Stoke 2 - 1 Tottenham

 
Etherington made 51 appearances as a Spurs players between 1999 and 2003 
 

Tottenham's 11-match unbeaten league run ended as Matthew Etherington scored twice against his old club to hand Stoke a third straight league win.

One of four former Spurs players to feature for the hosts, Etherington tapped in to open the scoring.
He doubled the lead with a scuffed strike from Ryan Shotton's long throw before Emmanuel Adebayor converted a penalty after a foul on Luka Modric.
Tottenham pushed for an equaliser but faded once Younes Kaboul was sent off.
It was a harsh dismissal for a second yellow card but by then the damage had already been done.
The defeat stops Tottenham's winning streak in the league at six games and leaves them five points behind second-place Manchester United with a game in hand.
Stoke appear to have recaptured their early-season form and are now up to eighth in the table.
Their previous two league meetings with Spurs at the Britannia ended in defeat, but it was they who made the more purposeful start on this occasion.

DID YOU KNOW

• Stoke have lost only one of the 22 Premier League matches in which they have led by two goals - against Wolves in October 2009

There was no place in the team for Rory Delap but long-throw duties fell to Shotton and he proved a highly capable replacement.
Only 37 seconds were on the clock when his looping delivery was cleared to Etherington and the 30-year-old's volley drew a diving save from Brad Friedel.
Tottenham were struggling to get out of their own half amid unrelenting Stoke pressure and Shotton, in particular, was proving a constant menace.
Clearly aware of their opponents' strength in central midfield - where Scott Parker, Modric and Rafael van der Vaart have formed one of the division's more fearsome trios - Stoke looked to attack from wide areas at every opportunity.
The tactic paid off when Shotton's cross was flicked by Jon Walters to Peter Crouch and he held off William Gallas before turning the ball through Friedel's legs from a tight angle for Etherington to slam into an empty net.
Replays suggested Crouch may have handled in the build-up, but Stoke deserved their reward for a high-tempo approach that caught Tottenham off guard.
The visitors finally gained an element of control - Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale swapped wings while Modric took greater responsibility - but it was not until Thomas Sorensen saved easily from Van der Vaart on 24 minutes that they managed an attempt on goal.
Sorensen was at full stretch to palm a fizzing Modric drive round the post and gathered comfortably after a turn and shot by the ineffectual Adebayor.
Stoke worked tirelessly to maintain their advantage before going in search of a second, and it arrived when the latest Shotton throw was worked on by Walters and Etherington arrived at the back post to volley past Friedel.
Tony Pulis's men began the second half as they started and finished the first, harrying all over the pitch and Tottenham were push firmly on to the back foot.
But Harry Redknapp replaced Assou-Ekotto and Lennon with Sebastien Bassong and Jermain Defoe, switching his formation from 4-4-1-1 to 3-5-1-2, and the move paid off.
An unmarked Bassong headed over from Modric's corner, Defoe fired over, Ryan Shawcross cleared Bale's cross with a last-ditch header and Parker narrowly failed to connect with Kyle Walker's pinpoint centre.
Their superiority finally told when Glenn Whelan tripped Modric in the box and Adebayor wrong-footed Sorensen from the spot.
Spurs were now encamped in Stoke territory and Parker drew a stunning save from Sorensen, Adebayor curled inches wide and Modric again went close.
A Kaboul shot was cleared off the line by the arm of Ryan Shawcross and Adebayor was incorrectly flagged offside as he rolled in what should have been the leveller.
Referee Chris Foy gave Kaboul a second caution for a challenge on Walters and from that moment the game was up for Spurs, Shawcross heading against the bar as Stoke pressed for a late third.