Jol relieved as Spurs hit back

LONDON – Under-fire Tottenham manager Martin Jol was mightily relieved after Spurs got their English Premier League season back on track.

The big-spending Dutch boss was under pressure to deliver results after his side lost both their opening games and sunk to the foot of the table. But they took their frustration out on visitors Derby, who were thrashed 4-0, while hosts Wigan beat Sunderland 3-0 to leave the Latics topping the table ahead of Sunday’s matches.”It’s a relief because we need the points and to lose back-to-back games at home, it’s impossible,” said Jol.”We got the ?rst three points, we’re not bottom of the league any more and that is the main thing.When we ?re as a team and a club we can be a force again.”Elsewhere, previous leaders Everton lost 1-0 at Reading, Portsmouth beat visitors Bolton 3-1 and Middlesbrough won 2-1 at Fulham.West Ham won 1-0 at Birmingham and Newcastle shared a bore draw with visitors Aston Villa.On Sunday, Liverpool were due to face Chelsea late yesterday in the ?rst “big four” clash of the new season.Blackburn were set to host Arsenal.Last season’s Championship play-off winners Derby were made to suffer as Spurs ran riot at White Hart Lane.French mid?elder Steed Malbranque scored twice before England mid?elder Jermaine Jenas made it 3-0 within 14 minutes.Darren Bent, Jol’s big pre-season signing, scored his ?rst Spurs goal to ease the pressure on the Dutch boss.Roy Keane’s Sunderland were overrun by Wigan in a 3-0 defeat at the JJB Stadium, leaving the Latics in the unusual position of topping the table.Former Liverpool and England forward Emile Heskey scored – though television replays showed he was offside – before Denny Landzaat and Antoine Sibierski struck from the penalty spot.Keane said: “Even after defeat, you look for some pluses.I don’t know if you’ve found one but I haven’t yet.”Reading beat Everton 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium thanks to Republic of Ireland mid?elder Stephen Hunt’s goal just before half time.At Fratton Park, Uefa Cup side Bolton’s third straight defeat heaped the pressure on boss Sammy Lee.Portsmouth notched their ?rst victory of the campaign as they beat the Trotters 3-1.France striker Nicolas Anelka gave Bolton the lead but Nwankwo Kanu equalised, John Utaka scored and Matthew Taylor completed the rout from the penalty spot.Middlesbrough put two straight defeats behind them as they came from a goal down to beat Fulh Aam 2-1 at Craven Cottage, with Boro’s new striker Mido scoring on his debut.Fulham’s Brian McBride dislocated his left knee as he scored and Hameur Bouazza then dislocated his right shoulder.A blunder by Cottagers goalkeeper Tony Warner diverted Mido’s weak shot in and Boro won it with two minutes to go thanks to Lee Cattermole’s cool ?nish.”As soon as Mido went into the dressing room I could see the in?uence he was going to have at the club,” Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate said.England mid?elder Kieron Dyer made his debut for West Ham after completing his transfer from Newcastle United.But it was the Hammers’ Mark Noble who stole the limelight with a 70th minute penalty, the only goal of the game.”We are a pacy side who have got the ability to break and the con?dence came back when we got going,” West Ham boss Alan Curbishley said.Newcastle United have not scored at home since February and there was no danger of that changing as the Magpies ground to a goalless draw with Aston Villa.England striker Michael Owen made a welcome return from injury in Sam Allardyce’s first league match at St James’s Park as Newcastle manager.Nampa-AFPBut they took their frustration out on visitors Derby, who were thrashed 4-0, while hosts Wigan beat Sunderland 3-0 to leave the Latics topping the table ahead of Sunday’s matches.”It’s a relief because we need the points and to lose back-to-back games at home, it’s impossible,” said Jol.”We got the ?rst three points, we’re not bottom of the league any more and that is the main thing.When we ?re as a team and a club we can be a force again.”Elsewhere, previous leaders Everton lost 1-0 at Reading, Portsmouth beat visitors Bolton 3-1 and Middlesbrough won 2-1 at Fulham.West Ham won 1-0 at Birmingham and Newcastle shared a bore draw with visitors Aston Villa.On Sunday, Liverpool were due to face Chelsea late yesterday in the ?rst “big four” clash of the new season.Blackburn were set to host Arsenal.Last season’s Championship play-off winners Derby were made to suffer as Spurs ran riot at White Hart Lane.French mid?elder Steed Malbranque scored twice before England mid?elder Jermaine Jenas made it 3-0 within 14 minutes.Darren Bent, Jol’s big pre-season signing, scored his ?rst Spurs goal to ease the pressure on the Dutch boss.Roy Keane’s Sunderland were overrun by Wigan in a 3-0 defeat at the JJB Stadium, leaving the Latics in the unusual position of topping the table.Former Liverpool and England forward Emile Heskey scored – though television replays showed he was offside – before Denny Landzaat and Antoine Sibierski struck from the penalty spot.Keane said: “Even after defeat, you look for some pluses.I don’t know if you’ve found one but I haven’t yet.”Reading beat Everton 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium thanks to Republic of Ireland mid?elder Stephen Hunt’s goal just before half time.At Fratton Park, Uefa Cup side Bolton’s third straight defeat heaped the pressure on boss Sammy Lee.Portsmouth notched their ?rst victory of the campaign as they beat the Trotters 3-1.France striker Nicolas Anelka gave Bolton the lead but Nwankwo Kanu equalised, John Utaka scored and Matthew Taylor completed the rout from the penalty spot.Middlesbrough put two straight defeats behind them as they came from a goal down to beat Fulh Aam 2-1 at Craven Cottage, with Boro’s new striker Mido scoring on his debut.Fulham’s Brian McBride dislocated his left knee as he scored and Hameur Bouazza then dislocated his right shoulder.A blunder by Cottagers goalkeeper Tony Warner diverted Mido’s weak shot in and Boro won it with two minutes to go thanks to Lee Cattermole’s cool ?nish.”As soon as Mido went into the dressing room I could see the in?uence he was going to have at the club,” Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate said.England mid?elder Kieron Dyer made his debut for West Ham after completing his transfer from Newcastle United.But it was the Hammers’ Mark Noble who stole the limelight with a 70th minute penalty, the only goal of the game.”We are a pacy side who have got the ability to break and the con?dence came back when we got going,” West Ham boss Alan Curbishley said.Newcastle United have not scored at home since February and there was no danger of that changing as the Magpies ground to a goalless draw with Aston Villa.England striker Michael Owen made a welcome return from injury in Sam Allardyce’s first league match at St James’s Park as Newcastle manager.Nampa-AFP