Thursday, February 05, 2004
A VERY SAD NIGHT!
YOU couldn’t make this one up. If a computer wizard had invented a game with a twist as wild, crazy and unlikely as this you would have laughed at him.
This was mad, nutty and absurd. These were the toxic ingredients that served up one of the most dramatic, almost inexplicable turnarounds football has witnessed.
Tottenham, 3-0 up at half-time and cruising, will have to live with this one forever after leaking four goals in 42 minutes.
But City supporters will die with the memories of how their team, reduced to 10 MEN when Joey Barton was crazily sent off AFTER the half-time whistle, earned a fifth-round tie at Manchester United.
It was heartbreaking drama for White Hart Lane fans yet you could not help thinking Tottenham had sent in the clowns after the break.
But any self-respecting ringmaster would not have this shambolic lot in his circus.
Laugh? They could have cried and probably did in the blue-and-white half of North London when Jon Macken hit the winner in injury time.
When Macken climbed at the far post to head home Michael Tarnat’s cross it sealed a jaw-dropping City recovery and signalled another dramatic collapse for Tottenham in their own back yard.
FIRST BLOOD ... Sylvain Distin gets ball rolling with City opener
Two seasons ago at White Hart Lane, Tottenham were in cigar mode against Manchester United when they eased into a 3-0 lead only to lose 5-3. This was worse.
How does a team three up, facing a side reduced to 10 men with their best striker Nicolas Anelka forced off, lose?
You tell me. Take another look at the video if you were sensible — or daft enough — to record it and let me know how City earned only their second win in 19 games.
From watching the live version, Tottenham made the mistake of taking their foot off the pedal and, once City pulled back a goal, were unable to step on it again.
I could be cruel and say it was down to same rank bad Tottenham defending. Okay I will. It could be that Tottenham lost their nerve, their drive, their senses and just about everything else. Okay they did.
From the moment Ledley King claimed his first goal of the season with a body swerve and shot that Ronaldo would have been proud of, the football had us on cloud nine and higher.
SECOND COMING ... Paul Bosvelt gives City real hope
King’s second-minute opener for Tottenham set the pulse racing and heads spinning. More goals followed from Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege to take Tottenham fans to the moon, only to have moondust kicked in their faces by a monumental collapse ... or was it a magnificent fightback?
City’s recovery had the heart fluttering and Tottenham palms sweating. Every drama-filled minute had us on the edge of our seats. It was breathless and breathtaking.
Yet the night started so badly for City with Claudio Reyna failing a late test on a groin injury that forced him off at the weekend against Arsenal.
Boss Kevin Keegan also had to draft in Icelandic goalkeeper Arni Arason in place of cup-tied England stopper David James.
One piece of good news for the under-pressure Keegan was the return of Robbie Fowler following a flu virus.
It has taken time for Fowler and Anelka to strike an understanding but at last they are beginning to gel.But that silver lining was torn to shreds when Anelka, who put City ahead in the original tie, was forced off after 23 minutes with a groin injury to be replaced by Macken.
The real flair in Keegan’s side was provided by Shaun Wright-Phillips with his tricky, purposeful runs down the right flank.
THREE GLEE ... Shaun Wright-Phillips equalises
The real anger was provided by Barton, now facing a club fine after he was sent off for two yellows — the second for dissent.
The goals went like this:
2 minutes — 1-0: King takes a flicked pass from Stephane Dalmat before cutting inside and curling an unstoppable shot past Arason.
19 mins — 2-0: Keane claims his fifth goal in six games when his first touch gets King’s pass under control and he lifts a shot over the diving Arason.
43 mins — 3-0: Ziege pings a curling, dipping free-kick just under the bar to put Tottenham in control.
48 mins — 3-1: Distin makes the most of poor cover and heads Tarnat’s free-kick past Kasey Keller.
61 mins — 3-2: Paul Bosvelt’s shot is deflected in by Anthony Gardner but a poor clearance from King set up the chance.
80 mins — 3-3: Wright-Phillips grabs the goal his man-of-the-match performance deserved, flicking Fowler’s pass over Keller.
90 mins — 3-4: Macken sends City fans wild with a winning far-post header from Tarnat’s cross.
DREAM TEAM STAR MAN
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (Man City). A dynamo in attack and key goal.
SUN RATINGS
TOTTENHAM: Keller 6, Carr 6, Brown 7, Postiga 5 (Poyet 6), Keane 7, Dalmat 6, Ziege 7 (Jackson 6), King 6, Davies 6, Gardner 6, Richards 6. Subs not used: Burch, Yeates, Kelly.
MAN CITY: Arason 7, Distin 7, Fowler 7, Jihai 7, Tarnat 7, Dunne 7, Barton 6, Bosvelt 7 (Sibierski 6), Sinclair 6 (McManaman 6), Wright-Phillips 9, Anelka 6 (Macken 7). Subs not used: Ellegaard, Jordan. Booked: Barton, Bosvelt, Jihai. Sent off: Barton.
