szólj hozzá: sto-tot
Fie, Foy, Fo, Fum, I smell the stink of many a bad decision.
Chris Foy’s decisions took front and center in a match that came alive in the second half with Spurs scintillating play. Before that Matthew Etherington, part of Spurs old boy network at Stoke put them up with his brace after Ryan Shotton’s throw-ins created all sorts of havoc in defense. The first goal should have been recalled as Peter Crouch, another Spurs transferee clearly handballed in front of goal and in sight of the linesman. But it stood dealing an early blow to Spurs.
Two goals down at half time and Harry Redknapp subbed off Aaron Lennon and Benoit Assou Ekotto for Sebastian Bassong and Jermain Defoe. Spurs poured it on as pint sized Luka Modric showing the cleverest piece of skills second only to David Silva controlled the midfield. It was Modric’s trickery that led to Adebayor’s penalty as he was brought down dubiously by Wilson in the box. There was a lag between action and reaction that was questionable.
The refereeing outrage continued as Ryan Shawcross (this man is the filthiest, vilest defender) draped himself all over Younus Kaboul, in front of Foy, and there was no penalty. For his protest, Kaboul was rewarded the yellow card.
Spurs should have had the equalizer in a stunning series of events that saw Shawcross effecting a goal line save with his arm that should have been a penalty and a red card followed seconds later by Adebayor’s recalled goal for offside when he clearly was not. At this point one wondered if Stoke had to do something unspeakable to a goat in front of a live audience to finally get a call against them.
Minutes later Kaboul was gone, picking up a second yellow for a tippy tappy foul on Jon Walters. Foy’s wrecking ball led to Spurs playing a man down for the last 10 minutes as Stoke came back. Spurs had two close calls as Shawcross’s headers from two successive corners saw Friedel managing to keep the first out and the crossbar taking care of the second.
Thomas Sorensen was a Stoke hero bringing off some might fine saves.
Etherington walked off to a standing ovation as Wilson Palacios, another familiar face at White Hart came on to see off the dying minutes. There was a final embarrassment for Spurs as a Giovani Dos Santos sighting led to a foul throw called on him.
As an Arsenal fan and a purveyor of fine, flowing football, one doffs the hat to a Spurs team that is playing the finest football in the Premiership. They were superb in the second half. The refereeing was a travesty which makes this all the more anguishing for their fans.