Sunderland striker Darren Bent dealt former club Tottenham's
hopes of Champions
League football a major blow despite missing two penalties.
On a remarkable afternoon at the Stadium of Light, Bent struck
after just 34 seconds and then with a 29th-minute penalty to take
his tally for the season to 23, 22 of them in the Barclays Premier
League.
However, he twice spurned the chance to complete a hat-trick
when Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes saved further spot-kicks either
side of the break.
Off the mark: Bent fires his 21st League goal of
the campaign
The misses might have proved costly when Peter Crouch reduced
the deficit with a 72nd-minute header just seconds after coming on,
but fellow newcomer Bolo Zenden blasted home a superb volley four
minutes from time to end Spurs' run of five successive Barclays
Premier League victories and all but mathematically assure his side
of another season in the top flight.
Bruce admitted in the run-up to the game that the game would be
all about Bent, who left Spurs last summer on less than friendly
terms.
He could not have known how prescient his comments were,
however, as the England international put his former employers to
the sword.
The game was just 34 seconds old when his predatory instincts
came to the fore, pouncing on the loose ball after Gomes could only
parry Fraizer Campbell's header and firing into the empty net.
Inevitably, his strike came in front of the travelling
supporters packed in behind Gomes' goal, and they were given a
second chance to witness his potency with the game just 29 minutes
old.
Bent double: His 22nd followed soon
after...
This time, it was Steed Malbranque who tested the keeper from
the edge of the box, and although he was up to the task, full-back
Kyle Walker handled as he attempted to mop up and referee Lee Mason
pointed straight to the spot.
Bent thumped the ball low to Gomes' right to establish a 2-0
lead, and he should have completed his hat-trick four minutes
before the break.
Campbell surged into the box from the right and went over Luka
Modric's out-stretched leg, and again Mr Mason was convinced,
although the penalty award looked generous.
This time, Bent went to the keeper's left and Gomes got across
well to turn his effort away, much to the delight of the
beleaguered Spurs fans behind the goal.
Sunderland were worth their half-time advantage after enjoying
much the better of the opening 45 minutes with strikers Roman
Pavlyuchenko and Eidur Gudjohnsen seeing little of the ball.
Their only effort of any note came when winger David Bentley met
Gareth Bale's cross with a downward header, but Sunderland keeper
Craig Gordon was equal to the task.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp made a double change at the break when
he replaced Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Bentley with Niko Kranjcar and
Jermain Defoe.
The changes would have paid dividends within five minutes had it
not been for Gordon's continuing run of excellent form.
The striker broke free and attempted to beat the keeper with the
outside of his right foot, but the £9million man stood tall to
block his effort.
Gordon then turned Bale's flicked header from the resulting
corner over the bar, but the impetus was firmly with the
visitors.
Defoe did beat the keeper, but also the far post, with a
54th-minute shot across the face of goal, and Luka Modric forced a
good save six minutes later.
But the home side should have had the points sewn up when they
were awarded a third penalty for Wilson Palacios' trip on David
Meyler.
Bent, who was berated by Bruce earlier in the season for
allowing strike-partner Kenwyne Jones to take a spot-kick, this
time rejected Malbranque's appeals, only to see Gomes save again
with the help of his right post.
Crouch replaced Pavlyuchenko with 19 minutes remaining and made
his mark within seconds, heading home Kranjcar's cross as the home
side's appeals for a foul were waved away.
Bruce replaced Bent with Jones 12 minutes from time, and the
substitute should really have made it 3-1, but completely missed
his kick in front of goal after being picked out by Campbell, and
Zenden's follow-up was cleared off the line by Younes Kaboul.
But the Dutchman, who had come on for Malbranque with 12 minutes
remaining, was not to be denied a second time as he guided an
exquisite late volley into the top corner.