Sunderland 3 Tottenham 1: DARREN BENT has scored 22 Premier League goals this season but none have had more significance than the pair struck against his old club on Saturday.

While Tottenham fans never really took to Bent, Harry Redknapp, the manager who dispatched him north last summer, was frequently rather sniffy about his ability. Small wonder, then, that when Heurelho Gomes could merely parry Fraizer Campbell’s first-minute header and Bent lashed home the rebound, the striker celebrated like a man possessed.

Single moments rarely prove more cathartic. “It’s definitely one of the most emotional situations I’ve ever had in my football career,” Bent said. “After I scored that first goal it was like a chapter of my life was finally behind me. The Spurs fans never gave me a chance when I was down there.

“Even my friends who are Spurs fans, even now, they’ve still got things to say about my time there, so I think it was about all the emotions of them saying this and saying that and never really getting behind me. I think all of that just sort of poured out of me as soon as the ball hit the back of the net.”

On an afternoon when a motivated, pressing, high-tempo Sunderland side containing three former Spurs – Bent, Campbell and Steed Malbranque – placed a sizeable dent in Redknapp’s Champions League ambitions, Bent took three penalties, converting one before Gomes saved two.

“It’s those long arms Heurelho’s got,” the striker said. “I used to take penalties against him all the time in training at Spurs. Back then he saved none.”

With Anton Ferdinand subsequently shooting incisively beyond Gomes, only to have that effort controversially disallowed for a foul in the build-up, it seemed Sunderland’s luck might be out when Peter Crouch stepped off the bench to direct a header beyond Craig Gordon.

For once, though, Steve Bruce’s side held their nerve and were not flattered by a third goal, superbly volleyed by Bolo Zenden.

“I didn’t look for Harry Redknapp afterwards, I didn’t acknowledge him really,” Bent said, somewhat pointedly.

On arrival, few of the Spurs team were probably au fait with David Meyler’s game but the former Cork City central midfielder’s splendid, slick-passing performance suggested Sunderland’s injured captain, Lorik Cana, may struggle to reclaim his place.

Thanks in no small part to Meyler’s contribution, Spurs now look to have greater hope of winning the FA Cup than finishing fourth in the Premier League.