Stoke battle to shock 1-0 win at Tottenham

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:36 PM By JAMES PIERCY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Harry Redknapp's Tottenham missed a great chance to go level temporarily on top of the Premier League when they were beaten by a late Glenn Whelan goal as Stoke won 1-0 at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Whelan's 86th minute goal came after intense Spurs pressure for most of the match but the real Stoke hero was goalkeeper Steve Simonsen.

Simonsen was drafted into the match only 20 minutes before the kick off because first choice Thomas Sorensen was ill and he responded with a series of outstanding saves.

Redknapp was left with nothing to celebrate on the first anniversary of his arrival at Tottenham from Portsmouth while Stoke's win was their first at White Hart Lane since 1975.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis praised Simonsen for his saves and his team for a typically battling performance.

Pulis, a player and coach at Bournemouth when Redknapp was manager there, said: "This was the best result we have had in the Premier League.

"Harry has put together a top, top side and to beat them was a fantastic achievement. We had a bit of luck and the keeper was excellent.

"Simonsen did not have time to get nervous before the kick off and that might have helped. But he was first class, smashing.

"This was a great three points today and now we have to be able to keep it going. It is business as usual at training on Monday."

Simonsen made outstanding stops from Peter Crouch (twice) and Robbie Keane and when he was beaten James Beattie cleared off the line from Crouch and Nico Kranjcar hit the Stoke woodwork.

With 20 minutes remaining and Tottenham having used all their three substitutions, Aaron Lennon limped out of the action to reduce the home side to ten men.

It was then that Stoke seized the initiative and with four minutes left, Ricardo Fuller got away down the right and pulled the ball back for Whelan to crash a right foot shot home.

Redknapp was inconsolable after watching his team thwarted at every turn and in the process missing the opportunity to draw level with Manchester United in top spot.

Redknapp said: "The weekend has ended as far as I am concerned, as it always does with a defeat.

"We had lots of chances but none of them would go in. Their keeper had a great day, we had shots off the line and others were cleared off the line.

"Then we went down to ten men and I thought we would have to settle for a draw. But they scored with their only real shot all day.

"The longer the match went on I came to realise it was not going to be our day. Stoke worked hard, as they always do, but we had more than enough chances to have won. It was not to be."