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Match Report
 
 

3 In A Row?

               Tottenham                    1 .. 
                                  Iverson '57

               Newcastle United            1.......
                                  Speed '77
 

                                       Tottenham were ready to celebrate FA Cup revenge and
                                       a first win in four games with Steffen Iversen's diving
                                       header from a glorious David Ginola cross when old
                                       master Bobby Robson changed the game and rewarded
                                       Newcastle's perseverance with a St James' Park replay.
                                       Gary Speed responded to his manager's brave tactical
                                       switch - in the shape of a double substitution - with an
                                       unstoppable header from a Stephen Glass corner 13
                                       minutes from the end of this exciting all-Premiership
                                       third round encounter.
 
                                       And Spurs will not relish another trip to the north-east
                                       where they were beaten in the league just two weeks ago
                                       even though the carrot is an easy-looking fourth round
                                       tie against the winners of the Sheffield United-Rushden &
                                       Diamonds replay. Tottenham had the opportunities to
                                       clinch it in the first 45 minutes when Newcastle
                                       goalkeeper Steve Harper produced impressive saves
                                       from Ginola, Iversen and Allan Nielsen as Tottenham had
                                       just the better of the first half but could not break down a
                                       resolute defence. And although the decisive inroad
                                       appeared to have been made 11 minutes into the
                                       second half when Iversen launched himself horizontal to
                                       head home a supremely-crafted cross by Ginola, the
                                       target of the Newcastle boo-boys and facing an FA probe
                                       after they reported him to police last month for his
                                       on-field conduct, Robson dug into his well-thumbed
                                       handbook of tactical resources to ruin the script.

                                       He had made three changes in the starting line-up which
                                       was knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Roma - the only
                                       side to have beaten them in their last 11 matches - but
                                       there was still a familiar steel and stubborness in them
                                       which has characterised the return of the veteran former
                                       England boss to his Geordie homeland. Experienced
                                       Portuguese defender Cristavao Helder, on loan from the
                                       Spanish League, typified the Newcastle intent. He was
                                       booked in the closing seconds before the interval and
                                       sacrificed just after the hour for a necessary change of
                                       tactics but his gritty determination and unflappable
                                       dedication mirrored the Magpies stubborn resistance to a
                                       series of high-speed early attacks as they built the
                                       platform for survival. Helder's first League appearance
                                       was in the stormy 2-1 win over Spurs at St James' Park
                                       two weeks ago and Tottenham, without the suspended
                                       Tim Sherwood and Mauricio Taricco as well as injured
                                       Oyvind Leonhardsen, were also aching to avenge the FA
                                       Cup semi-final defeat by Newcastle last season.

                                       There were Christmas carols sung by a choir before the
                                       kick-off but not much seasonal charity between the two
                                       teams - only an electric tension in the north London air
                                       that was inevitable after recent confrontations between
                                       them - and the two sets of fans. Shearer, a bristling
                                       victim of some barbed comments by Tottenham's David
                                       Ginola before the recent League encounter, was roundly
                                       jeered by the Spurs crowd fans from his first touch
                                       onwards. Shearer and the ultimately equally-ineffective
                                       Duncan Ferguson were soon battling it out with Sol
                                       Campbell and Chris Perry for early supremacy but Spurs
                                       carried the first real threat when Helder showed cool class
                                       to head away a dangerous Ruel Fox cross for a corner,
                                       with Iversen moving in menacingly.

                                       Then Harper brilliantly turned Ginola's 20-yard effort over
                                       the bar for another flag kick. Ferguson, cleverly fed by
                                       Speed, hardly tested Walker from just inside the area
                                       and when Spurs started to take a grip on proceedings
                                       Harper had to come to Newcastle's rescue twice in the
                                       19th minute. He smothered a close-range header from
                                       Nielsen when the Dane should have put away Fox's cross
                                       and then defied Iversen's attempt to waltz the ball
                                       around him on the end of a sloppy backpass by
                                       Alessandro Pistone. Nielsen had already volleyed a half
                                       chance wide after Warren Barton headed out another Fox
                                       cross intended for Iversen. And Harper was impressive
                                       again, stretching to clutch Luke Young's cross aimed at
                                       the far post and towards the tall Norwegian striker as
                                       Spurs continued to create chances.
 
                                       Newcastle erected base-camp 20 yards from their
                                       goalline with a solid line of defenders and although
                                       Tottenham carved open a few more gaps than
                                       neighbours Arsenal when they were held goalless by
                                       similar Robson tactics a few weeks ago, they lacked the
                                       finishing touch until Iversen finally struck that first blow
                                       11 minutes after half-time.

                                       Shearer and Ferguson rarely had the service to provide
                                       serious problems for the Spurs defence. Towards the
                                       interval Robert Lee and Speed finally began to have
                                       more impact in midfield and the supply line to the
                                       Tottenham front men appeared to be drying up, but
                                       George Graham's team responded to his pleas to up the
                                       tempo and Iversen profited with his 11th goal of the
                                       season from a superb Ginola cross.

                                       But Robson responded boldly with the double substitution
                                       that changed the pattern of the game and one of them,
                                       Stephen Glass, sent over a 77th minute corner from
                                       which Speed planted an unstoppable header past Walker
                                       for the equaliser that had been coming for some time.
                                       Graham took up the challenge with a double substitution
                                       of his own, recruiting the muscular aerial ability of Ramon
                                       Vega and the pace of Chris Armstrong from the bench in
                                       the closing 10 minutes in a last-ditch bid to avoid a tricky
                                       replay but Newcastle had already signalled that this was a
                                       result they were not prepared to surrender.