Spurs progress with ease
Marin Jol can look forward to more continental competition in the new year
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Thursday, 14, Dec 2006 10:47
Tottenham Hotspur made it through to the knockout stage of the Uefa Cup with their 100 per cent record from Group B intact after a rousing 3-1 win over Dinamo Bucharest at White Hart Lane.
Martin Jol's side were in total control against their Romanian opponents as striker Jermain Defoe took the chance to underline his first-team credentials.
Often overlooked in favour of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, the diminutive England forward capped a lively performance with two goals.
The visitors were on the back foot straight from the kick-off with Tom Huddlestone and Berbatov both coming close before the Bulgarian's 16th-minute opener.
Uladzimir Hayeu had been in fine form to ensure his net stayed unbroken, but ruined his hard work by bizarrely throwing the ball straight back to Berbatov after making an easy save from the former Bayer Leverkusen forward.
Defoe was at his exhilarating best and, after several slaloming runs into the box had sent panic racing through the Dinamo defence, he claimed the second after 39 minutes as he finished a mazy dribble with a cool finish.
Just five minutes after the restart Defoe put the game beyond doubt with an opportunistic second as he pounced on a rebound from an Aaron Lennon effort.
Long since freed from any mundane concerns of qualification, Spurs piled forward, putting together some fine attacking moves.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto saw a free kick thump the post while Berbatov had several chances to match Defoe's brace.
Jean-Phillippe Mendy scored an injury-time consolation which did little to take the shine off a fine performance from the home team.