More strange goings on at White Hart Lane

Asking Reading to return to White Hart Lane just a week after the inexplicable 6-4 game was a bit like asking a crime victim to go back to the scene of the crime. The torrid game last week was never going to be repeated in terms of score-line or performance. However, all those going to the match would have been fully expecting goals and incident. They got precisely that with four goals including a very bizarre opener and a sending off as well.

Tottenham nearly opened the scoring with a carbon copy of their first goal last week. Berbatov found Keane in the Reading box, but the Irishman, who was all-alone and had an open goal, but fired his shot wide. It was easier to score than miss, but in terms of being a blunder it was seriously overshadowed in the 25th minute.

Stephen Hunt delivered a free kick into the penalty box and Paul Robinson caught the ball. However, in doing so he was ruled by the linesman to have carried the ball over the line. The replays on Match of the Day do not conclusively rule that it was a goal, but for the second in two weeks a contentious goal was given in favour of Reading.

If that particular decision appeared to something of a recurring dream, sadly the recurring nightmare of not being able to keep a clean sheet was not far away. Tottenham equalised when Dimitar Berbatov smashed home a shot inside the Reading box. Shortly after the break déjà vu was in full swing as the Bulgarian grabbed his sixth goal against Reading in seven days from the penalty spot. Robbie Keane was brought down and Berbatov converted the subsequent penalty.

That is now four penalties in five games against Reading. All that was left now was the obligatory red card. It did arrive but not until after Reading had equalised. Berbatov had missed another open goal to put Spurs 3-1 up and as a result Reading could sense they were still very much in the game. Sure enough Stephen Hunt, who once again had endured unnecessary abuse from the home supporters, pounced on a Robinson parry after Leroy Lita’s shot wasn’t held by the hapless goalkeeper to equalise.

With Reading and Tottenham facing each other so soon after the league meeting, there was always going to be a slight undercurrent of temper between the two sides. It all became too much late in the game for Tom Huddlestone and Bobby Convey. A clash off the ball between the two players led to Huddlestone appearing to head butt Convey and referee Mark Clattenburg had no option but to send off the Tottenham player. Convey received a yellow card as well. Round three will now take place between the two sides as they meet for the third time in two and half weeks in a replay at the Madejski Stadium.

By Stuart Croucher

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