FC Zimbru 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur on 30 September 1999

Spurs made it safely through to the second round of the Uefa Cup after this goalless draw to follow their 3-0 win in the home leg.

Despite their advantage, George Graham will have reminded his team that English teams have surrendered such leads on five occasions in the past.

But Spurs never looked likely to follow Manchester United's example, and that of Ipswich and QPR, who both wasted three-goal leads on two occasions.

Spurs' progress means George Graham can celebrate his first year in charge with a series of achievements to follow his controversial appointment.

The only scare came late - in injury-time when stand-in skipper Chris Perry cleared off the line.

Substitute Dumitru Gusila had beaten Graham's offside trap and goalkeeper Ian Walker, but Perry saved his side a defeat.

Spurs were keen to defend their lead of course, but they did go for the early goal which would have killed off any threat of a comeback.

Perry was denied his third goal of the season by a goal-line clearance by the home side after only five minutes.

Minutes later a low drive from Mauricio Taricco was too tame to beat the Moldovan's goalkpeer after a pull-back from Steffen Iversen.

The first real moment of concern came after 27 minutes when Sergiu Dodul drilled in a dangerous cross which Walker confidently claimed.

Dodul was the home side's major threat and he had a shot saved by Walker on 38 minutes.

But the last significant moment of the half belonged to Spurs when a free-kick was cleverly worked to Stephen Carr, who drove the ball well wide.

Light trouble

Walker had a couple of nervous moments at the start of the second half, and may have been disturbed by the darkness due to the failure of the floodlight to his left.

One shot was only just held in the 47th minute. Another in the 50th squirmed from his grasp spun behind for a corner.

After the hour Iversen flashed a volley across the face of goal and a free kick was wasted on 67 minutes.

Towards the end Oyvind Leonhardsen missed from six yards before another floodlight problem and Perry's saving challenge in injury time..

Zimbru: Romanenco, Telesnenco, Catinsus, Ghilazev, Oprea, Miterev, Epureanu, Dodul, Borets, Tropanet, Berco. Subs: Diaconli, Fistican, Kulyk, Robu, Gavriliuc, Butelischi, Gusila.

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Perry, Young, Taricco, Clemence, Freund, Nielsen, Leonhardsen, Iversen, Armstrong. Subs: Baardsen, Fox, King, Edinburgh, Dominguez, Gower, McVeigh.