the game by then, it never gets started. That is the way to deal with that.”

Redknapp’s side next travel to Liverpool on Wednesday and he must decide whether to restore Crouch to the starting XI in place of Keane. Both will be eager to face their former club.

“When Crouchy came on he won every flick-on and we had more chances,” Redknapp said.