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Premier League
Sep 23, 2012 at 4pm UK
 
QL

2-1

Defoe (61'), Damian Faurlin (59' og.)
FT(HT: 0-1)
Zamora (32')

Live Commentary: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Queens Park Rangers as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Queens Park Rangers as it happened:
Sports Mole brings you live commentary of Spurs's Premier League clash with fellow Londoners QPR at White Hart Lane.
Sports Mole

Good afternoon and welcome to live text coverage of today's Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, brought to you by Sports Mole.

Spurs recorded their first victory under Andre Villas-Boas at Reading last weekend, but have been held in their last three matches at White Hart Lane.

Mark Hughes's new-look Hoops are still winless in the league this season, having lost two and drawn two of their opening four games.

The hosts continue to suffer with injury problems, with Kyle Naughton and Emmanuel Adebayor ruled out this afternoon. They join Scott Parker, Younes Kaboul, Jake Livermore and Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the sidelines.

Click here for full team news.

Please note that kickoff is at 4.00pm.


6.00pmThat's it from me today. Read Sports Mole's full-time report on the contest here, and check in later for some more in-depth match analysis. Thanks for joining Sports Mole this afternoon.

5.59pmFULL-TIME: Defoe nearly adds a third in stoppage time but Cesar again saves well. He is one of a number of Rangers players to have had a fine game, but end up on the losing side. After such a positive first-half performance, Mark Hughes will be bitterly disappointed to leave the Lane empty handed.

5.55pmFULL-TIME: Spurs 2-1 QPR

90 minSubstitution: Townsend on for Lennon as AVB looks to eat up more precious seconds.

90 minThat could have been the final throw of the dice for Rangers as Granero tries to bend a shot low into the corner, but it drifts harmlessly wide.

90 minSpurs have a corner, and decide to try and wind down the clock.

90 minWe will have four minutes of added time at the end of this entertaining contest...

87 minSubstitution That substitution has happened, and it is Huddlestone on for Dempsey.

85 minEntering the final five minutes, with AVB readying his second change...

83 minBrilliant tackle from Hill! Spurs launch another counter attack through Defoe, and he twists one way and the other, but Hill superbly stretches out a leg to poke the ball away from the frontman.

80 minCesar saves again! Cesar produces his best save of the match to deny Bale for a second time. Spurs again break with Lennon, who cuts inside before finding Bale with a reverse pass. Hill prevents the winger from coming in on his left foot, so Bale shoots powerfully right-footed from close range, but Cesar is equal to it.

78 minGood clearing header from Caulker, who stretches to get in-front of Cisse and intercept Park Ji Sung's cross.

76 minSubstitution: Hughes turns to his bench for the final time, bringing on Jamie Mackie in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips.

75 minGreat run and cross from Lennon down the right. Dempsey rises to nod the ball back across goal but Defoe is muscled out of it by Nelsen and Rangers clear the danger.

73 minSubstitution: Hughes goes in search of an equaliser - bringing on the glove-wearing Djibril Cisse for Zamora, who had a fine game against his old employers.

71 minSuperb tackle from Vertonghen! Caulker miscues a headed clearance and Zamora pounces, squaring the ball to Hoilett. However, Vertonghen makes up the ground to lunge in and deny the former Blackburn man before he can get his shot away.

69 minGood save Cesar! Cesar gets down low to deny Bale from a tight angle after the Welshman and Vertonghen again combine down the Spurs left.

66 minOn that note, Hoilett looks to shoot from inside the box but Caulker blocks and the looping ball is collected unchallenged by Friedel.

64 minQPR have responded positively, stringing together a few passes, showing good composure after surrendering their lead, but have yet to create an equalising chance.

61 minGOAL! Spurs 2-1 QPR (Defoe) AVB's substitution pays dividends as Spurs launch a classic counter attack down the left. Vertonghen runs from deep before releasing Bale on the overlap. The Welshman shoots across Cesar, who tips it onto the crossbar, but Defoe is on hand to volley home the rebound. Complete turnaround at the Lane, but Hughes must be thinking this is a major injustice.

59 minGOAL! Spurs 1-1 QPR (Faurlin OG) Spurs back on level terms but with an element of luck. Bale's corner is headed goalwards by Caulker and deflects in off a timid Faurlin, who had turned his back on the ball expecting a fierce challenge from the incoming Gallas. Hughes will not be impressed when he sees that.

