Spurs fight back to win

Roman Pavlyuchenko
12 April 2012

Tottenham produced a remarkable late comeback to record their first Barclays Premier League home win of the season as Wolves were beaten 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

The visitors looked set to complete a hat-trick of victories over Spurs after Steven Fletcher handed them a shock lead on the stroke of half-time.

Despite dominating, Tottenham were becoming increasingly frustrated but were gifted an equaliser when Stephen Ward brought down Alan Hutton in the box and allowed Rafael van der Vaart to level, before substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko and Hutton completed the turnaround.

Marcus Hahnemann was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making a sprawling save to thwart Gareth Bale and producing fingertip saves from a Van der Vaart volley and a Peter Crouch header.

Crouch won almost everything in the air but it was strike partner Robbie Keane who had the best headed chance of the first half six minutes before the break. The Irishman nodded wide from Bale's fine cross.

Wolves snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time when the recalled Fletcher slammed in Kevin Foley's low cross.

Van der Vaart then bent an excellent shot wide on the turn and Keane almost produced a spectacular equaliser, his scissors-kick from another outstanding Bale cross just failing to find the target as Spurs looked for a way back into the game.

Spurs were running out of ideas but Stephen Ward handed them an equaliser with 15 minutes remaining when he scythed down Hutton in full flight. Van der Vaart sent Hahnemann the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Substitute Aaron Lennon helped set up Spurs' second goal moments after his introduction. The England winger's cross was partially cleared but played back into Tom Huddlestone, whose shot was blocked straight to Pavlyuchenko for the simplest of finishes.

There was worse to come for the visitors in stoppage time as a mix-up between Richard Stearman and Hahnemann allowed Hutton to nip in and bundle the ball home.

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