Heroic Hoops falter as Spurs battle back
And, for one brief, giddy moment against Spurs last night, Shamrock Rovers dared and did as, entirely against the run of play, a Stephen Rice goal early in the second half put the underdogs ahead against the hot favourites.
The huge and noisy Rovers support behind Carlo Cudicini’s goal roared its approval and dared to dream. But, after a sweltering day in London and an hour of monumental resistance on the pitch, the Irish champions suddenly found their Premier League opponents simply too hot to handle, as Harry Redknapp’s team turned the game on its head with a blistering three-goal salvo in the space of just six minutes.
Said Hoops boss Michael O’Neill of his team’s effort: “They were a credit to the League of Ireland but being honest I’d have preferred if it had stayed 0-0 until the 89th minute because once we scored I knew we’d get a reaction from Spurs. Tonight was an opportunity for our players to show what they’re capable of and certainly I thought some of them did that.”
O’Neill, who described the opposition as one of the top two or three teams in the Europa League, also paid tribute to passionate Rovers support in a near capacity crowd of around 33,000 who sang their hearts out from well before kick-off until long after the final whistle.
“The support was fantastic,” O’Neill, who along with members of his team spent some time shooting the breeze with Tottenham legend Paul Gascoigne after the final whistle, said.
“They stayed with the team to the end. To have that travelling support is a credit to the league and they added a lot to the night.’’
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp admitted that it had been far from plain-sailing for his side.
“When we go one down, you’re thinking maybe it’s one of those nights,” he said. “Not being disrespectful to Shamrock Rovers who worked their socks off but we could have been three up at half-time. We hit the woodwork and their ‘keeper made some great saves. But then they went and scored with their first real strike at goal and, of course, that’s a concern but, finally, we took a couple of our chances.”
Redknapp added that he thinks Rovers can still be more than whipping boys in the group.
“I think they’ll get a result somewhere,” he said. “They’re a good side, they’re well organised and their support was magnificent. We look forward when the time comes to playing them in Ireland, it’ll be a great place to play.”
The dominant tone of the game was set after only two minutes when Richard Brush, deputising for Ryan Thompson who hadn’t recovered from his shoulder injury in time, had to make his first save from Giovanni, the shot coming at the end of a typically swift and incisive move from the home side. And ten minutes in, Brush had to make an even better save to deny Giovanni again.
But the ‘keeper really came to Rovers’ rescue in the 17th minute when, after Giovanni’s pass had put Jermain Defoe clean through on goal, Brush did brilliantly to deflect the striker’s powerful effort on to the bar and away to safety. And the ‘keeper was at it again moments later when he denied Roman Pavlyuchenko at close range.
For Brush, it was one close shave after another and, at the other end of the pitch, even Carlo Cudicini must have been looking on in admiration, not least because he had little else to keep him preoccupied, what with Gary Twigg wholly isolated in the thankless task of Rovers’ lone frontman.
But then Rovers players were working hard all over the pitch in a bid to close down the quicksilver movement of their Premier League opponents although, just past the 30 minute mark, Brush had only his woodwork to thank when Danny Rose’s curving shot crashed back off the bar.
Fittingly, the last act of the first half was that of the battle-weary James Paterson stopping Lennon in his tracks down the right-hand side, even as the Hoops supporters behind him were cheerfully tempting fate by singing ‘Premier League? You’re having a laugh’.
In fact, it got unimaginably better for the Irish champions just five minutes after the restart. Having won the free-kick himself, Gary McCabe rifled in a shot which Cudicini, with what was effectively his first save of the game, could only parry. Full-back Pat Sullivan followed up the rebound with his own low drive from outside the penalty area and, hovering on the edge of the six yard box, Stephen Rice was perfectly positioned to apply the deft flick which changed the direction of the ball and found the back of the net.
The Rovers players, bench and supporters went wild, as the dreamed-of upset now appeared, suddenly, incredibly, on the cards. But, of course, there was still a long way to go and, right on the hour mark, the Hoops’ heroic resistance finally cracked as Giovanni whipped in a cross from the left and, rising unchallenged, Pavlyuchenko left Brush helpless with a textbook header.
A minute later, it was painful déjà vu for Rovers, this time Defoe getting on the end of substitute Andros Townsend’s superb cross to head the home side in front. And just five minutes after that, it was three. Jermain Defoe did brilliantly to win the ball off Stephen Rice deep in Rovers’ half, his surging run then taking him into the heart of enemy territory before his pass set up Giovanni who buried the finish.
After that, there was time for Rohan Ricketts to return to the Lane but no sign of Rovers being able to mount a startling comeback of their own.
But the ovation the Hoops received all around the ground at the final whistle was deserved. They might have been well beaten in the end but they’d given mighty Spurs one hell of a scare.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: Cudicini; Walker, Bassong, Corluka, Rose (Kane 79), Lennon (Townsend 45), Livermore, Carroll, Giovanni, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe (Falque 73).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Brush; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Paterson (Stevens 45); O’ Donnell (McCormack 45), McCabe, Finn (Ricketts 72), Rice, Dennehy; Twigg.
Referee: Gediminas Mazeika (Lithuania) .
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