Stoke City’s Matthew Etherington (left) celebrates with his team-mates after scorin his team’s opening goal
Tottenham Hotspur’s 11-game unbeaten run in the Barclays Premier League came to an end with a 2-1 defeat away to Stoke City on Sunday.
Harry Redknapp’s team came into the match on the back of an impressive six-game winning streak and were looking to close to within four points of leaders Manchester City, but a first half brace from former player Matthew Etherington proved to be their undoing.
Stoke started strongly and dominated from the outset, causing Spurs’ defence particular problems from set pieces, especially long throw-ins from Ryan Shotton. On 13 minutes the Potters deservedly went ahead when former Tottenham winger Etherington scrambled the ball home from close range after a goal-mouth scramble.
Two minutes before the break Etherington doubled the home side’ advantage, again scoring from close range after Spurs failed to deal with a long throw from Shotton. A 2-0 lead was no less than Stoke deserved for the way they bossed the game in the first half.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp made a double change at the start of the second half, sending on centre-back Sebastian Bassong to add extra height in defence and striker Jermaine Defoe to boost the attack.
Just past the hour mark Tottenham got themselves back in the game when Emmanuel Adebayor converted a penalty. The spot kick was awarded after Glen Whelan tripped Luka Modric in the 18-yard area.
Spurs had a couple of strong appeals for another penalty turned down by referee Chris Foy, most notably when Younes Kaboul’s goal-bound shot was blocked by Ryan Shawcross’s elbow, and Adebayor also had a goal incorrectly scratched off for offside.
Tottenham’s hopes of completing a comeback were dealt a major blow when Kaboul was sent off for picking up his second yellow card in what was a fairly innocuous challenge on Jonathan Walters.
Stoke nearly made it 3-1 soon afterwards, as two Shawcross headers from consecutive corner kicks forced a good save out of Brad Friedel and cannoned off the crossbar.