Football: Spurs fall to the menace of Morley: Tottenham are intoxicated

Tottenham Hotspur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

West Ham United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

TIME was when a Londoners' holiday time party like this would have offered a choice between bubbly and smooth claret. Yesterday West Ham turned up with what looked like a case of house plonk, but by the end Chateau Boleyn was palatable compared with the alternative poison on offer.

The trouble with the methode champenoise that Ossie Ardiles is trying to pass off as the real thing is that it obviously is not. Little sparkle, no body, it has something of the mid-Seventies vintage about it and it is not to be recommended.

Billy Bonds put his faith in the full-bodied number that went down so well at home on Saturday when Ipswich came to call, but it was not until Peter Butler, hobbling like a trusty old retainer from the early stages, surrendered to his nagging knee injury after 23 minutes, that West Ham achieved their potential. On came the striker, Steve Jones, plucked from the non-League vine 18 months ago, out went 4-5-1 in favour of a more intoxicating 4-4-2, and the Hammers were left toasting two-goal Trevor Morley.

It was Jones who put the Hammers ahead after 37 minutes when Ian Bishop led the charge after a Tottenham corner was cleared and fed Jones through an outnumbered defence. The lanky striker swept the ball home off Ian Walker's left- hand post.

Quality rather than quantity is the more familiar problem with the Spurs back four and it was one of Ardiles's questionable signings, Kevin Scott, who gave away the second goal on the hour by bundling Morley over.

Morley's efficient spot-kick gave Teddy Sheringham, newly arrived as a substitute for the hard-working Ronny Rosenthal, an even greater burden to bear, though his introduction revived Darren Anderton, the only Spurs midfielder with a sense of purpose in the first half.

Sheringham's presence unsettled West Ham and after Morley made a rash challenge on Gary Mabbutt inside the penalty area, Sheringham stroked home his 12th Premiership goal in his severely disrupted season. West Ham's two-goal margin had lasted only five minutes.

Spurs sent on David Howells for the ineffective Jason Dozzell, but they were undone seven minutes later by an error from Mabbutt, who lost out to Morley when trying to retrieve his own underhit back- pass. The Hammers' striker curled a shot round Walker for his second.

Bishop deserved a goal for his performance but had to make do with starting the move that brought West Ham's fourth, finding Matt Holmes wide on the left. His low cross was turned in by Mike Marsh.

Spurs have not won at home since 3 October and are heading for their worst ever home League record in a season that could yet be 'toasted' in bitter.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Walker; Kerslake, Scott, Mabbutt, Campbell; Anderton, Sedgley, Samways, Dozzell (Howells, 65); Barmby, Rosenthal (Sheringham, 51). Substitute not used: Thorstvedt (gk).

West Ham United (4-5-1): Miklosko; Breacker, Gale, Potts, Rowland; Rush, Butler (Jones, 23), Bishop, Marsh, Holmes; Morley. Substitutes not used: Brown, Kelly (gk).

Referee: P Don (Hanworth Park, Middx).

(Photograph omitted)