SPURS 2 TORINO 0
Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov scored the goals that extended our unbeaten run in friendly matches under Martin Jol to 23 games.
It was the spectacular from Robbie and a simple finish from Dimitar that clinched a fairly comprehensive victory over Torino and now thoughts will be turning very much to Sunderland when the real business begins in a week's time.
It was the day White Hart Lane welcomed back the team ahead of the new season and in particular the new boys, with Younes Kaboul, Darren Bent, Gareth Bale and Kevin-Prince Boateng being introduced to the fans before the delayed kick-off.
It was a fairly sluggish beginning to the game, with the first half chance taking ten minutes to arrive when a deep cross from Didier Zokora was headed back across goal by Pascal Chimbonda in the direction of the lurking Dimitar Berbatov. No net profit came from the move.
There was certainly a profit on 15 minutes when, from a slightly botched free-kick routine - Kaboul nodded the ball into the path of Keane to the left of the penalty area and the striker unleashed a high angled drive that clipped the upright on its way into the back of the net. Spectacular stuff and Keane's sixth of the pre-season programme.
Berbatov was soon working former Ipswich man Matteo Sereni in the Torino goal when he dispatched a precision volley from a Keane assist on the edge of the area. The Bulgarian was looking the part again and his stylish running at defenders nearly created an opening for Jermaine Jenas, before he had a decent penalty shout after being seemingly bundled over in the penalty area.
Apart from these passages of play, goalmouth action was at a premium as the visitors with a fairly deep two banks of four and were content to let the boys play in front of them before attempting interceptions when the ball got too close for comfort. It didn't exactly make for an end-to-end thriller going into the break.
Steed Malbranque did have a shooting chance after being picked out in a few feet of space by Berbatov, but the back of Salvatore Lanna prevented the ball troubling Sereni. The goalkeeper was stretched, however, by a Berbatov free-kick that was arrowing goalwards in first half stoppage time.
Berbatov sped past his marker five minutes into the second half and was not a huge distance away from picking out the top corner with his right-footed rocket on the run. The 23-goal man last season was perhaps the stand-out performer on this steamy afternoon in N17, along with the industrious Malbranque, who has made a significant impact over the pre-season period.
Zokora stung Sereni's palms from distance before the Malbranque and Berbatov combination paid dividends in the 64th minute. A Chimbonda cross from the right was pounced on by the Frenchman at the other side of the six yard box and he quickly rounded the keeper and unselfishly cut back for Berbatov to prod home from close range.
Bent was introduced to the action and great acclaim from the stands and a number of other changes quickly followed that resulted in him partnering Jermain Defoe in attack with Keane out on the right.
He came close to scoring his first ever goal on the White Hart Lane turf from a Chimbonda cross, but his far post header was foiled and it will have to wait for another day.
It was the spectacular from Robbie and a simple finish from Dimitar that clinched a fairly comprehensive victory over Torino and now thoughts will be turning very much to Sunderland when the real business begins in a week's time.
It was the day White Hart Lane welcomed back the team ahead of the new season and in particular the new boys, with Younes Kaboul, Darren Bent, Gareth Bale and Kevin-Prince Boateng being introduced to the fans before the delayed kick-off.
It was a fairly sluggish beginning to the game, with the first half chance taking ten minutes to arrive when a deep cross from Didier Zokora was headed back across goal by Pascal Chimbonda in the direction of the lurking Dimitar Berbatov. No net profit came from the move.
There was certainly a profit on 15 minutes when, from a slightly botched free-kick routine - Kaboul nodded the ball into the path of Keane to the left of the penalty area and the striker unleashed a high angled drive that clipped the upright on its way into the back of the net. Spectacular stuff and Keane's sixth of the pre-season programme.
Berbatov was soon working former Ipswich man Matteo Sereni in the Torino goal when he dispatched a precision volley from a Keane assist on the edge of the area. The Bulgarian was looking the part again and his stylish running at defenders nearly created an opening for Jermaine Jenas, before he had a decent penalty shout after being seemingly bundled over in the penalty area.
Apart from these passages of play, goalmouth action was at a premium as the visitors with a fairly deep two banks of four and were content to let the boys play in front of them before attempting interceptions when the ball got too close for comfort. It didn't exactly make for an end-to-end thriller going into the break.
Steed Malbranque did have a shooting chance after being picked out in a few feet of space by Berbatov, but the back of Salvatore Lanna prevented the ball troubling Sereni. The goalkeeper was stretched, however, by a Berbatov free-kick that was arrowing goalwards in first half stoppage time.
Berbatov sped past his marker five minutes into the second half and was not a huge distance away from picking out the top corner with his right-footed rocket on the run. The 23-goal man last season was perhaps the stand-out performer on this steamy afternoon in N17, along with the industrious Malbranque, who has made a significant impact over the pre-season period.
Zokora stung Sereni's palms from distance before the Malbranque and Berbatov combination paid dividends in the 64th minute. A Chimbonda cross from the right was pounced on by the Frenchman at the other side of the six yard box and he quickly rounded the keeper and unselfishly cut back for Berbatov to prod home from close range.
Bent was introduced to the action and great acclaim from the stands and a number of other changes quickly followed that resulted in him partnering Jermain Defoe in attack with Keane out on the right.
He came close to scoring his first ever goal on the White Hart Lane turf from a Chimbonda cross, but his far post header was foiled and it will have to wait for another day.
posted by dgarden at 1:28 pm
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