Darren needs to bounce back from White Hart pain
IF it's true that the tough get going when the going gets tough, then Darren Bent faces an interesting test of character in the weeks ahead.
For despite the joy of his summer move to Sunderland and a goal-laden start to the season, the last two games have been personal disappointments for the would-be England striker.
And after missing a succession of good chances against West Ham in his previous outing, worse was to come at White Hart Lane where he failed from the spot in front of watching national coach Fabio Capello.
While fellow England rivals Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe both managed assists if not goals, Bent cut a shellshocked figure after failing at his most practised and effective skill: ruthlessly converting penalties.
And that will reopen a debate which he can only close again by rediscovering as quickly as possible the rich vein of goalscoring with which he started the season.
Harry Redknapp sold Bent not because he didn't rate him as a striker, but because he felt his finishing ratio was not good enough – hence his remark about 'my missus could have scored that' when one too many chances went begging.
Bent disproved that argument in some style at the start of a season which brought him eight goals in nine games, and he had a chance to ram that fact down Redknapp's throat at the weekend – only to make his previous manager's point for him.
When Bent's big moment came, he blew it – the lethal penalty-taker producing a tame effort by his own standards. And now he must try to use that hurt to drive himself on to greater heights in the games ahead.
The penalty save proved to be the pivotal moment of the game – had Bent scored and equalised, the match might have had an altogether different outcome.
But to blame defeat on the striker who has done so much for Sunderland this season would be a nonsense.
And if the fingers are to be pointed anywhere, it should be at Bent's supporting cast of characters who do so much to help Sunderland dominate games but, like jigsaws, go to pieces in the box.
Fortune too, it has to be said, did not favour the brave.
Sunderland opted for a positive attacking strategy and after dominating the opening few minutes, they might have taken the lead in the sixth minute when Bent crossed from the right and Jordan Henderson could only trail a shot across the face of goal.
Instead, it was Spurs who took the lead in the 12th minute when full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto swung in a cross from the left, towering Crouch inevitably nodded the ball down and Robbie Keane bundled the ball past Craig Gordon from a couple of yards out.
There was a real suspicion of offside about the goal, but replays showed Keane looked fractionally onside and the goal stood.
Sunderland had opted for a 4-5-1 formation which gave Spurs – intent on fielding three strikers – all sorts of problems in an over-run midfield.
Henderson, Kieran Richardson and Andy Reid swelled midfield with Steed Malbranque to the left, Fraizer Campbell to the right while George McCartney was recalled at left-back, Phil Bardsley at right-back and Paulo Da Silva was handed his Premier League debut in his preferred central defensive role.
Despite being without the suspended Lorik Cana and Kenwyne Jones, as well as the injured Lee Cattermole, Sunderland made light of the absentees with that bright start undermined by Keane's strike – the pesky Irishman's fifth goal against Sunderland in six games.
It was to be just about the only time before the break that Spurs were to threaten Gordon's goal, for Sunderland produced a classy display full of attacking endeavour with the midfield five energetically getting forward to support Bent at every opportunity.
The second half burst into life in the 51st minute, when Malbranque, who had an impressive return to his old stamping ground, flighted a perfect long ball for Bent to run on to and the striker went down as Gomes hurtled out to the edge of the area.
It was very similar to a first-half incident, but in this case referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot.
Steve Bruce claimed Gomes should have been sent off under the rules; Harry Redknapp that Bent was going away from goal and defenders were getting back to cover.
But the arguments would have been largely immaterial had Bent made the most of his spot-kick.
Usually a penalty for Bent is a 'gimme' but perhaps the whole return to Spurs, the twittering episode, the Redknapp slight, the presence of Capello and above all, the pressure of the situation, suddenly got to him.
He opted for safety, for hitting the target, and Gomes dropped smartly to his left to block an effort that was tame by Bent's standards.
Commendably, rather than let their heads drop, Sunderland redoubled their efforts, but they were further rocked back just before the hour when Defoe chased into the area and allowed his trailing leg to go through on Gordon.
It looked cynical but whether it was or not, the challenge left Gordon with a broken forearm and he was replaced minutes later by former Spur Marton Fulop.
And hopes of a comeback disappeared in the 67th minute when Fulop's first action of the game was to pull the ball out of the back of the net.
In fairness to the Hungarian, there was little he could do about Spurs' second – Defoe holding a long ball up well down the left channel and fending off Da Silva, before laying the perfect ball into the path of Huddlestone and the big midfielder drilling an unstoppable thunderbolt of a shot in off the crossbar from 25 yards out.
For Sunderland there was the scant consolation of once again getting all of the plaudits but none of the points on a day when five former players returned to the Lane.
Reid was eye-catchingly inventive, Campbell busy, Fulop solid enough and Malbranque the best of the lot, but the only one anyone was talking about afterwards was Bent.
As he trooped miserably off the pitch he could console himself with the knowledge that he is still the leading English goalscorer in the Premier League this season.
But the pain was evident and, despite his achievements, he remains a man with a point to prove.
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Weather for South Shields
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
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