Emmanuel Adebayor was controversially denied an equaliser
as Stoke brought 10-man Tottenham's six-game winning
run in the Barclays Premier League to an end with a
2-1 win.
• Jolly: Spurs brought back to earth
The Spurs striker replied to Matthew Etherington's
first-half double with a penalty at the Britannia Stadium
but had a second goal contentiously ruled out by an
offside flag.
Spurs could also have had another spot-kick when Ryan
Shawcross cleared off the line with his arm in a frantic
second half.
Adebayor shot narrowly wide and Thomas Sorensen brilliantly
saved from Scott Parker amid the late drama but Stoke
held on after the dismissal of Younes Kaboul.
It was the Potters' third successive victory and brought
Spurs' first defeat in 12 games.
Tony Pulis' men took charge early on as they flew out
of the blocks, going close in the first minute.
The first of many dangerous Ryan Shotton throws was
only partially cleared by Benoit Assou-Ekotto and former
Spurs midfielder Etherington forced a brilliant save
from Brad Friedel from the edge of the box.
Shotton then burst into the area himself only to drag
a shot across goal and Etherington fired another effort
straight at Friedel.
The visitors made their first break as Gareth Bale
found space on the left but Robert Huth cleared and
Stoke responded to claim a deserved 13th-minute lead.
Again a Shotton throw was not dealt with by the Spurs
defence and Shawcross failed to connect when well placed
at the back post.
The ball was worked back to Shotton and his deflected
cross was flicked into Peter Crouch's path by Jon Walters.
Crouch's arm may have been involved as he chested down
but he turned and fired against the near post before
Etherington followed up to turn in.
Luka Modric went close as Spurs upped the tempo after
Jonathan Woodgate was booked for hacking down Aaron
Lennon but Sorensen tipped his effort around the post.
Stoke seemed determined not to give Parker much space
and the England midfielder, caught by Crouch moments
earlier, went down under a Woodgate challenge on the
edge of the area.
Lennon played on, however, and his shot took a deflection
before bobbling kindly towards Sorensen.
Adebayor turned to create an opportunity for himself
30 yards but failed to make firm contact and Sorensen
saved.
After surviving that spell of pressure, Stoke grabbed
a second in typical fashion just before the break.
Walters again flicked on another long throw from Shotton
and Etherington arrived unmarked to score despite not
hitting the cleanest of strikes.
Tottenham sent on Sebastien Bassong and Jermain Defoe
for Assou-Ekotto and Lennon at the start of the second
half and appeared to switch from a back four to a three-man
defensive line with wing-backs.
Yet it was Stoke who started the half the better with
Shotton's throws continuing to cause problems in the
visitors' box.
Spurs did settle and began to assert themselves with
Bale in particularly rampaging mood down the left.
Kyle Walker also threatened on the right and one dangerous
cross just evaded the heads of two Spurs players before
almost being turned into his own goal by Woodgate.
Spurs continued to press and referee Chris Foy pointed
to the penalty spot adjudging Glenn Whelan to have caught
Modric after 62 minutes.
Adebayor made no mistake as he clinically dispatched
his spot-kick and the on-loan Manchester City forward
almost hit an equaliser moments later with a shot that
curled wide.
Sorensen brilliantly saved a shot from Parker as Spurs
threw everything into attack and the goalkeeper also
claimed an audacious, but harmless, chip from Rafael
van der Vaart.
Kaboul wanted another penalty after going down under
a Shawcross challenge but was given nothing and Sorensen
saved a deflected Modric shot.
There was further drama in the Stoke box when, after
Defoe went down appealing for a penalty, a Kaboul shot
was cleared off the line by the arm of Shawcross.
Again Foy saw nothing untoward and then blew for offside
as Adebayor tucked the ball back in into goal, when
replays indicated he may have been onside.
Stoke were clearly hanging on as Defoe had another
shot blocked but they may have breathed a sigh of relief
as Kaboul received a second yellow card for bringing
down Walters on a rare counter-attack.
Shawcross then tested Friedel as he met a corner to
the near post with a firm header but the American tipped
over.
Spurs pushed forward further as time ticked away but
Stoke held on for a hard-earned victory.
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