Sheringham holds sway

Coventry City 2

Dublin 7, Williams 48

Tottenham Hotspur 3

Fox 20, Sherringham 25, Howells 46

Attendance: 17,545

TOTTENHAM'S visits to Highfield Road may be many things, but dull is not one of them. They won here 4-0 last season, squandered a two-goal lead to lose in the Coca-Cola Cup 11 days ago and reversed that result yesterday in a match of sweeping contrasts. It was a case of aristocrats gradually returning to their accustomed poise and prosperity facing the unpretentious efforts of the proletariat.

In the early stages it even seemed as though the hustle and bustle of a Coventry side, whose position, one off the bottom of the Premiership, threatens their long tenure in the top flight, would come out on top. Dion Dublin, playing his second game since a knee injury, typified the fighting qualities that Coventry will need and he had already made his presence felt in the penalty area before he put City ahead after seven minutes. He initially won Kevin Richardson's long ball in the air and then poked it past Ian Walker when it came back to him from Nii Lamptey.

It took Spurs longer to get into gear, but once they did it was an infinitely smoother one. With Ruel Fox finding room down the right, the chances started to come. Teddy Sheringham had a beautifully balanced shot on the turn saved and David Howells hammered a volley from a Fox corner straight at John Filan. When their equaliser came, it was just as cleanly crafted, Clive Wilson floating in his free-kick, Sheringham nodding it on and Fox scoring with an unanswerable volley.

Five minutes later, they were in the lead, Fox's run and cross allowing Chris Armstrong, finally playing for Spurs with some confidence, to chest it down for Sheringham to score with a precisely calculated chip.

Coventry, without a league win since their first home match of the season, were being ominously outplayed and, if they were looking for the half- time inspiration from Ron Atkinson that turned around their cup tie, that hope appeared to have rebounded on them. Within 30 seconds of the restart, Spurs were two goals up, Sheringham releasing Ronny Rosenthal, whose cross was hit home by Howells.

Whatever Coventry might lack, however, it is not fighting spirit. They soon hit back with a first goal for the club from Paul Williams, and, in terms of pressure and possession, they deserved an equaliser.

There were four consecutive corners from Richardson, one headed on to his own bar by Howells. Walker was booked for time-wasting and Richardson scored from the free-kick only to be disallowed for taking it too quickly. Dublin also had a shot blocked in injury time, but before that there was a reminder of the difference between the two sides when David Rennie had to head out from under his bar after a touchline shot from Armstrong past a stranded goalkeeper.