REF: R Styles 6.
This was mad, nutty and absurd. These were the toxic ingredients that served up one of the most dramatic, almost inexplicable turnarounds football has witnessed.
Tottenham, 3-0 up at half-time and cruising, will have to live with this one forever after leaking four goals in 42 minutes.
But City supporters will die with the memories of how their team, reduced to 10 MEN when Joey Barton was crazily sent off AFTER the half-time whistle, earned a fifth-round tie at Manchester United.
It was heartbreaking drama for White Hart Lane fans yet you could not help thinking Tottenham had sent in the clowns after the break.
But any self-respecting ringmaster would not have this shambolic lot in his circus.
Laugh? They could have cried and probably did in the blue-and-white half of North London when Jon Macken hit the winner in injury time.
When Macken climbed at the far post to head home Michael Tarnat’s cross it sealed a jaw-dropping City recovery and signalled another dramatic collapse for Tottenham in their own back yard.
FIRST BLOOD ... Sylvain Distin gets ball rolling with City opener
Two seasons ago at White Hart Lane, Tottenham were in cigar mode against Manchester United when they eased into a 3-0 lead only to lose 5-3. This was worse.
How does a team three up, facing a side reduced to 10 men with their best striker Nicolas Anelka forced off, lose?
You tell me. Take another look at the video if you were sensible — or daft enough — to record it and let me know how City earned only their second win in 19 games.
From watching the live version, Tottenham made the mistake of taking their foot off the pedal and, once City pulled back a goal, were unable to step on it again.
I could be cruel and say it was down to same rank bad Tottenham defending. Okay I will. It could be that Tottenham lost their nerve, their drive, their senses and just about everything else. Okay they did.
From the moment Ledley King claimed his first goal of the season with a body swerve and shot that Ronaldo would have been proud of, the football had us on cloud nine and higher.
SECOND COMING ... Paul Bosvelt gives City real hope
King’s second-minute opener for Tottenham set the pulse racing and heads spinning. More goals followed from Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege to take Tottenham fans to the moon, only to have moondust kicked in their faces by a monumental collapse ... or was it a magnificent fightback?
City’s recovery had the heart fluttering and Tottenham palms sweating. Every drama-filled minute had us on the edge of our seats. It was breathless and breathtaking.
Yet the night started so badly for City with Claudio Reyna failing a late test on a groin injury that forced him off at the weekend against Arsenal.
Boss Kevin Keegan also had to draft in Icelandic goalkeeper Arni Arason in place of cup-tied England stopper David James.
One piece of good news for the under-pressure Keegan was the return of Robbie Fowler following a flu virus.
It has taken time for Fowler and Anelka to strike an understanding but at last they are beginning to gel.But that silver lining was torn to shreds when Anelka, who put City ahead in the original tie, was forced off after 23 minutes with a groin injury to be replaced by Macken.
The real flair in Keegan’s side was provided by Shaun Wright-Phillips with his tricky, purposeful runs down the right flank.
THREE GLEE ... Shaun Wright-Phillips equalises
The real anger was provided by Barton, now facing a club fine after he was sent off for two yellows — the second for dissent.
The goals went like this:
2 minutes — 1-0: King takes a flicked pass from Stephane Dalmat before cutting inside and curling an unstoppable shot past Arason.
19 mins — 2-0: Keane claims his fifth goal in six games when his first touch gets King’s pass under control and he lifts a shot over the diving Arason.
43 mins — 3-0: Ziege pings a curling, dipping free-kick just under the bar to put Tottenham in control.
48 mins — 3-1: Distin makes the most of poor cover and heads Tarnat’s free-kick past Kasey Keller.
61 mins — 3-2: Paul Bosvelt’s shot is deflected in by Anthony Gardner but a poor clearance from King set up the chance.
80 mins — 3-3: Wright-Phillips grabs the goal his man-of-the-match performance deserved, flicking Fowler’s pass over Keller.
90 mins — 3-4: Macken sends City fans wild with a winning far-post header from Tarnat’s cross.
DREAM TEAM STAR MAN
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (Man City). A dynamo in attack and key goal.
SUN RATINGS
TOTTENHAM: Keller 6, Carr 6, Brown 7, Postiga 5 (Poyet 6), Keane 7, Dalmat 6, Ziege 7 (Jackson 6), King 6, Davies 6, Gardner 6, Richards 6. Subs not used: Burch, Yeates, Kelly.
MAN CITY: Arason 7, Distin 7, Fowler 7, Jihai 7, Tarnat 7, Dunne 7, Barton 6, Bosvelt 7 (Sibierski 6), Sinclair 6 (McManaman 6), Wright-Phillips 9, Anelka 6 (Macken 7). Subs not used: Ellegaard, Jordan. Booked: Barton, Bosvelt, Jihai. Sent off: Barton.
REF: R Styles 6.
