Premier League: Spurs undone by old boys

London: Tottenham Hotspur`s long unbeaten run in the Premier League ended in a pulsating 2-1 loss at Stoke City.

Stoke winger Matthew Etherington scored twice to sink 10-man Spurs at the Britannia Stadium in a match full of controversy. Third-placed Spurs, who had won six successive league games and not lost one since August, fell behind in the 13th minute when striker Peter Crouch set up fellow former Tottenham player Etherington for a powerful finish. Crouch appeared to handle the ball in the build-up but Spurs had nothing to complain about when Jon Walters flicked on Ryan Shotton`s long throw and Etherington scooped in at the far post two minutes before the break. The visitors struck back in the 62nd minute when Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan tripped Luka Modric in the area and Emmanuel Adebayor converted the penalty, sending goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen the wrong way. The lively Modric could have levelled with a long-range shot that Sorensen tipped behind and Adebayor put the ball in the net in the 75th minute but was ruled offside when television replays showed he had not been. Just before that, Younes Kaboul`s goal-bound shot was blocked on the line by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross`s arm. Kaboul was booked for his protests and eight minutes from time was sent off for a second yellow following a foul on Walters. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was not happy with referee Chris Foy. "A couple of the decisions today were amazing," he told reporters. "I just watched the video replays -- Adebayor was a yard and a half, maybe two yards, onside. They`ve handled the ball on the line, it`s blatant hand ball, Younes Kaboul got a yellow card for saying to the referee `referee, he hand-balled it`.” "I wouldn`t want to comment about what I thought about the referee`s performance today. I never come on TV and complain about referees ... but it was disappointing today." The result kept Tottenham in third place, five points behind Manchester United with a game in hand. Leaders Manchester City, who are two points clear, travel to fifth-placed Chelsea on Monday (2000 GMT). Stoke moved up to eighth. Bureau Report