Match Report

Wimbledon

Tottenham Hotspur

Sullivan, Kimble, Thatcher, Roberts, Perry, M. Hughes, McAllister, Euell, Fear, Leaburn, Kennedy.

Attendance
25,820

Referee
G P Barber

Walker, Calderwood, Fox, Nielsen, Anderton, Ferdinand, Carr, Ginola, Campbell, Klinsmann, Berti.

Subs not used: C. Hughes, Ekoku, Gayle, Heald, Francis.

Subs not used: Armstrong, Scales, Clemence, Saib, Grodas.

Booked: Perry.
Sentoff: Thatcher 52.

Booked:

Goal Scorer: Fear 21,30

Goal Scorer: Ferdinand 18,
Klinsmann 41,54,58,60, Saib 79

    Jurgen Klinsmann plundered an amazing second-half hat-trick in the space of five minutes and ended up with four goals in all as Tottenham clinched FA Carling Premiership safety with a 6-2 win.
    The German World Cup captain had nudged home David Ginola's cross to ensure Spurs finished a frantic first half on level terms at 2-2 against Wimbledon.
    But the sparks really started to fly when Wimbledon's Ben Thatcher was sent off - for the third time this season - after an appalling foul on Allan Nielsen seven minutes after the break.

    Just eight minutes after the dismissal, Klinsmann had reduced the Dons to rubble with a remarkable exhibition of clinical finishing, which doubled his tally of four goals eked out in 16 previous games since returning to the club for his second spell just after Christmas.
    Klinsmann has fallen out with manager Christian Gross and will bid his farewells to Spurs after next Saturday's home game with Southampton, the last of the season.
    But he made sure they can go into that match without anxiety after a dazzling display that left Wimbledon mighty glad they had secured their own top flight place with a goalless draw with Coventry in midweek.

    Spurs had started his London derby with a record of just one defeat in their previous nine games and were looking for the win that would provide the salvation of a desperately difficult campaign.
    But nobody could guess just how spectacular it would turn out even though Les Ferdinand put them in front in the 18th minute.
    It was looking easy for Tottenham at that stage. Ginola, in typically flamboyant form, had already hit a post but it was no surprise to anybody when Ferdinand pounced with some of his old style to force the ball past goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from Darren Anderton's cross.

    But suddenly Spurs' world seemed to collapse again as Wimbledon midfielder Peter Fear, playing only his seventh game of the season, struck with an explosive two-goal burst to put his side ahead by the half-hour.
    Four minutes after Ferdinand's strike, Spurs could only half clear Michael Hughes' right-wing cross but there still seemed little danger until Fear let go with a savage 30-yard shot that flew past Ian Walker.
    And eight minutes later Fear finished with equal power, this time from closer range, when big Carl Leaburn nodded down another Hughes cross.
    If anybody expected Spurs to buckle however, they were in for a big surprise. Gross's team stuck to their guns with an ambitious, adventurous attacking policy and three minutes before the break got back on terms.

    Ginola's low cross to the near post was nudged past Sullivan by Klinsmann's outstretched right foot.
    That right foot was to do terrible damage to the Dons after the break but not before Thatcher's atrocious challenge left Nielsen crumpled in a heap.
    Referee Graham Barber, who had struggled for control as tempers became frayed towards the end of the first period, waved play-on after the elusive Ginola appeared to be elbowed in the ribs by Fear.

    A split second later Nielsen was sent cart-wheeling into the air as he went for the loose ball and Thatcher, previously sent off against West Ham, and for England's Under-21 side earlier in the season, had to walk - the red card an inevitability.
    Wimbledon were left in tatters after that and Klinsmann exacted a terrible revenge. In the 55th minute Nicola Berti pounced on a mistake by Brian McAllister, returning for his first start since an Achilles tendon operation in December, and squared the ball for Klinsmann to sweep past Sullivan.
    A long clearance by Walker three minutes later was headed on by Ferdinand and Klinsmann was in the clear again to knock it home.

    His fourth of the match arrived within 120 seconds, a fierce drive into the far corner as the Wimbledon defence again tangled itself in knots.
    That wasn't quite the end. Klinsmann's audacious back-heel opened up the way for Algerian substitute Moussa Saib and the Tottenham fans' chant of ``we want six'' was perfectly answered as the Algerian drove the ball in off a post for his first goal for the club with 10 minutes left.
    Only a freak of mathematics and goal difference can put Tottenham back in the bottom three now.
    For Wimbledon though, it was a shocking afternoon to end their home programme for the season. Joe Kinnear's team, which had had five goalless draws in their previous eight matches, suddenly started giving goals away as though they were meaningless.
    And for the first time this season the Dons lost their discipline in a big way. Skipper Chris Perry and new £1.5million Irish winger Mark Kennedy were both booked for fouls as well as the red card for hot-head Thatcher.

See the goal...	Ferdinand 18'	Klinsmann 58'
	Klinsmann 41'	Klinsmann 60'
	Klinsmann 54'	Saib 79'
Hear the goal...