Filed under: Blackpool, Tottenham, League Two, Football, Match Reports
Tottenham's chances of qualifying for the Champions League were surely all but surrendered when they failed to beat Blackpool at White Hart Lane and had Gareth Bale stretchered off.Charlie Adam's 76th-minute penalty almost won it for the Seasiders, who are now out of the bottom three and have their destiny in their own hands.
Adam had seen a penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes, the Tottenham goalkeeper, after Michael Dawson had handled.
But within seconds the Brazilian had brought down Gary Taylor-Fletcher - and Adam made no mistake from 12 yards at the second time of asking.
Jermain Defoe supplied a late equaliser but Tottenham had been banking on three points from this one.
News of Manchester City's defeat at Everton earlier in the day had warmly received but Spurs must now travel to City, who are in fourth, and then Liverpool, who are also in contention. And should Stoke win the FA Cup then there will be no European football at all for the team squeezed out into sixth.
Tottenham had made an impressive start and Matt Gilks was forced into a fine low save to deny Bale. There were other near misses for the home side before the break and Defoe had a "goal" ruled out by a marginal offside decision.
But Blackpool's defence had been impressive for the first 45 minutes and the Seasiders had moments of their own at the other end.
Adam was involved in them all and Tottenham had goalkeeper Gomes to thank for two impressive saves to deny the Scot, whom Spurs had tried in vain to sign on deadline day in January.
Spurs introduced Aaron Lenon for the inert Roman Pavlyuchenko at the break and Bale was hurt by Adam's challenge just after the hour mark and had to be stretchered off, with Peter Crouch coming on and TV replays suggesting it had been as bad foul by the Blackpool talisman.
DJ Campbell missed a golden chance to fire Blackpool ahead only for Gomes to save but then Spurs managed to give away two penalties in as many minutes.
TV replays again suggested Spurs may have been hard done by with Ian Evatt appearing to push Dawson just before his handball and, for the second spot kick decision, the contact from goalkeeper on Taylor-Fletcher was minimal.
At least a fine strike from Defoe with a minute to go ensured they picked up a point. The England international picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and advanced before firing a right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net
REACTION:
Harry Redknapp was hopeful Bale's injury was not as bad as Adam's tackle:
"He has done his ankle - it looks quite bad. I'm not sure if he has done his ligaments. They are checking up on him. It looked quite swollen. It looked a bad challenge to be fair but that's how it goes. It's happened now. They will scan him for sure. They will take him up to the hospital. It might not be so bad. It might just be a twist. We will have to wait and see. A lot of people said they thought it was a nasty challenge but I haven't seen it again."
On Gomes:
"He made a great save for the penalty and made a great save before that when they had a good opportunity. We lost our cool. We saved the penalty and everybody got excited suddenly. Instead of calming down we were jumping around and slapping each other on the back - the ball came in and we didn't deal with it."
On Spurs' Champions League chances:
"It's going to be very difficult, obviously. We haven't been able to win games and that's been the problem for us in the last month or so. It's difficult to put your finger on it. But it takes some doing to get in the top four anyway. We have only done it once before. It's not as though we do it every year and people have to understand that."
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway refuted the claim of ESPN pundit Kevin Keegan that Adam "meant it" when he hurt Bale":
"Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but Kevin should know the lad like I know him. He almost came to Spurs so why would he want to hurt anybody? He hasn't got that in him. Hasn't Kevin ever been slightly late with a tackle? This level is so quick. On a beautiful surface Charlie tried to get there and it was genuine. So I'm disappointed Kevin said that. He's paid for his opinion and I'm not going to argue.
"I thought Charlie was absolutely pole-axed by William Gallas and that was only a yellow card so as long as the referee was consistent, which he was, then who am I to judge him? I need to stay calm and do my job, which is hard enough as it is."
And then he turned on another England captain turned TV pundit, Alan Shearer:
"I'm not resigned to losing anything. Alan Shearer upset him this week because he was worried about what he had said, whether his time had passed him by but you have got to deal with whatever is said about you. The best thing to be is to be hated because that means you ain't bad. He's a terrific lad and only getting better. He is one of the best seven players in this division so why has his time passed him by?"
On getting a point at White Hart Lane:
"That was more like us. I feel like we are back on track - lets hope it's not too late. It's all about us progressing and that's four points we have taken off Tottenham so I have got to be happy with that. The lads were disappointed but I wasn't. It was a great game of football and I'm just relieved we look a good side again because I would have hated our season to just peter out and be useless - and we're not. We have still a hope with two games left and that is all you can ask. I still believe we can perform an absolute miracle."
Holloway was hopeful Manchester United would have the title wrapped up before their final day meeting:
"Then they might be having a big party - and Fergie might play himself and rest everyone for the Champions League final. When I congratulated him the other day he said he might do that. He's an absolute genius and I'm trying to learn from that."
WHAT IT MEANS: That if City win on Tuesday then fourth spot will surely be theirs as only a series of freak results could prevent that. That leaves Spurs and Liverpool slugging it out for fifth place, though neither will be too desperate for Europa League football. As for Blackpool, they will keep on fighting until the end and could well stay up - even if their final game is against Manchester United - who could already be champions of course.
TOTTENHAM 1 (Defoe 89) BLACKPOOL 1 (Adam, pen, 76)
PLAYER MARKINGS:
Tottenham (4-4-2): Gomes 8; Kaboul 6, Dawson 8, Gallas 7, Rose 8 (Kranjcar 90, 4); van der Vaart 6, Modric 6, Sandro 6, Bale 7 (Crouch 64, 6); Pavlyuchneko 4 (Lennon 46, 6), Defoe 6.
Subs (not used): Cudicini, Bassong, Corluka, Jenas.
Blackpool (4-3-3): Gilks 7; Eardley 7 (Beattie 90, 4), Evatt 8, Baptiste 9, Crainey 7; Southern 7, Adam 8, Vaughan 7; Taylor-Fletcher 8 (Cathcart 77, 6), Kornilenko 3 (Puncheon 46, 6), Campbell 6.
Subs (not used): Kingson, Phillips, Reid, Ormerod.
ATTENDANCE: 35,585
REFEREE: Lee Probert
NEXT UP:
- Tottenham v Manchester City (Away), Premier League, 10/05 1945 BST
- Blackpool v Bolton (Home), Premier League, 14/05 1245 BST
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