58 minSuperb break from Lennon as he takes on Onuoha on the halfway line before running past Zamora and crossing for Dempsey at the back post, but Dyer turns the ball behind.

54 minGranero receives the first yellow card of the afternoon for what appears to be an act of dissent.

53 minPenalty shout for Spurs! Immediately following Cesar's punch, the ball bounces up and strikes Wright-Phillips on the arm. It was by no means deliberate, but I've certainly seen them given.

52 minThe resulting corner results in another Spurs chance, but Caulker heads into the ground and Cesar can again swat away.

50 minSave from Cesar! The Brazilian is called into action for the first time, pushing away Dempsey's low shot.

48 minCaulker's first meaningful involvement nearly results in a Rangers chance, but the England Under-21 international recovers to block Hoilett's goalbound shot.

47 minSubstitution: My predicted change very nearly game to fruition, with Caulker introduced at the break in place of Sigurdsson. Spurs reshuffle with Vertonghen to left-back, Bale on the wing and Dempsey moves inside to provide support for lone striker Defoe.

46 minThe action has resumed at White Hart Lane...

5.00pmHALF-TIME: So, Zamora's smartly-taken goal has given QPR a well-deserved lead over Spurs at the break. Rangers have outplayed the hosts, who have shown little going forward. AVB needs to consider reshuffling his midfield options to get Gareth Bale more involved in the game. The Welshman has been almost non-existent at left-back and both him and Spurs would benefit greatly from him being given a more advanced role. Caulker on for Dempsey, Vertonghen shifted to the left side and Bale moved forwards? No need for QPR changes. Mark Hughes will be looking for more of the same.

4.56pmHALF-TIME: Phil Dowd calls an end to the first period at White Hart Lane. Read Sports Mole's half-time report on the match here.

4.49pmHALF-TIME: Spurs 0-1 QPR

45 minEntering first-half stoppage time, of which there will be two minutes...

45 minDembele creates a yard of space about 25 yards out but his left-footed effort ends up about 15 rows back behind the goal.

44 minBale gets forward for the first time and skips past a couple of QPR challenges, before fizzing a cross in towards Lennon, but Hill is on hand to clear.

43 minAfter Sigurdsson was fouled by Granero, Walker finds Defoe in space with a quick free-kick, but there are plenty of Rangers bodies back. The poacher is outnumbered in the box and the danger is cleared.

42 minGroans of frustration from the home fans as they sense the chance for a rare attack. Dempsey exchanges quick passes with Sandro in the middle, and Spurs appear to have a break on, but the American misdirects his pass straight to a QPR shirt.

36 minComfortable save from Friedel as he palms away a long-range effort from Hoilett.

34 minI'd like to have another look at that one - I'm not saying Zamora was offside, probably not, but it certainly appeared to be a close one.

32 minGOAL! Spurs 0-1 QPR - (Zamora) Rangers go ahead and it is hard to argue that it is not deserved. Faurlin feints to shoot on the edge of the box before sliding in Zamora with a clever, disguised through pass, and the former Spurs man chips it over Friedel to open the scoring.

30 minBall in the net, but as they were in midweek, Spurs have a goal ruled out. I must say, this one rightly so as Defoe is yards offside when he receives the ball from Dempsey, and the flag goes up just before the American can convert from his return pass.

28 minSlight delay in play as Vertonghen and Hoilett receive treatment after a clash of knees. The Spurs man is up, but Hoilett, six inches and a couple of stone inferior, is unsurprisingly taking a little longer to recover.

26 minWalker drills a cross into the box at pace, neither Sigurdsson or Dempsey can get on the end of it.

23 minNelsen again wins the aerial duel from the QPR corner, but Gallas and Vertonghen apply enough pressure on the New Zealand defender and he cannot direct his effort goalwards.

20 minThe two combine as Bale shifts the ball for Vertonghen to fire goalwards, but his low shot is blocked by the onrushing QPR wall.

19 minLovely footwork from Dembele earns Spurs a free-kick about 28 yards out. Bale and Vertonghen are both interested...

