Tottenham Hotspur 4 Peterborough United 0: match report

02 January 2010 17:33
No FA Cup heroics for Peterborough United, but it took the famed attacking might of a near full-strength Spurs side to kill off the resistance of the Championship team. [LNB]Joe Lewis, Peterborough's England under-21 goalkeeper was outstanding and kept Tottenham Hotspur at bay with a series of terrific saves until the 34th minute, when Niko Kranjcar scored the first of his two goals.[LNB]Late efforts from Jermain Defoe and a Robbie Keane penalty gave Spurs the scoreline they ultimately deserved, but Mark Cooper's men were not disgraced and gave a good account of themselves, especially in defence against one the Premiership's leading attacks. [LNB]Before kick-off, this game had the classic elements of an FA Cup giant-killing. Peterborough are currently bottom of the Championship, while Tottenham, eight-times FA Cup winners, are fourth in the Premier League and have now gone five games without conceding a goal. [LNB]Yet Cooper's side showed their fighting spirit in their 4-4 draw with Cardiff City on Monday, having been four goals down by half-time. [LNB]They started off in similar fighting mode, keeping a rampant Spurs side at bay, along with some help from the woodwork. Defoe volleyed against the bar from barely a yard out in the tenth minute, and then Keane hit the post a minute later. [LNB]Lewis then made the first of several fine saves, tipping away a Tom Huddlestone free kick. The young England keeper made an even better save in the 26th minute, tipping a Kranjcar volley onto the bar, but the Croatian was not to be denied too long. [LNB]In the 35th minute, his fellow Croatian found him with a long cross field pass and Kranjcar stepped in from the left and fired an unstoppable shot into the far corner of goal from 25 yards. [LNB]But still Lewis was defiant. He made a terrific double save at the feet of Defoe and then Wilson Palacios and then flung himself full-length to tip away another Huddlestone drive. It was not until the final minute of the first half that Heurelho Gomes, at the other end, had a save to make, and that was a simple stop from Lee Frecklingon's long shot. [LNB]Lewis started the second half in similar vein, saving with his legs from Keane. But he had little chance in the 57th minute when Gareth Bale crossed from the left and Kranjcar slid in to score his second goal. [LNB]It was also Bale, in for the injured Benoît Assou-Ekotto, who crossed for Defoe to make it 3-0 from close range with the outside of his boot in the 70th minute, shortly after Gomes had made an impressive save to keep out Craig Mackail-Smith's rising shot. [LNB]And when Chris Whelpdale tripped Spurs substitute Danny Rose in stoppage time, Keane stepped up to put the penalty past Lewis. It was harsh on the keeper but served notice that Harry Redknapp is taking seriously the competition he won with Portsmouth two years ago.[LNB]

Source: Telegraph