Reading 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1: Angry Jol questions Spurs' appetite for battle

Will the real Tottenham please stand up? Winners against the champions, Chelsea, last week, Martin Jol's side succumbed all too easily yesterday against a Reading side whose confidence showed no signs of having subsided despite their recent run of bad results. Anyone would think Spurs need an opponent unfairly sent off or a goal to be dubiously disallowed. What they really need is a cure for their travel sickness.

This was the Londoners' first defeat in 11 games but continued their poor form of failing to win on the road in the League this season. Then, in response to news that Spurs would move for David Beckham next summer, Jol said those reports were "rubbish." He did not use that adjective for his side's performance here at the Madejski Stadium but he did question some of his players' desire to fight. "Too many players were below par and it's frustrating. Sometimes you play neat football instead of fighting for a result.

"You need players with character and personality." Having out-thought Reading in the opening phase, which led to their only goal, they were subsequently outplayed by their hosts and out-thought by Jol's counterpart, Steve Coppell.

There had been little threat from either side when Spurs suddenly showed some purpose around the penalty area. Robbie Keane flicked a low, first-time pass into the feet of Hossam Ghaly, who was trailed by Ibrahima Sonko. The Reading central defender attempted to nick the ball away but caught the Egyptian midfielder instead. Keane notched up his first League goal of the season as he dispatched the penalty with aplomb, low to Marcus Hahnemann's right, with the American wrong-footed.

The home fans' reaction was to berate the referee, Rob Styles, with chants of "You're worse than Graham Poll." However, the home side came up with a better riposte 15 minutes later.

Reading have lost recently against Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth and picked up just four points from their last six games and, given the way Coppell lauded his opponents in the programme, there was the impression another defeat was coming.

Reading failed to support Kevin Doyle, their only genuine striker in their starting line-up, while Seol Ki-Hyeon, nominally his partner, was dropping deep to pick up the ball on the flanks. With little support from midfield, there was no pressure on the visiting back four.

Then up popped Nicky Shorey. If the midfield had been guilty of staying too deep, the left-back - an Arsenal supporter who truly enjoyed his moment here - took the chance to wander up and duly grabbed his unexpected reward. Glen Little found his team-mate 30 yards out and with no pressure, Shorey moved up and struck his shot low past Paul Robinson, who was slow to get across, although partially unsighted by Michael Dawson. The home fans want Shorey to receive England recognition, something Coppell does not want.

"I like working with my players," he said. "When they get called up they go away for a few days."

Steve Sidwell had been as guilty as any of his fellow midfielders in not pushing up, but when Reading then had a corner in first-half stoppage time he made his presence felt. From Little's delivery, Sidwell was unmarked as he ran in and volleyed past Robinson from six yards.

Yet despite giving the hosts the lea,d the truly pivotal part of the match arrived in the 79th minute. In the space of 40 seconds, Jol's men could have drawn level yet they suddenly found themselves two goals down and in deeper trouble.

Shortly after Jermain Defoe's introduction as a substitute, Aaron Lennon found him with a clever pass inside Shorey but Defoe could only hit the side netting. From the ensuing goal-kick, Leroy Lita outjumped Michael Dawson and Doyle picked up the leftovers. Holding off Ledley King, his shot beat Robinson low to his left and Coppell confessed to feeling "huge relief" on seeing that strike go in.

For Coppell, whose Royals, in front of a record home crowd, leapfrogged Spurs in the table, this was not the crowning moment of the season. He said: "There were a lot of pleasing aspects but I take very little pride from this." His opposite number, long since departed, would have agreed with that.

Goals: Keane pen (23) 0-1; Shorey (38) 1-1; Sidwell (45) 2-1; Doyle (79) 3-1.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Little (Gunnarsson, 86), Sidwell, Harper, Hunt (Oster, 80); Seol (Lita, 75), Doyle. Substitutes not used: Federici (gk), Bikey.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Robinson; Lee (Defoe, 68), Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Jenas, Zokora (Huddlestone, 68), Ghaly; Berbatov, Keane. Substitutes not used: Cerny (gk), Murphy, Ziegler.

Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).

Booked: Reading Seol; Tottenham Jenas.

Man of the match: Sidwell.

Attendance: 24,110.