Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland

GARETH Bale’s stunning 90th minute winner wasn’t enough to propel Spurs into the Champions League on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal beat Newcastle by the same scoreline.

Sunderland finished a dismal campaign in 17th and with 10 men as David Vaughan became the third player of the Paolo Di Canio era to see red.

The Italian tore a strip off his players in his post match press conference, condemning the actions of Phil Bardsley – pictured with £50 notes around him in a casino during the week – and declaring the standards of professionalism worse than at previous employers Swindon Town.

With no Bardsley or Matt Kilgallon – also left behind for his part in the display of crassness – Sunderland were down to just 10 fit senior outfield players.

Seb Larsson and Jack Colback dropped in at full-back, whilst Connor Wickham partnered Danny Graham up front in a 4-4-2 system.

Six academy scholars were named on the substitutes bench.

Andre Villas-Boas started with Bale partnering Emmanuel Adebayor up front and Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left-back.

Without a penalty all season, Spurs should have had one after 20 minutes when Bale was barged to the floor by Larsson after the Welsh flyer had looked to burst past the Swede.

Referee Andre Marriner elected to book Bale for diving instead.

In the 31st minute Sunderland had their first chance when Graham whipped in a low cross which Wickham met at the near-post, only to be denied by Hugo Lloris.

Half-time:

Wickham created a chance for Graham after the re-start, robbing Bale in midfield before setting the former Swansea striker through on goal to test Lloris with a low left-footed effort.

Spurs were denied another stonewall penalty when Adebayor’s effort was blocked by Carlos Cuellar, who dived sharply to his right to block the Togolese’s effort with his arms.

The hosts could be forgiven for thinking the breakthrough would never come when the excellent Colback blocked twice on the line in a matter of seconds to keep the game scoreless.

Bale tested the equally impeccable Simon Mignolet with a low right-footed effort soon after, having controlled a long pass over the top on his chest with immaculately.

Vaughan heightened Sunderland’s task with 15 minutes to play, rightly picking up a second booking for a late challenge.

In the 90th minute, as so often this season, Bale stepped up to the plate, cutting inside from the right and firing an inch-perfect left-footed effort high beyond Mignolet and into the top right-hand corner to win the contest.

Full-time:

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Walker, Dawson (c), Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto (Sigurdsson); Lennon, Parker (Dembele), Huddlestone, Dempsey (Defoe); Bale & Adebayor.

Subs not used: Friedel (GK), Naughton, Holtby & Caulker

Sunderland: Mignolet; Larsson, O`Shea (c), Cuellar, Colback; Johnson, N`Diaye, Vaughan, McClean (Knott); Graham (Mitchell) & Wickham (Mandron).

Subs not used: Westwood (GK), Marrs, Ferguson & Harrison.

Attendance: 36 763

Referee: Mr A Marriner.