Hardly Dutch gold but Harry happy with Spurs’ lot

TOTTENHAM were far from their fluent best but did enough in Enschede last night to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League as winners of Group A.

With European Champions Inter Milan crashing 3-0 at Werder Bremen, Spurs finished top and thus will get a second-placed team from another group when the draw for the last 16 is made on Friday week.

Although they were unbeaten in Enschede, it was far from a vintage performance from Spurs.

Despite the result, manager Harry Redknapp was thrilled with the North London club finishing top of the group. “At the start I said this was a tough group – we’ve got a team near the top of the Dutch league, Werder Bremen, who are a good side with lots of good players, and we’ve got the holders, Inter Milan. I think it was the toughest group and to top it is brilliant.”

“We’ve gone for it every game. We’ve come in thinking we could win and that’s how we play. We got goals and we conceded them, that’s how it is.

“We tend to score plenty and seem to give them away too. You want to win all your games so we wanted to win here but it’s important to finish top of the group and we’ve done that so I’m proud of the boys.”

The Dutch side could have taken the lead in the 4th minute when an effort from Luuk de Jong was saved at full stretch by Heurelho Gomes.

Instead it was Tottenham who went ahead, in the 12th minute when Dutch captain Peter Wisgerhof hit a harmless backpass towards their 40-year-old reserve goalkeeper Sander Boschker who slicing the ball into his goal.

Twente equalised from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Benoit Assou-Ekotto was adjudged of handling inside the square and former Wigan midfielder Denny Landzaat scored at the second attempt, having to retake the kick because of encroachment.

Jermaine Defoe restored Spurs’ lead after half-time when he had the simple job of smashing the ball past Boschker from close range after good approach play from Aaron Lennon.

As news trickled through that Inter Milan were losing 2-0 at Werder Bremen, Tottenham were firmly in the driving seat to finish top of Group A and their supporters started singing about being on their way to Wembley, the venue for next May's final.

But Twente would not lie down. Winger Nacer Chadli had a glancing header saved by Gomes.

However, the Brazilian had little chance when Roberto Rosales rose to head Theo Janssen’s cross powerfully past him from 10 yards, for Twente’s equaliser in the 56th minute.

Defoe restored Tottenham’s lead two minutes later, after Wilson Palacios won the ball 30 yards from goal. The Honduran ran on, and although Boschker blocked his shot, the England striker was on hand to tuck the loose ball into the net.

Twente came back to pull the tie level again, Chadli curling a superb free-kick inside Gomes’ near post in the 64th minute for the final goal of the night.

FC Twente 4-3-3: Boschker 4, Rosales 7, Wisgenhof 6, Douglas 7, Tiendalli 6, Brama 7, Landzaat 6, Jansen 7, De Jong 5, Janko 6, Chadli 6.

Sub: Vujicevic for Janko (6,72).

Tottenham 4-4-2: Gomes 6, Corluka 6, Gallas 6, Bassong 6, Assou-Ekotto 7, Kranjcar 7, Jenas 6, Palacios 6, Bale 7, Defoe 7, Pavlyuchenko 6

Subs: Lennon (7) for Jenas (7,33), Keane (6) for Pavlyuchenko (6,73), Crouch for Kranjcar (6,86)

Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)