Spurs fightback stuns Addicks

In the first half everything was normal. Spurs played with their now trademark bleakness, as if every ounce of pleasure in their professional trade had been ironed out of them. They managed some shots on goal, so long as you were feeling sufficiently generous to describe their repeated attempts from a mile out thus. There seemed acres of depressing time in which to reflect anew on the untold gormlessness of Darren Anderton.

Whatever gorm may be, Daz lacks it. He is without gorm. He is gormless. You see? This is the medical condition doctors call the Watching Tottenham Effect. The mind wanders in desperate search of stimulation. Hence the average mind had covered a fair distance by the time Richard Rufus turned Gary Doherty's cross into his own net. Even then it seemed just another hollow footnote in the dismal Spurs encyclopedia - the only way they could score a goal was by getting the opposition to perform the task for them.

Yet it was odds-on that normal service would be instantly resumed. That would have been the case a minute later had Chris Powell pushed the ball home at the other end for his second of the evening, and indeed his entire Charlton career. But the ball trickled wide, and thence travelled upfield in Tottenham's favour again. Come to think of it, that must have been when everybody at The Valley started eating magic mushrooms, because things got pretty trippy after that.

For a start, Spurs scored. You know, like ... a goal. Of their own. Quite frightening, especially considering that it was the man without gorm whose long-range free kick hit the net. Oyvind Leonhardsen made it three and even Sergei Rebrov managed not to miss late on, by which time Spurs fans were making strange hysterical noises. Four goals - fantastic, except it used up Tottenham's entire goal allowance for the next 50 matches.

Afterwards George Graham managed his usual twin trick of appearing smoothly unimpressed while simultaneously talking up Spurs' performance no end. But even he admitted he had reckoned "it would be difficult to get a goal'' at 2-0 down.

Funnily enough Alan Curbishley agreed with him there but you could tell as he described how his side "threw it away'' that any amusement was lost on him.

"It's a funny old game, isn't it, George?'' ventured one scribe, in summary of the evening's events. Graham stared back stonily.

"I wasn't laughing,'' he replied. Not to worry, George. The rest of us can't seem to stop.