17 minCynical from Granero as he hacks down a dribbling Lennon. The Spaniard receives a stern word from referee Phil Dowd, but escapes without a booking.

15 minEntertaining first quarter-of-an-hour at the Lane, with QPR probably having the better of it, certainly in terms of chances on goal.

13 minAnother Friedel save!: The 41-year-old gets a strong hand to Hoilett's shot across goal, which came as a result of a Walker mistake. The Spurs right-back has begun this game sloppily, also giving possession away on a couple of occasions.

12 minQPR cause no such threat from this set-piece as Vertonghen jumps high to head clear the danger.

11 minAnother corner for Rangers, as Kyle Walker opts to play safe and chests the ball behind from Shaun Wright-Phillips's over-hit cross.

9 minFirst shot of the match for Spurs and unsurprisingly it is Defoe who gets an early sighter in. The England forward collects a pass from Sigurdsson, but drags his shot from the edge well wide.

8 minCorner at the other end, with Onuoha diverting Lennon's cross behind after Bale found his teammate with a superb diagonal. QPR clear at the first attempt.

6 minA half chance for Rangers, but Nelsen heads over. The visitors have proved a danger from corners in the early going...

4 minGreat save Friedel!: There's a reason that France's number one is sitting on the Spurs bench, and that's Brad Friedel. The American shows great reflexes to tip Clint Hill's header over the bar.

3 minSubstitution: Chasing down the electric Lennon down the right, Jose Bosingwa has pulled a hamstring a minute into this contest. He cannot continue, and Mark Hughes introduces Kieron Dyer into the action. Dyer has gone to right back, with Onuoha switching to the left side.

2 minFirst evidence of Spurs's threat on the counter attack. Lennon breaks with real pace down the right, cuts the ball back for Defoe, who miscues his effort into the path of Sigurdsson. The Icelandic midfielder goes down under the challenge of Clint Hill, appeals for a spot kick, but nothing given and rightly so.

4.02pmThe action is underway in north London, with QPR getting the ball rolling...

4.00pmThe players are ready, and so am I. Kickoff imminent at the Lane!

3.59pmClint Hill and Nedum Onuoha are the others brought into the Hoops side, playing alongside another former Spurs man, Ryan Nelsen, in the visitors' defence.

3.58pmRangers' attack is led by former Spurs frontman Bobby Zamora and Junior Hoilett, who was an apparent target for the Lillywhites in the summer.

3.56pmMark Hughes has been forced into several changes, with Andrew Johnson, Anton Ferdinand and Fabio all missing through injury.

3.53pmMuch of Spurs's goalscoring onus will be on the in-form Jermain Defoe, who has netted five times in seven matches for club and country this campaign.

3.52pmWithout the American, or several other attacking options, including Emmanuel Adebayor, Spurs's bench looks mighty thin when it comes to attacking options. Ryan Mason, Andros Townsend and Iago Falque have a grand total of zero Premier League starts, and zero Premier League goals between them.

3.50pmThat decision would likely have seen Clint Dempsey among the substitutes, but the former Fulham man has been handed his first league start since joining on deadline day.

3.49pmI wonder if AVB was tempted to shift summer-signing Jan Vertonghen across from his central defensive berth, and instead name either Steven Caulker or Michael Dawson alongside captain William Gallas. The Belgian international has plenty of experience playing at left-back for his country.

3.48pmThe Welshman played in that position during his early Spurs days, but it is a role that he hasn't fulfilled in quite some time. He is the hosts' biggest attacking threat, but he will have to trouble QPR from a deeper role this afternoon.

3.47pmInteresting team selection from Andre Villas-Boas, opting to start Gareth Bale at left-back, with Kyle Naughton and Benoit Assou-Ekotto both absent with injury.

3.45pmAs also linked above, you can read more in-depth team news on today's contest at White Hart Lane here.

3.44pmQPR: Cesar; Bosingwa, Onuoha, Nelsen, Hill; Park, Faurlin, Granero; Wright-Phillips, Hoilett, Zamora
Subs: Green, Diakite, Derry, Cisse, Mackie, Dyer, Ehmer

3.42pmSpurs: Friedel, Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Bale, Sandro, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Lennon, Defoe
Subs: Lloris, Caulker, Dawson, Huddlestone, Falque, Mason, Townsend

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154
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