Bent lifts gloom at White Hart Lane

Tottenham 2 Wisla Krakow 1

Darren Bent lifted the gloom around White Hart Lane with the winner but Wisla Krakow will take an away goal into the second leg of the UEFA Cup first round clash.

Bent headed home with 17 minutes remaining, the striker’s third in as many matches, to earn Spurs their first victory during a frustrating start to the campaign.

Even that only slightly dampened the spirits of the boisterous away support, whose side lost to Barcelona to get knocked out of the Champions League but now require a 1-0 win in a fortnight to reach the group stages of Europe’s second-tier competition.

Wisla’s fans were silenced for just a minute during the first half after David Bentley’s opener, then Tomas Jirsak levelled to open up the tie.

Spurs head coach Juande Ramos will again be without Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka for that clash as the two new signings are cup-tied, highlighting Spurs’ recruitment problems before the transfer deadline.

With a threadbare squad – Ramos had 18 first-team players to pick from after Luka Modric’s knee injury – at least it gave him a chance to use Bentley in his familiar station on the right flank after previously using him centrally.

It was a source of embarrassment that Bentley won the club’s goal of the month award with a strike from pre-season – evidence that Spurs desperately needed to kick-start their campaign after three defeats and a draw.

Bentley was in the action with less than a minute gone, with Jermaine Jenas hustling Junior Diaz off the ball and sending his team-mate down the right – but goalkeeper Mariusz Pawelek bravely blocked as Bent closed in.

Radoslaw Sobolewski had the first effort for Wisla, curling a long-range effort the wrong side of the post after dummying past Aaron Lennon.

Bentley provided the corner for Pawelek’s first save of the match, after 24 minutes, when Jonathan Woodgate’s header was claimed at the second attempt.

Wisla provided their own threat with aerial balls forward and it took Ledley King to block a shot from Rafal Boguski after the striker latched into a cushioned header.

Pawelek required treatment after throwing himself at Bent again, with Bentley again providing the service. Wisla’s goalkeeper was able to continue despite a lump on his head, but he was picking the ball out of his net after Spurs’ next move, in the 33rd minute.

Giovani dos Santos sent Lennon away down the left and his cross found its way to the back post, with Bentley sending the ball in the direction it came, around Sobolewski and into Pawelek’s far post.

But the lead only lasted a minute, with Boguski nutmegging Gareth Bale before centring, with Jirsak lashing into the net after a lay-off from Pawel Brozek.

Boguski could have given them the lead but Heurelho Gomes produced a stunning save before the interval, turning the ball around the post to deny the striker.

Bentley had dipped a free-kick over the crossbar and also forced a save from Pawelek with a volley across the face of the goal, then the Wisla stopper had to tip over just after the break from Spurs’ winger.

Bent had a strike chalked off when he tapped in after a flowing move down the left resulting in Jenas crossing to the far post – replays suggested it was a harsh decision to call it offside.

Ramos’ response was to bring on Fraizer Campbell for his debut to replace Lennon, while Chris Gunter was replaced by Jamie O’Hara.

It was Wisla who threatened a second when Mauro Cantoro volleyed over the bar from a promising position but Bent grabbed his goal as the visitors threatened an upset.

Campbell held the ball up on the right and floated in a cross, with Bent climbing over Cleber to send the ball past Pawelek.