Little Christmas as Collymore escapes problems

SPURS, sliding to their eighth defeat in 11 games, will need more than their ghost of Christmas past, Jurgen Klinsmann, to stop the dreadful free fall towards relegation.

But Aston Villa, inevitably with their own enigma, Stan Collymore, erupting into potent and ultimately thrilling goal power, overwhelmed the London club yesterday and brought this magnificent Midlands bastion of the game back to full, throbbing enjoyment.

And Villa manager Brian Little insisted afterwards that he never contemplated axing record signing Collymore for the clash despite the police charge that he assaulted the mother of his two-year-old son, Thomas. on Christmas Eve.

Little said: "There was never any doubt in my mind about playing Stan. I never considered leaving him out especially after being kept aware of the situation.

"I suppose the fact that the police arrived at his place blew the thing up. But I was being made aware about what was going on through Stan and his agent Paul Stretford.

"I was assured that it was a minor incident and nothing has happened to change my thoughts.

"Stan was okay when he trained yesterday and I repeat that I never thought about leaving him out."

As for Collvmore's two-goal blast, Little added: "I was pleased for him and it is important that he scores goals.

"But overall the team performance was very good. We played some good stuff and never let them settle on the ball."

Spurs coach Christian Gross said: "We were second best in all departments and now we must try and lift things as soon as possible."

Whether Tottenham's dearest wish is for an ageing talisman. or whether indeed Klinsmann, with his wage of £35,000 a match, will only exacerbate any rifts in the camp, will be seen. Integrating him will be the problem for Gross, but David Pleat, who returns to White Hart Lane in the new year as director of football, said pointedly at half-time: "Our major problem is that we've no one holding the ball up in attack."

Klinsmann, though his goal ratio in half a season with Sampdoria is no better than Collymore's, no better than Les Ferdinand's, is certainly a man of control and thought, but yesterday the problems for Tottenham lay in all departments.

David Ginola was pouting from a distance, not served with the ball and, until told at the interval, not hungry enough to go in search of it.

Thus, in that entire first half, did Tottenham create a solitary chance, a pinpoint cross from the right by Ruel Fox met in the air by Steffen Iversen. whose header was misdirected across the face of the goal.

Villa? Much, much better. Their front two, Collymore and Savo Milosevic, each put in the effort. Milosevic running wide to the flanks, getting his head down and doggedly dribbling the ball infield, while Collymore lurked deep, shrugged those massive shoulders and attempted to find the way to the net from distance.

Collymore. seemingly unperturbed by the recent controversy, attempted to beat lan Walker with right and left foot from 25 yards.

The first dropped over the bar, the second was two feet wide, but this was Collymore chancing his arm with the lust for goal that made his reputation with Nottingham Forest.

There was bite in the game, too, with first Gary Mabbutt needing treatment for a head wound, then Andy Sinton being taken off on a stretcher after being caught from behind by Mark Draper.

Mabbutt recovered, but almost scored in his own net while desperately trying to dispossess Milosevic obliging Walker to make a dramatic left-handed save at the foot of the post.

The huge capacity Villa Park crowd finally erupted in the 38th minute.

Steve Staunton, the outstanding Villa player yet again. launched the classic counter-attack. His left foot is unquestionably one of the best in the English Premiership, his vision is sometimes beyond the scope of others. He demonstrated both when, from wide on the left in his own half. he released the ball diagonally towards the far right.

Milosevic was given the time and room to collect it and, with his own left foot, punished Tottenham for simply backing off him, producing an inviting centre. Draper timed his run perfectly. Stephen Carr was ineffectual in the air and Draper's header squirmed beneath the grasp of Walker.

It was Draper's second goal of the season and before he could make it three a tepid match had erupted into controversial life.

It was the ineptitude of the referee, Alan Wilkie, that awoke the passions.

In the 59th minute he handed, literally, an equaliser to the Londoners and then compounded that by denying Villa a penalty when Carr had handled the ball, falling backwards into the area.

Wilkie gave only a free kick. First, the equaliser, Fox. with a sharp volley, drew an elastic save from Mark Bosnich, but when the ball was driven back into the area, it clearly struck the hand of Cohn Calderwood before dropping over the goal line.

Wilkie refused all protestations and, in his own way, roused the game to fever pitch. In the 67th minute, driven forward, Collymore volleyed the ball up towards the crossbar. Walker collided with Alan Neilsen as he stretched for the ball, dropped it. and Draper was poaching on the line.

Then. either side of Simon Grayson striking the base of a Tottenham post. Collymore became the man. His first goal was simple, dabbed in when Grayson crossed low and accurate. though Collymore had won the right with his anticipation.

His second goal, the glorious finale, was a free kick straight in from almost 22 yards with that old, imperious Collymore arrogance. Right-footed, struck with bend and venom, it eluded the groping hand of Walker into the top corner.