Tottenham suffer Van der Vaart blow

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp labelled Manchester United’s second goal “scandalous” as Rafael van der Vaart was ruled out of Tuesday’s Champions League match with Inter Milan.

Netherlands international Van der Vaart suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday and will not feature when the European champions visit White Hart Lane.

But it was the controversial decision by referee Mark Clattenburg not to disallow Nani’s goal, which doubled the lead after Nemanja Vidic had given United the lead, that left Tottenham incensed.

Portugal international Nani, who moments earlier thought he should have won a penalty, sealed victory after tapping the ball into the net after Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes had rolled the ball out believing he had been awarded a free-kick.

“It was a scandalous decision to give it,” said Redknapp.

“The referee should have disallowed the goal. How can you give a goal? He’s (Nani) handled the ball.

“If he handles the ball he should be booked to start with – and it’s a free kick. So Gomez has put the ball down for a free kick.

“If you look at Darren Fletcher, he’s telling Nani to get back into position because he thinks we’re going to counter-attack from the free-kick.

“Gomes has put the ball down to take a free-kick. It’s obvious. Why would he stand there and leave the ball there?

“Everyone saw him handball it except the referee. He’ll probably say now he did see it. Well if he did, why didn’t he book him? It’s deliberate handball. What a farcical way to finsh the game.”

Redknapp must now pick up his players ahead of Inter Milan’s visit to London. But he will be without the influential Van der Vaart, who was denied a goal by the woodwork, at Old Trafford.

“He’s picked up a hamstring injury,” added Redknapp.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insisted it was Gomes who was to blame for the controversial goal.

“You can look at the referee and you can look at the linesman and blame them, but the goalkeeper should know better,” said Ferguson.

“He’s an experienced keeper and I thought he made a mess of it.

“The referee played on because the keeper was in possession of the ball. He went to take a free kick thinking it was a foul, so he’s made an error.

“It was bizarre. No one knew at the time what was wrong. The goalkeeper was in possession of the ball, he had it in his hands and the next minute it’s in the net.”

Ferguson is now urging his side to “kick on” after their third successive league and cup win.

United, who face Turkish champions Bursaspor in the Champions League on Tuesday, are five points behind leaders Chelsea with a quarter of the season gone.

“As I said in my programme notes, we have to kick on,” added Ferguson.

“We can’t keep throwing games away. Last Sunday at Stoke when we lost a goal, glavanised ourselves, and won it.

“Today we didn’t have to worry about it because a two-goal cushion gave us a bit of comfort.”