A Keane eye sees Spurs' failings

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Southampton 1

Tottenham should enjoy the view from the top of the Premiership while they can. On this haphazard showing they will be lucky to stay up there for long, though luck was certainly what they enjoyed in dollops against Southampton. Having deserved to clock up their first win of the season, Southampton were condemned instead to a cruel defeat by Teddy Sheringham's injury-time penalty.

To heap bitterness on top of injustice, Michael Svensson was sent off for what was deemed deliberate handball by referee Mike Dean before Sheringham, vastly experienced in such moments of high drama, thumped the spot-kick past Paul Jones's right hand.

The incident came out of an almighty goalmouth scramble in which Simon Davies's shot was helped on by Steffen Iversen, a 64th-minute replacement for Les Ferdinand. The ball struck a post and rebounded to Iversen, whose second attempt was blocked by Svensson – by his arm, said the referee; by his body, insisted Southampton's manager, Gordon Strachan. The Scot, who claimed afterwards he was "still stunned with disbelief that we got beaten" said Svensson had told him he threw his body at the ball.

Certainly the contact was from point-blank range, and even Spurs' boss, Glenn Hoddle, while asserting it was clearly a penalty, said: "It would be good for Southampton and the lad if [the author-ities] have a look at the video and reassess it."

Robbie Keane, paraded before the kick-off as Tottenham's new £7 million man, admitted: "Southampton played very well and made it hard for us." Of his last-day signing before the transfer window was closed, Hoddle said: "Robbie will give us a bit of a different dimension to the strikers we have already got. I think he is made for this club. He is only 22 but has already been at several clubs, so it is time for him to bed down."

As for reports that he was not interested in Keane while pursuing bigger names such as Rivaldo, Morientes and Crespo, the Spurs manager said he had done this "to deflect a lot of things, because he was always on our list from way, way back." Until the new dimension comes along, Tottenham will have to make do with the tried and trusted old brigade – people like Ferdinand and Sheringham, abetted by Iversen. There seemed nothing wrong with that at first, since both the first two were involved when the home side went ahead after nine minutes. Milenko Acimovic's corner from the left sailed beyond the far post, to be headed back by Sheringham for Ferdinand to force over the line, with Southampton captain Chris Marsden helping the ball on its way.

"I asked the team to play with a very high tempo for 20 minutes," said Hoddle of his side's early dominance. But it didn't last much longer than that, and he conceded: "We came down a peg or two." In fact, Spurs were taken down a peg or two by a Southampton side who passed the ball well and, in the French winger formerly with Fulham, Fabrice Fernandes, possessed the best player on the park. Fernandes was unpicking a none-too-impressive home defence even before Strachan marched down to the touchline and unveiled his ability to inspire, and probably terrify, his players. It worked a treat.

Rory Delap's deep cross from the left found Paul Telfer unmarked in front of goal and it was a relieved Kasey Keller who was given time to turn a poor effort away. But after 28 minutes the scores were level. Fernandes tormented and evaded three opponents with glorious control before sending Brett Ormerod down the right to deliver a low cross which was turned into his own net by the distraught full-back Mauricio Taricco.

Spurs were relieved to get in at half-time without conceding another. Telfer cleared the bar by inches from 30 yards, Ormerod had the ball swept from his boot by Gary Doherty in the act of shooting and Keller saved at full stretch from the same player. Davies came close to scoring for Spurs either side of half-time, Jones repelling one effort with his feet, but Southampton were soon dictating things again and there was the embarrassing sight of Hoddle beseeching the crowd to get behind their team a bit more.

The arrival of Iversen did perk Tottenham marginally and one of his shots, blocked by Paul Williams, brought terrace accusations of handball. To no avail on this occasion. After Wayne Bridge had twice been permitted to run through a non-existent defence to deliver dangerous shots, one fan bellowed at the home dug-out: "Sort 'em out".

The penalty saved the need for that, at least in the short term. Asked if he would be appealing against Svensson's sending-off, Strachan asked "Is is worth it? We are not one of the top clubs. They are the ones who have a chance with appeals." His anger was understandable.

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Southampton 1

Ferdinand 10 Taricco og 30
Sheringham 90 pen

Half-time: 1-1 Attendance: 35,573