Published: 29 December, 2013
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Premier League
SPURS 3, STOKE CITY 0

SPURS notched up their first home victory since October against struggling Stoke – and after the 3-0 win, manager Tim Sherwood praised the performance of fringe players who came in as his side confront injuries to key personnel.

“We are really struggling – it is like an infirmary here at the moment,” said the manager.

“We have had a lot of players out but those who came in did very well.”

He highlighted the fact that he has only two fit centre-backs in Michael Dawson and Vlad Chiriches – and they had to help out stand-in full-backs Zeki Fryers and Kyle Naughton.

“I thought Naughton and Fryers did brilliantly today,” said Sherwood.

He revealed Danny Rose was left out as a precaution, and should return for the game on Wednesday against Manchester United, but added that Jan Vertonghen and Sandro were not close to returning.

Sherwood praised his side's marauding, attacking performance. He added: “We created enough chances to win two games in the first half.”

In the opening 15, Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen was required to block an Emmanuel Adebayor effort with his legs and then watch helplessly as a Roberto Soldado effort spun narrowly wide.

It was all Spurs: a teasing cross from Aaron Lennon on 31 nearly saw Soldado nod home and seconds later he was inches wide with another header.

On 35, a sweeping cross by Soldado for his strike partner Adebayor saw the forward bring it down and shoot goalward, it hit Stoke centre-back Ryan Shawcross on the arm and from the resulting penalty, Soldado made no mistake.

In the second period, Spurs kept up the pace. On 57, Soldado should have had his second when Mousa Dembele and Naughton combined to find him free in the box but he snatched at his effort.

The cushion was coming, and on 64, Dembele jinked one way and then the other, and from distance hit a wonderfully placed effort into the far corner to make it two.

The third came from Lennon on 69. He tracked forward as Adebayor and Christian Eriksen attacked. The ball broke for him on the right and he lofted a volley home from the edge of the box.

Then it was a case of keep-ball as Stoke offered nothing in return and Spurs seemed happy to conserve their energy for the trip to Old Trafford.

For all the disappointment in December, the fact is Tim Sherwood is unbeaten as Spurs manager in the Premiership.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

WITH a makeshift back four again – two centre-backs who won't play when Younes Kaboul and Jan Vertongen are fit, and two reserve full-backs starting – this game had the potential to have egg-on-the-face written all over it.

It meant it was particularly pleasing to see the senior players in the shape of Dembele, Paulinho, Lennon and Adebayor turn in collectively match-winning performances.

Tim Sherwood has lamented the fact games come so quickly at this time of year that he simply hasn't had any length of time with his new charges on the training ground, but it seems the seasoned professionals in the team have taken on board his briefings.

Today there were leaders on the pitch – they have been lacking recently – and with a new rookie boss in the hotseat, it is clear that is what Spurs need.

SPURS: Lloris, Chriches, Lennon (Lamela, 74), Paulinho (Capoue, 61), Soldado, Adebayor (Chadli, 79), Naughton, Dembele, Dawson, Eriksen, Fryers.
Attendance: 36,072