Villas-Boas laments late lapse

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is adamant his side should have won their home clash with West Brom on Saturday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Spurs took the lead in the 74th minute through Benoit Assou-Ekotto, but a stoppage-time equaliser from James Morrison saw Steve Clarke’s unbeaten start as West Brom manager continue.

Villas-Boas was disappointed his side did not do enough to claim victory.

“We should have won it,” he said. “In the second-half it’s fair that both teams equalled each other. (But) for all we did in the first-half I think we deserve better.

“But West Brom really pushed hard to get the equaliser and from a set play we conceded. But let’s push on and focus on the next game.”

Villas-Boas praised West Brom’s loan signing Romelu Lukaku’s impact on the match and also lamented his defence’s failure to close out the game.

“(The second half was) a little bit too open. After we scored we wanted to close it a bit to keep it steady,” he said.

“When Lukaku came on he was a handful, and created lots of problems, (being) strong and holding balls to his colleagues.

“The game escaped us just in the last minute so this is disappointing, but we have to make sure that we understand that what we did in the first half was extremely good, and move on from there.”

West Brom boss Clarke, meanwhile, hailed his side’s belief after they secured a point.

“I’m really pleased with the boys,” Clarke said.

“We spoke a bit at half-time about them having belief in themselves and going out there to play the football that we want them to play – on the front foot and positive – and they went out and did that second half.

“It would have been a travesty if we had lost the game.

“I’m pleased we got the 1-1 in the end because when you go a goal down late on it is difficult to chase the game but we still managed to do that and get something out the game which is pleasing.”