Tottenham Hotspur remain on course for another Carling Cup final appearance after a 4-1 win over Burnley at White Hart Lane.
Substitution inspires holders to emphatic win
Tottenham Hotspur remain on course for another Carling Cup final appearance after a devastating second-half display secured a 4-1 win over Burnley at White Hart Lane.
The Championship club were looking to claim the scalp of a fourth Premier League club this season after already knocking out Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal en route to the semi-finals.
But the half-time introduction of Jamie O'Hara swung the first-leg tie back in Spurs' favour after the club had paraded new signing Jermain Defoe before kick-off.
Burnley had taken a 15th minute lead when Chris Eagles cut between two Spurs players before rolling the ball across the face of goal for Martin Paterson to tap in at the far post.
Such was the impressive nature of Burnley's performance that Spurs were booed off at half-time, only for a substitution to spark the holders into life.
Within 90 seconds of replacing David Bentley, O'Hara fired in a corner from the right which was headed home at the far post by Michael Dawson.
And just five minutes later O'Hara had put Spurs in front when his crisp left-footed volley squirmed underneath Burnley keeper Brian Jensen.
The Clarets were slowly capitulating and Roman Pavlyuchenko continued his record of scoring in every round on 65 minutes with a fine finish after skipping past Clarke Carlisle.
Burnley's misery was compounded two minutes later when O'Hara's free-kick from the right was headed past his own keeper by Michael Duff.
Up for it
The scoreline did not do the Clarets justice for their first-half effort.
The sign that they were up for it came within two minutes of kick-off when Chris McCann rattled Luka Modric, leaving the Croatia playmaker asking referee Martin Atkinson for a foul.
Spurs' other players got the same treatment in the first 45 minutes - none of them were given a moment on the ball before there was a claret shirt closing in.
But it is not just work-rate that has guided Burnley towards the play-off places in the Championship; they broke at pace and tried to get Eagles on the ball as soon as possible.
Eagles had already gone wide with one effort before he set up the opener on the 15-minute mark.
He picked the ball up on the right and squeezed between Gareth Bale and Bentley before crossing to the far post. Paterson, who was unmarked, simply could not miss from five yards.
It could have been worse for Spurs when Eagles got another cross over nine minutes after the opener, with Robbie Blake glancing a header just past Heurelho Gomes' upright.
Spurs would inevitably power forward and it took goalkeeper Jensen to keep the scores level.
Jonathan Woodgate headed Bentley's corner back into the six-yard box and Jensen was at full stretch to keep out Pavlyuchenko at point-blank range.
Half-time change
It was Spurs' only clear opportunity of a dismal first half for them - and boss Harry Redknapp was prompted to make a change at the break, bringing on O'Hara for Bentley.
Bentley was reported to be ill and would have missed the equaliser as he did not appear on the bench after the restart, with Dawson climbing above Carlisle and heading into the top corner from O'Hara's 47th-minute corner.
O'Hara, who was in tears after being left out of the cup final squad last year, added the second five minutes later after Pavlyuchenko's shot was deflected into his path. There was not much power on his first-time volley but it squeezed under Jensen.
Blake curled an effort just over the bar and then almost took advantage of a rush of blood to Gomes' head - but Pavlyuchenko ended their hopes in the 65th minute.
The Russian sidestepped Carlisle and rifled his finish into the bottom corner. Duff's own goal came when he glanced O'Hara's free-kick past Jensen.
| Tottenham Hotspur |
Team Statistics |
Burnley |
| 4 |
Goals |
1 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 8 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 8 |
Shots off Target |
8 |
| 2 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 5 |
Corners |
4 |
| 6 |
Fouls |
13 |
| 1 |
Offsides |
0 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 78.7 |
Passing Success |
71.2 |
| 29 |
Tackles |
23 |
| 72.4 |
Tackles Success |
60.9 |
| 54.5 |
Possession |
45.5 |
| 50.8 |
Territorial Advantage |
49.2 |
|
