csconstantine.com

By DANIEL CUTTS STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Niko Kranjcar’s superb late strike enabled Tottenham to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and take Harry Redknapp’s team into fourth place in the Premier League table.

Spurs went three points above Chelsea and if they win their match in hand can go into third place ahead of Manchester City.

Tottenham’s third win in succession came after a sloppy and disappointing first half at the end of which they were fortunate to be level.

Sunderland took an early lead but failed to hold on and slumped to their third defeat in a row without surrendering seventh spot in the table.

The Black Cats looked to be well on their way to a morale-boosting home win after taking the lead in the eleventh minute.

The Spurs defence was exposed while William Gallas was off the pitch changing his boots allowing Asamoah Gyan to stride through and beat Heurelho Gomes with a powerful low shot.

That goal woke up Tottenham and there was a new urgency about them which resulted in the equaliser in the 44th minute.

England defender Michael Dawson was unmarked when he headed goalwards and the presence of Gallas near the line forced goalkeeper Craig Gordon to allow the effort to go through his legs.

There was not much in the second half to excite home fans and the winner came in the 57th minute from Kranjcar for the second successive week.

Last week the Croatia international’s left foot strike earned a last-minute win over Bolton. His goal this time was not dissimilar and just as effective.

Sunderland defender John Mensah cleared a cross from Sandro to him and the midfield player volleyed the ball home from the edge of the area.

Sunderland did step up their play after Kranjcar’s goal but Gomes was not threatened although he and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko were booked for time-wasting.

Tottenham manager Redknapp was delighted by the result and the way his side had stormed back after such a sloppy start.

“We just did not get going for the first half an hour. It was just one mistake after another and it took a goal to wake us up,” said Redknapp. “I don’t know why we were like that because we have been playing so well lately.

“But once we got level I always we would go on and win.

“Niko is making a habit of scoring brilliant goals. His goal last week was absolutely fantastic and this was right up there with one.”

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce felt his side had wasted good possession and not made the most of their flying start.

“We were on top for the first half, got a goal and looked well set,” said Bruce. “But they got a goal just before the break against the run of play and that set us back.

“In the second half we were never the same force but even so it took an exceptional goal to beat us.

“I just felt that we did not kill them off when we had the chance. One goal is never enough to see off a team of Tottenham’s quality.”

Labels: fires, Kranjcar, SportsTicker, Tottenham, winner

WEST BROMWICH, England (AP)—West Bromwich Albion fired manager Roberto Di Matteo on Sunday as the team battles against relegation from the Premier League.

A 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday was West Brom’s 13th loss in 18 games in all competitions, leaving the team only two points above the drop zone.

The 40-year-old Di Matteo had been in charge for less than 20 months before West Brom announced Sunday that he was being “relieved … of his duties and placed … on gardening leave.”

“This has been a tough decision but we, as a board, believe it is the right one to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Premier League,” West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace said in a statement. “Our poor sequence of results stretches back more than three months and there has been little sign of it coming to an end.

“If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That is why we felt compelled to act now.”

Di Matteo, a former Italy midfielder who was hired by West Brom in June 2009, secured the team’s instant return to the Premier League last May.

After losing two of its first nine league games, West Brom was a contender for Europa League qualification. But the team has won only three times since then and taken one point from its past three games.

“This club’s track record proves we do not take such decisions lightly, with Roberto being only our fourth manager or head coach in almost 11 years,” Pearce said. “We are in a results-driven industry and felt we had no choice but to act now.”

Assistant coach Michael Appleton will take over on an interim basis.

Di Matteo retired from playing due to injury in 2002 after struggling to recover from a triple leg fracture two years earlier.

The former Chelsea player impressed in his first managerial job at MK Dons, guiding the team to the 2009 League One playoffs in his only season in charge before moving to West Brom.

Labels: Albion, Bromwich, fires, manager, Matteo