...

...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Leeds 1 Tottenham 3

LETHAL JERM ... Defoe hit two

JERMAIN DEFOE'S treble shot down Leeds' giantkilling hopes.

Fit-again Andrew Hughes let in Spurs ace Defoe after just a minute when his header back fell short of keeper Casper Ankergren.

Defoe, however, failed to connect properly as he swung at the ball.

David Bentley had a free-kick deflected over, with Sebastien Bassong hooking the resulting corner high.

And, as Spurs' superiority rose, Defoe wasted a better chance on 13 minutes, dragging a volley wide following Peter Crouch's chest-down.

Defoe raced clear 12 minutes later, but Ankergren stood his ground well, eventually saving with his legs when the former Portsmouth man tried to slot the ball past him.

Ankergren's finest moment, though, probably came when Gareth Bale's left-wing cross veered off home defender Leigh Bromby, forcing the keeper into an astonishing reflex tip-round at his near post.

Defoe's personal assault on the Leeds goal finally brought reward when he miscontrolled the ball after David Bentley's hard work. It fell kindly enough - and Defoe added to Leeds' sense of anguish by mis-hitting the ball with his weaker left foot into the top corner.

Yet only Gomes' fine save stopped Lubomir Michalik nodding an instant equaliser.

And, with Robert Snodgrass increasingly busy as Leeds rallied before the break, the home side stole level in first-half stoppage time.

Gomes parried a shot from the dangerous Jermaine Beckford after Jonathan Howson hooked the ball across.

And Becchio snapped up the loose ball from two yards.

Spurs, though, powered forward for most of the second period.

Crouch smiled ruefully after somehow sliding the ball wide at the far upright.

And, although Beckford went reasonably close at the other end, Defoe soon had a back-post goal rightly ruled out for offside.

Finally, Defoe tucked home a precision cross from the back-in-form Bentley.

And in injury-time Defoe rounded Ankergren to slot the goal of the night


........................................................................................................

No comments:

Post a Comment