TYPICAL TOTTENHAM RUIN ANNIVERSARY

TYPICAL Tottenham. Just when they seem to be on the brink of living up to a blockbuster script, it all goes pear-shaped.

This was supposed to be a celebration of Harry Redknapp's first anniversary as Spurs boss.

A comfortable win lifting the North Londoners to the top of the table 12 months after a defeat at Stoke had left them rooted to the bottom.

That result led to the sacking of Juande Ramos - and the start of the Redknapp revolution.

Having avoid relegation last season, the sights are now set on Champions League football. The start has been impressive but suspicions about Tottenham's ability to sustain the pace for the whole season were raised here by a stoic Stoke, who nicked all three points when substitute Glenn Whelan struck in the 86th minute.

Eight minutes earlier, the Republic of Ireland international had been booked for a lunging tackle on Aaron Lennon, who had been a constant threat.

Redknapp wanted Lennon to limp on for the remaining minutes but the England winger was adamant he could not, even though Spurs had already used their three substitutes.

Was he that badly hurt? After the game, Redknapp didn't seem to know the severity of the ankle knock and the player did leave the ground wearing a protective boot.

But given the body language when Lennon came off, there is no doubt Redknapp wondered if the winger could have gritted his teeth and hobbled through the pain.

As Spurs threw more bodies forward, they ran the risk of getting exposed at the back. And that is what happened with Stoke's winner.

Ricardo Fuller out-muscled Benoit Assou-Ekotto down the right before pulling the ball back into the path of an unmarked Whelan, who rasped a swerving right-footed drive from 14 yards into the far corner. It was the Potters' first win at White Hart Lane since 1975 - when Peter Shilton had just replaced Gordon Banks in goal.

Not to suggest Stoke keeper Steve Simonsen is anywhere near that class. But Fabio Capello may just have left White Hart Lane hoping the player now gets a run in the Stoke team after coming in for stomach- virus victim Thomas Sorensen just 20 minutes before kick-off.

WHELAN: Winner.

Simonsen, 30, pulled off a string of superb saves and although he might sound like a Danish mate of Sorensen, he is actually from South Shields and did once win England Under-21 caps.

Spurs were also frustrated by a superbly drilled Stoke back four with Ryan Shawcross and Abdoulaye Faye granite-like in defence.

The visitors were magnificent through the side with Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie defending from the front. Beattie even made a couple of goal-line clearances. Stoke boss Tony Pulis agreed his side had the rub of the green but Spurs disappointingly ran out of ideas as the game wore on.

Despite dominating the first half and creating plenty of chances, they missed the cutting edge of the suspended Jermain Defoe.

Simonsen pulled off a stunning tip over the bar to keep out a superb Peter Crouch header before going on to make super saves from Lennon and Niko Kranjcar.

Kranjcar beat him in the 28th minute but the ball thudded back off the post. And when Crouch did float another header over Simonsen, Beattie made a great clearance and repeated the act after the break.

Robbie Keane was also denied and a late chance by Crouch was bravely thwarted.

It began to go wrong for Spurs after the third minute when Jonathan Woodgate banged his head before having to go off on his comeback.

And so started one of those Tottenham Crockspur days.

• REDKNAPP FRUSTRATED WITH CROCKED LENNON

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