Match Report

Tottenham Hotspur

Sheffield Wednesday

Walker, Edinburgh, Howells, Fox, Armstrong, Carr (Calderwood, 63), Ginola, Vega, Domingues (Fenn (Anderton 88), 21), Sinton, Campbell.

Attendance
25,097

Referee
J T Winter

Pressman, Nolan, Pembridge, Newsome, Walker, Carbone, Di Canio, Briscoe (Donaldson, 86), Stefanovic (Collins, 46), Rudi (Whittingham, 46), Magilton.

Subs not used: Baardsen, Nielsen.

Subs not used: Grobbelaar, Nicol.

Booked:

Booked: Pembridge, Briscoe.

Goal Scorers: Domingues 6, Armstrong 40, Ginola 45

Goal Scorers: Collins 72, Di Canio 85

    Spurs' thrilling three-goal first-half blast turned into a survival struggle that just about removed Gerry Francis's immediate fears of unemployment and left Wednesday boss David Pleat closer to walking the managerial plank.
    But such is the fragility of Spurs' confidence after seven Premiership games without a win that they made their long-suffering fans endure a nail-biting Wednesday revival even after Jose Dominguez, Chris Armstrong and David Ginola put them comfortably in command at the break.
    Substitute Wayne Collins pulled a goal back on 71 minutes after former Spurs manager Pleat turned things around with a tactical reshuffle and Spurs were really sweating when Paolo Di Canio half volleyed his sixth of the season with five minutes to go.
    That came seconds after Wednesday keeper Kevin Preston, who had gifted Spurs their first goal, pulled off a fantastic save to stop substitute Neale Fenn's close-range diving header.

    The clearance sent Mark Pembridge skating down the left past Ramon Vega and his careful cross dropped over the head of Justin Edinburgh for the Italian to put away.
    Spurs fans who had sung their side's praises at the interval, suddenly fell silent and Wednesday's travelling band struck up their tune again.
    But it was a time for positive action from Francis and he took it by sending on the much-injured Darren Anderton for his first appearance of the season in place of young Fenn.
    Anderton not only helped Spurs see the game out - he was also involved in the move from which Chris Armstrong could have completed a hat-trick in the frantic closing seconds.
    Spurs finally laid their jinx of never having won a live televised match by Sky in eight attempts and it looked all over by the interval.

    Wednesday were left reeling by a Pressman double blunder that allowed tiny Portuguese winger Dominguez to collect his first goal for the club after only six minutes.
    When Andy Sinton, the former Wednesday midfielder, leapt on to Pressman's poor clearance and played it forward for Dominguez there seemed little danger in a shot from nearly 30 yards until it squirmed under the goalkeeper's body and rolled almost apologetically over the line.
    Dominguez hobbled off injured 14 minutes later, but not before he had almost scored a second goal which was prevented by Dejan Stefanovic's deflection of his angled drive for a corner.
    And the introduction of Fenn only served to give Spurs more direct purpose, bringing them two more goals in the last six minutes before the break.
    Armstrong raced clear and looked certain to make it 2-0 until Jon Newsome caught him up with a timely tackle.
    But the Wednesday reprieve was only brief with Sol Campbell, who had locked up the Italian menace of Benito Carbone, springing forward to pounce on a loose ball in the Wednesday box and set up Armstrong for a solid right hook into the far corner.
    French artist Ginola embellished a first-half carnival with a stunning effort for the third goal in stoppage time before the break after gliding clear down the right from Fenn's splendid lay-off and getting the ball back from Armstrong to curl it into the corner.
    But if Spurs thought they were coasting to only their third win of the season they reckoned without a bristling Wednesday comeback. Pleat took off ineffective newcomer Petter Rudi as well as Stefanovic to readjust his forces and suddenly Spurs were completely on the back foot.
    Di Canio and Guy Whittingham both missed chances before substitute Wayne Collins stretched to toe-end a Di Canio cross over the line with 19 minutes left.
    And when Di Canio struck again something close to panic spread through the Tottenham ranks.
    Only Francis kept a cool head, though, and if Armstrong had exploited the gaps Wednesday had to leave in a virtually abandoned defence the final victory could have been as convincing as it had appeared to be at half-time.

	See the goal...		Dominguex 6'
			Armstrong 40'
			Ginola 45'
	Hear the goal...