day.
Harry Kane in goal, bumbling an easy shot into the back of the net as Spurs finally got their Europa League going with a 5-1 victory over Asteras Tripolis.
Now Harry has a history of own goal blunders this season but to be fair to the lad it was a slight, very comical, blip on a game that went his and Spurs’ way.
It could have been different, the visitors had a number of chances, good chances and Hugo Lloris had to be at his top most again when called on, before getting himself a well earned rest for the next European trip and handing Harry Kane the chance to shine between the sticks.
While the Greeks didn’t take their opportunities surprisingly Spurs did, though you wouldn’t exactly call a number of goals scored as being on a plate.
Kane started it just before the quarter hour with a cracker from well outside the box. But what followed a quarter of an hour later though brought a new level of cracker. The visitors had not long been denied by a combination of Lloris and Davies on the line, when the ball made it’s way up the park Kane in the number 1 position played in Adebayor – in the poncing about doing bugger all position – who promptly lost it, as he did most the night, when it rolled across the D, Lamela curled it into the top corner.
There was a stunned, did he kick that with his right or left? It was the left, a rabona. But not just any rabona a pile driver from 20 yards rabona.
Yes he did just do that. Pochettino looked nonplussed, Lamela himself celebrated like it was matter of fact – look at Gerrard when he scores a penalty or a tap in running off screaming.
The rest of the half offered up more chances for the visitors, luckily a number of times they were incorrectly flagged offside during the half.
The first few minutes of the second half brought something that in reality was more of a shock than Lamela’s goal, as Townsend stood a cross up into the box right onto Adebayor’s head and he actually headed it down into the path of one of his own players. forget everything else about the game that was the world off it’s axis moment.
Again the visitors were playing balls over the Spurs’ defence and catching them out but either failing with the chances or being flagged offside. But just after the hour you felt the game was safe as Lamela didn’t quite match his opener but on any other day would have scored the cracker of the game, as inside the box his initial shot was blocked up in the air as it came down he smacked it past the ‘keeper.
The fourth came from a piece of play that was just so unlike Spurs. As Dembele’s shot from a corner was blocked by the ‘keeper Kane was quickest to get in and clip in the rebound. Gilt edge chance offered up, gilt edged chance accepted. Nope, not Spurs at all that.
Kane’s hat-trick came from another piece of non-Spursy play. His initial shot was saved and then bounced about before it was heading out over the byline until Fazio chased it down and stood it up perfectly for Kane to head in his third and Spurs’ fifth.
After the glory comes the comedy. Another ball over the top and Spurs caught out again, it bounces off the attacker’s back and Lloris is slightly put off as he plays the sweeper ‘keeper and sweeps the player out. Red card. With all three subs used – some of which again were head scratchers why bring Chadli and Eriksen on? – an outfield player had to don the pink, step forward hat-trick hero Harry.
from the resulting free-kick the striker had the ball covered he then took his eye off the ball and Rob Green’d or Scott Carson’d the ball into his own net. Now that was Spursy.
So finally got a win in this years Europa League league but Asteras Tripolis were poor travellers who had a number of chances. Yes Kane played well but showed a deeper striker is his better position so who would you drop to accommodate him there, Eriksen, Chadli, Lamela?
One thing is sure you’d have Kane over Adebayor, while some complained that Soldado only had two shots against Citeh – the English champions – Adebayor went shotless again last night against a team most have never heard of. He’s four shots in his last five games.
But last night was all about that goal…