Spurs sink Burnley after second-half blitz
Harry Redknapp's half-time team-talk appears to have worked wonders
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Tuesday, 06, Jan 2009 10:45
Tottenham Hotspur recovered from a goal down at half-time to blitz Burnley 4-1 in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.
After Martin Paterson gave the Championship side the lead early on, Harry Redknapp's team left the White Hart Lane turf a goal down at the break.
But Spurs returned a charged outfit and quickly reached parity through a Michael Dawson header before a goalkeeping howler allowed Jamie O'Hara to put the home side in front.
Two goals in the space of three minutes - by striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and an own goal by Burnley's Michael Dugg - then destroyed the will of the visitors as Spurs took control.
With a three-goal margin, the defending cup holders have one foot in the final ahead of their second leg tie at Turf Moor.
Despite the comprehensive victory for the Premier League side, when the action started it was the visitors who flew out the blocks.
After three minutes Eagles shot wide after being set up by Wade Elliott in a Burnley counter-attack.
The Championship side continued to enjoy possession in the Spurs half and only it was not until the 13th minute that Burnley keeper Brian Jenson was forced into action.
David Bentley, whose long-range goal against Arsenal early into Redknapp's tenure is down in Spurs folklore, could not resist a shot from 30 yards which Jenson does well to save.
But it was Burnley who broke the deadlock.
Eagles continued his Premier League-class performance, running past Gareth Bale and Bentley with the ball at this feet before crossing to the far post and allowing Martin Paterson to tap in from close range.
Burnley's supporters were still celebrating when mid-way into the half, Eagles again sprung to action, turning inside Bale and floating a superb cross only for Robbie Blake to head inches wide.
As the half wore on Harry Redknapp's side sought a way back into the contest and gained their best chance of the game when Bentley's corner was headed back across goal by Jonathon Woodgate, only for Pavlyuchenko's goal-bound header to be saved superbly by Jensen.
Following a disappointing 45 minutes, Aaron Lennon summed up the frustrations of the home crowd by booting the ball away in frustration after running it out of play down the right - only to almost slip in the process.
It was Bentley who made way for O'Hara at the break, however, as Redknapp looked to turn the tie around.
Within minutes, the former Portsmouth boss' tactical switch was rewarded.
O'Hara swung in a corner from the right and Dawson's header gave Jensen no chance.
Four minutes later, the a goalkeeping howler - not involving Heurelho Gomes - handed Spurs the lead.
A miss-kicked Pavlyuchenko shot deflected towards O'Hara, whose volley squirmed through the body of Jensen into the net.
It proved a body blow for Burnley - although Robbie Blake curled in a great shot seven minutes later which evaded the far corner.
Mid-way into the second-half however, the game was wrapped up when Bale found Pavlyuchenko and the Russian shimmied past Clarke Carlisle before curling the ball into the far corner from just inside the box.
Spurs rubbed salt into the Burnley wounds three minutes later when O'Hara's free-kick was deflected goalwards off the head of their own defender.
Duff had the ignobility of being accredited with the goal as Burnley's excellent first-half display faded into the memory.
The first leg of the second Carling Cup semi-final, between Derby County and Manchester United, takes place at Pride Park tomorrow night.