Bent misses two penalties but double still sinks Spurs

Darren Bent exacted revenge on former boss Harry Redknapp with a double strike that dented Spurs’ Champions League push, but Saturday’s 3-1 win should have been even sweeter for the Sunderland striker.

Bent also endured the misery of seeing two penalties saved by Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes at the Stadium of Light, making it three the Brazilian has made against him this season.

Redknapp publicly ridiculed Bent when he missed a chance for Spurs last season, claiming his wife would have scored.

England international Bent, who joined Sunderland in a 10 million pounds deal last year, made Redknapp pay with a goal after 36 seconds and a 29th minute penalty.

But Gomes got the better of Bent when former Spurs loanee Fraizer Campbell won a 41st-minute penalty for a foul by skipper Luka Modric, and the Tottenham keeper sprang to his left to make a stunning save.

Gomes repeated his penalty heroics to frustrate Bent again just after the hour-mark, then substitute Peter Crouch headed Spurs back into the game in the 72nd minute only a minute after coming on.

But Sunderland sub Bolo Zenden smashed in a magnificent left-foot volley from Jordan Henderson’s centre to seal victory five minutes from time.

Bent now has 23 goals this season – 22 in the Premier League – and his first, in 36 seconds, was the quickest this season.

His first came when Kieran Richardson took the right-wing corner, Campbell saw his diving header saved by Gomes and Bent bundled in the rebound from close range.

Roman Pavlyuchenko spurned a glorious opportunity to level in the sixth minute when the ball dropped into him, but he let it escape under his foot.

The home fans appealed in vain for a penalty on 13 minutes when Henderson nutmegged Benoit Assou-Ekotto before going down as he surged into the penalty area on the right.

Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon came to his side’s aid again when he dived to his right to save Pavlyuchenko’s header.

Steed Malbranque then played his part when Sunderland doubled their lead.

Gomes parried his shot and the ball bounced up to strike the hand of right-back Kyle Walker. And Bent stepped up to gleefully blast home.

Campbell flashed a header wide as Sunderland continued to dominate, but Gordon had to be on his mettle once more to block as Gudjohnsen slid in.

The Black Cats were then awarded their second penalty after Campbell went down under the challenge of Spurs’ stand-in skipper Modric.

But this time Gomes was equal to it, saving brilliantly to his left.

Redknapp brought on fit-again Jermain Defoe and Niko Kranjcar for the second half and Gordon then came to Sunderland’s rescue again with two fine saves in the space of a minute.

The first came when Defoe raced goalward and the Scottish international came out to block, the second when he turned over Bale’s header.

Sunderland had another spot-kick chance to kill the game off when Wilson Palacios brought down Henderson.

But, incredibly, Gomes touched Bent’s kick on to a post before the ball rolled back kindly for the keeper to gather.

The entrance of Crouch spelled trouble and it duly arrived when he headed in after only a minute on the field but Zenden clinched the points late on.