Football: Klinsmann doubles the damage: Tottenham's imports work wonders

Ipswich Town . . . . . . .1

Tottenham Hotspur. . . . .3

TOTTENHAM'S insistence on accentuating the positive put their effective points tally above zero last night, courtesy of a devastating first-half display of attacking football. 'Going forward we're a beautiful team,' Ossie Ardiles, the Spurs manager, said.

That beauty was rewarded with two goals by Jurgen Klinsmann and one from Ilie Dumitrescu before the interval. Ipswich did manage to hold the fort after that and recovered enough composure late on to pull a goal back through Chris Kiwomya.

Accountants of the smaller clubs might rub their hands at the sight of Tottenham charabancs full of charismatics heading into town to pack their ground to the rafters, but they do not have to take into account the effect the five-man Spurs attack can have on opposing defenders. They tend to swoon.

Dumitrescu deserved his first goal for Spurs, which came after 28 minutes when he ran in at the far post to meet Jurgen Klinsmann's lofted cross from the right and directed a firm header under the bar.

That made it 2-0, Klinsmann having opened the scoring 12 minutes earlier. Teddy Sheringham, put through on the right by Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton in yet another flowing Spurs attack, spurned the chance to shoot in favour of squaring the ball for the German international to score from 10 yards.

Ipswich continued their early-season enterprise, a pleasant change from last term's dourness, making plenty of forays forward to contribute to an exhilarating game.

However, though they troubled the Tottenham defence, they created few chances. Paul Mason squandered the best, shooting wide from 15 yards after Ian Walker fluffed his punch when it was 1-0.

In the 30th minute, Boncho Genchev brought a brilliant save from Walker with a 22- yard shot that arrowed towards the top corner. Seven minutes later, though, it was 3-0. Anderton floated Dumitrescu's short corner onto Stuart Nethercott's head and his back-header found Klinsmann who was scored from a yard out at the far post.

Ardiles, leaving the quintet's skills to speak for themselves, preferred to highlight their endeavour. 'The players agreed that, if we were going to play all five, every player had to work extremely hard all the time.' And so they did.

Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Forrest; Stockwell, Wark, Linighan, Yallop; Milton, Williams, Mason, Slater; Genchev, Kiwomya. Substitutes not used: Marshall, Palmer, Baker (gk).

Tottenham Hotspur (4-1-3-2): Walker; Kerslake, Campbell, Nethercott (Mabbutt, 75), Edinburgh; Calderwood; Anderton, Barmby, Dumitrescu; Sheringham, Klinsmann. Substitutes not used: Hazard, Day (gk).

Referee: R Gifford (Llanbradach).