STOKE, United Kingdom - Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was unable to hide his frustration with referee Chris Foy after watching his team lose ground in the English Premier League title race.

Matthew Etherington's first-half double was sufficient to earn Stoke a 2-1 victory at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, ending a run of 10 wins and a draw from its previous 11 top-flight matches for Redknapp's team.

Tottenham remains third, but Chelsea was left an opportunity to climb above it with a victory over leader Manchester City on Monday - something Redknapp felt could have been avoided but for Foy's controversial decisions.

Although the Merseyside official awarded Spurs a penalty, converted by Emmanuel Adebayor, for a foul on Luka Modric, he twice missed handballs on the line by Ryan Shawcross and Dean Whitehead.

Foy also ruled out a legitimate Adebayor goal despite the on-loan striker being clearly played onside by Marc Wilson.

"Unfortunately, a couple of decisions he got completely and utterly wrong," Redknapp said of Foy.

"Yes I told him (Foy) so. I never go and talk to referees after a game, I accept defeat, I never complain about referees' decisions, I have not done it in 30 years of management, never, but, I'm afraid, he got some badly wrong.

"The referee hasn't made mistakes because he meant to - he's an honest guy, but he had a bad day.

"So did the linesman who missed Adebayor being two yards onside - he'll look at it on TV when his wife's making him a bacon sandwich and he'll think 'what have I done there?'."

Spurs will need to quickly dust themselves down for Thursday's Europa League meeting with Shamrock Rovers in Dublin where, as well as winning themselves, they will need Rubin Kazan to lose and a six-goal swing in goal difference if they are to pinch a spot in the knockout phase.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 12/13/2011 page22)