Football: Tottenham lifted by Durie
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham Hotspur. .2
Sheffield United. . 0
TOTTENHAM achieved their first win of the season last night in a bizarre match unremarkable for most of its football but notable for a startling goal by Gordon Durie and for Sheffield United having their goalkeeper, Simon Tracey, sent off by a referee who began the match as a linesman but took over from a referee - himself a replacement - who fell ill during the game.
All of their crises considered, Spurs have to be grateful for still being in existence, so, comparatively, their impecunious start to the season on the pitch is nothing compared with the recent possibility of closure, but they are still a big club and badly needed to lift themselves off the bottom.
If they continue to rise it is unlikely to be through traditional subtlety. Aggression now comes in the form of Neil Ruddock, who again had his name taken. Only Vinny Samways and Paul Allen show any lightness of touch. Nevertheless Spurs squandered a handful of chances until Teddy Sheringham took his, two minutes from the interval.
The former Nottingham Forest striker moved quickly towards the near post as Steve Sedgley came raiding on the left side and when the ball came across, he neatly diverted it in to celebrate his home debut after his pounds 2.1m transfer.
Not to be upstaged, Durie produced an extraordinary goal. Only 46 seconds into the second half Cundy cleared loftily. Gayle attempted to head clear as Durie challenged him near the corner flag. Seeing Durie collect the ball, Tracey came out to the edge of the penalty area but Durie curled a remarkable 25-yard shot round him and into the far side of goal.
If that was curious, the ending was even more so. The original referee had cried off and had been replaced by Ian Mitchell who then had to be carried off feeling ill. A linesman, Geoff Pearson, took over and in the last five minutes sent off Tracey who had gone out of his area and attempted to stop Andy Gray taking a throw.
Tottenham Hotspur: Walker; Austin, Van Den Hauwe, Sedgley, Cundy, Ruddock, Anderton (Turner, 80), Durie, Samways (Gray, 80), Sheringham, Allen. Substitute not used: Thorstvedt (gk).
Sheffield United: Tracey; Gage, Cowan, Gannon, Gayle, Beesley, Bryson (Cork, 65), Rogers, Littlejohn, Deane, Hodges (Kelly (gk), 85). Substitute not used: Hartfield.
Referee: I Mitchell (Kent).
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