Legwinski caps frantic Fulham comeback

Fulham 3 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham may have finally signed a striker but neither Robbie Keane nor the mettle required of genuine championship challengers were present at Loftus Road last night.

With 23 minutes left Spurs were cruising at Fulham's adopted ground and preparing to leapfrog Arsenal at the Premiership summit. Then Junichi Inamoto's first Premiership goal pricked the bubble of confidence and Spurs, who had led through first-half goals by Dean Richards and Teddy Sheringham, collapsed. Steed Malbranque levelled with six minutes left and Sylvain Legwinski drove through the shattered Tottenham defence in injury time to complete the comeback.

Being able to leave Keane on the bench, alongside Steffen Iversen to boot, does not, however, accurately reflect Glenn Hoddle's resources. A series of midfield injuries and the unavailability of two full-backs forced him to play four centre-halves. It was as if George Graham was still in charge.

The midfield looked especially unbalanced and Fulham's superior passing enabled them to take early control. Yet they continue to lack penetration and the first chances fell to Spurs. After seven minutes Zat Knight missed Matthew Etherington's cross and Sheringham guided the ball on to Ferdinand, but the 36-year-old pulled his shot across goal. Six minutes later Simon Davies, set up by Ferdinand, found the target but Edwin van der Sar saved.

Fulham, despite the loss of Louis Saha with what appeared a muscle pull, responded well and started to create chances, but nine minutes from the interval Pierre Womé, their Cameroonian debutant, needlessly conceded a corner. Milenko Acimovic delivered and Richards brushed aside Knight to score.

Seven minutes later it was the turn of Les Ferdinand set up his fellow footballing pensioner. After Thatcher won the ball from Steve Finnan's throw-in, Ferdinand held it up, enabling Etherington to burst into the box. Drawing defenders, he squared for Sheringham to sweep in his second of the campaign.

When Luis Boa Morte, one of Fulham's few first-half successes, failed to reappear after the break the odds on a comeback lengthened. Even so, Acimovic was rubbing Spurs' superiority in somewhat when he tried to chip Van der Sar from 60 yards and into the wind.

The incident spurred Fulham on and Inamoto, who had hitherto given the sizeable Japanese contingent little reason to get out their Nikons, won a corner. However, this nearly led to further humiliation as Spurs launched a swift counter-attack, culminating in Davies shooting just wide. Another escape, when Acimovic was flagged offside as he headed in Davies' cross, lifted Fulham and Keller suddenly found himself busy. Having had to move sharply to prevent Womé scoring direct from a corner he then fielded a series of long-range drives, making a notable save from Sean Davis' 25-yard pile-driver. Even the lumbering Fernando Sava began to look threatening as Fulham strived for a way back.

When Hayles missed a clear header from Finnan's 65th-minute cross it seemed Fulham were destined to find only blind-alleys but, two minutes later, Inamoto pounced on Chris Perry's loose clearance to halve the deficit. Finnan, having beaten Thatcher, then lashed a shot against the bar before Hayles was hauled down in the box by Anthony Gardner. Referee Mark Halsey, changing his mind after the linesman's intervention, gave a penalty which Malbranque converted. Spurs were off the top. Legwinski's winner merely added to their despair.

Fulham (4-4-2): Van der Sar 5; Finnan 7, Knight 4, Goma 4, Womé 3 (Collins, 79); Legwinski 8, Davis 7, Inamoto 7, Boa Morte 6(Malbranque 8, h/t); Saha 5 (Hayles 6, 20), Sava 4. Substitutes not used: Taylor (gk), Melville, Hayles.

Tottenham (3-5-2): Keller 7; Perry 5 (Doherty, 79), Richards 3, Gardner 3, Thatcher 5; Davies 5, Bunjecevic 5, Acimovic 5 (Ziege 3, 72), Etherington 5 (Iversen, 83); Sheringham 6, Ferdinand 7. Substitutes not used: Hirschfield (gk), Keane.

Referee: M Halsey 6 (Welwyn).