Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 0 Sunderland

Bent misses pen as Black Cats lose

Updated: November 7, 2009, 8:10 AM UK

Sunderland striker Darren Bent missed a penalty on his return to White Hart Lane as Tottenham secured victory through goals from Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone.

• Bruce hits out at ref's decision

Bent had the chance to level for the visitors against the side he left in controversial circumstances last summer but Heurelho Gomes saved his spot-kick, a crucial moment in the Premier League game as Steve Bruce's men were gaining momentum.

Instead, Huddlestone grabbed his third of the season with an effort that crashed in off the crossbar, doubling the lead after Keane's early strike.

Inevitably the focus was on Bent following his acrimonious departure when he ranted on Twitter about how long the deal was taking.

There was nothing controversial on his social networking site on the day of the game, just a picture of his breakfast Weetabix. Also providing fuel was the determination to prove Harry Redknapp wrong and the fact England boss Fabio Capello was watching in the stands.

Bent scored 17 goals for Spurs last season but was not central to Redknapp's plans, illustrated by the Spurs boss suggesting his "missus'' would have scored the chance the striker missed against Portsmouth.

In contrast, Redknapp has always kept faith with Jermain Defoe, who returned from suspension following his dismissal at Pompey. Spurs lost their two league games without scoring during his ban so the 27-year-old went straight back into the team.

Bent caused his former side problems as early as the sixth minute when he carried the ball down the right flank and crossed between Jonathan Woodgate's legs - but Jordan Henderson stabbed wide when he met the ball following a late run into the penalty area.

Spurs, however, were ahead in the 12th minute with a goal that had Sunderland's defenders and bench appealing for an offside that never arrived, with replays suggesting Keane was just about level with the last man.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto's hanging cross from the left was guided into Keane's path by Peter Crouch, with the flag staying down as the Spurs skipper met the ball with a volley. Craig Gordon saved that effort but the ball squirmed through the Sunderland goalkeeper and was tapped in by the Republic of Ireland international, his eighth goal of the season.

Spurs fans were not satisfied with that and jeered off their team at the break for their failing to build on their lead - and they had a point because Sunderland were easing themselves into the match.

They had a couple of sighters on goal straight after the opener, firstly when Steed Malbranque tricked Vedran Corluka and laid on a chance that Kieran Richardson planted wide. Full-back Phil Bardsley was also off target with an effort from 30 yards.

There were two penalty shouts in quick succession 12 minutes before the interval. The first was when Gomes dived at the feet of Bent and looked to have got some glove on the ball as the Sunderland striker was sent sprawling. Defoe then thought he was fouled at the other end but was himself penalised.

Andy Reid, another former Spurs player in the Sunderland ranks, struck the post before the break with a 35-yard dipping drive that had Gomes beaten. The Brazilian goalkeeper then had to rush out to block Richardson's finish with his shins after Corluka's backpass sold him short.

Bent got his chance to level seven minutes after the break, although the penalty he earned looked dubious as he was going to ground before Gomes touched him.

Referee Kevin Friend only gave the Spurs stopper a yellow card when he was the last man, with Gomes parrying Bent's placed spot-kick, an effort that lacked conviction.

Shortly afterwards, Gomes saved twice more, both times from Malbranque, with the Frenchman's first drive requiring a readjustment after a deflection.

At the other end, Huddlestone had a powerful drive cleared off the line by Paulo da Silva, with Gordon taking a knock to his wrist in the build-up.

Gordon's injury saw him replaced by former Spurs goalkeeper Marton Fulop - but the first thing he had to do was pick Huddlestone's thunderbolt out of the net.

Niko Kranjcar's ball over the top was held up by Defoe and he laid the ball back for Huddlestone to crash home off the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Gomes pulled off another stunning save to deny Michael Turner before the end.

Bruce hits out at ref's decision

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce claims referee Kevin Friend may have been influenced by the White Hart Lane crowd when he kept Heurelho Gomes on the pitch.

"For me the goalkeeper's denied him a goalscoring opportunity so I can't go along with the referee's explanation to me which was he was going away from goal,'' Bruce said. "That's a load of nonsense.

"I think he's taken the ball around him. If you look at where the ball goes, it doesn't even go out of play, so Benty for me gets on the end of it, and yes there might be somebody on the line, but I would fancy him to score when he goes round the keeper in that situation.

"Now it might have been a different result, the reserve goalkeeper might have come on and saved it but we would have been playing against 10 men with half an hour to go so that would have given us a huge advantage.

"I have to question if that had been the Stadium of Light we might have got a different decision.''

Bent endured a frustrating return to Spurs after leaving in acrimonious circumstances last summer. Replays also suggested he may have gone down too easily for the penalty, but Bruce added: "It's a stone-cold penalty. If somebody's rushing out at you, the one thing you are going to try to do is get out of the road.''

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: "Man City will be right there, Aston Villa will be right there and looking to push the top four. I think ourselves, the top four are very, very strong obviously and I think ourselves Villa and City will all be having a go.

''There's no reason you can't do it. It's not impossible to do. No-one has said you can't finish in the top four. You have days against Stoke when you murder them and days when you win 2-0."

Spurs were jeered off by their own supporters at half-time, despite leading, and Redknapp admitted his side were not at their best and had to rely on the heroics of Gomes, who pulled off a string of saves.

"We were very fortunate, the keeper's had a fantastic day but that's how it goes,'' Redknapp added. "We got three points, you can play well and get nothing. We've got (Aaron) Lennon and (Luka) Modric to come back and when they come back we'll play differently again.''