Redknapp raps ref after defeat

Redknapp was highly critical of the officials after a number of decisions went against Spurs in a 2-1 Barclays Premier League loss at the Britannia Stadium. Emmanuel Adebayor had an equaliser ruled out for offside and Spurs also had two penalty appeals for handball against Ryan Shawcross and Dean Whitehead turned down.

To compound matters the visitors, who had been chasing a seventh successive win, had Younes Kaboul sent off for two bookable offences late on. Redknapp said: "I never complain about referees' decisions - I have not done it in 30 years of management, never. But today, I'm afraid, he got some badly wrong."

The Spurs manager added: "He hadn't seen them, but when he goes home and watches them, he'll realise he got a couple badly wrong, and the linesman. When someone's two yards onside, like Adebayor was, how's the linesman not seen it?"

Spurs were undone by one of their former players in the first half as Matthew Etherington struck twice. Yet there was also an element of controversy about his first in the 13th minute as Peter Crouch, another ex-Spurs player, appeared to handle in the build-up.

A Ryan Shotton throw had worked its way to Crouch, who turned to shoot against the post before Etherington followed up. His second, in the 43rd minute, also came from a Shotton throw.

Spurs dominated the second half and pulled one back with an Adebayor penalty after Glenn Whelan was ruled to have tripped Luka Modric. Tottenham then laid siege to the Stoke goal but luck - and decisions - were not in their favour.

Redknapp said: "We were poor first half, I hold my hand up. We didn't play well. But we changed it at half-time and in the second half we battered them. Unfortunately a couple of decisions he [Foy] got completely and utterly wrong."

Stoke boss Tony Pulis focused on the performance of his players in overcoming a side which had also gone 11 games unbeaten.

Pulis said: "If you look at Tottenham and what they've got, it's formidable to play against. They have so much quality and they are the form team in the Premier League. We knew we had to come out of the blocks quickly. We didn't want them to settle."

Source: PA

Source: PA