New Delhi: Tottenham Hotspur recovered from their Carling Cup heartbreak in style to comfortably defeat Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane.
Robbie Keane scored his first goal since returning to White Hart Lane to send Tottenham Hotspur on their way to an emphatic victory against Middlesbrough.
Keane opened his second account for the North London club after just nine minutes, latching on to a Michael Dawson flick-on from Luka Modric’s corner to tap in.
Modric was in inspired form early on and it was the Croatian playmaker who set up Roman Pavlyuchenko to slide the ball home just five minutes later, after some sublime skill on the left hand side.
It could have been much different for Middlesbrough though, had Tuncay Sanli’s goal in between the two Spurs strikes been allowed to stand.
Referee Howard Webb adjudged Tuncay to be narrowly offside and replays of the incident proved to be inconclusive.
Tuncay had yet another goal disallowed for offside in second half stoppage time, heading in from Gary O’Neil, but this time the decision looked to be a little easier for the match officials.
Heurelho Gomes retained his place in goal somewhat surprisingly ahead of Carlo Cudicini for Tottenham and Julio Arca attempted to test the Brazilian from distance shortly after Pavlyuchenko’s goal, but his effort sailed safely over.
A poor clearance from Gomes’ opposite number however, Boro’s Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones, fell straight to the feet of Pavlyuchenko shortly after but the Russian could not get away from David Wheater, who was quicker off the mark than the striker to prevent a third goal.
The third for Spurs was not far away though, as Aaron Lennon applied the finishing touch to Keane’s nutmeg on Robert Huth five minutes before half-time, leaving Jones little chance of saving the effort.
The score line was perhaps a little flattering for Spurs as Middlesbrough had chances they failed to convert either side of the interval, most notably Jeremie Aliadiere’s effort just before the break, heading wide from Justin Hoyte’s cross.
Arca continued to challenge the oft-criticised Gomes from long range and nearly got the better of him from 25 yards but his effort could only find the roof of the net.
With Middlesbrough coming back into the game Spurs introduced Jamie O’Hara, who missed a penalty in the Carling Cup final, for Modric and the North Londoners added a fourth shortly after.
Keane was again involved, picking up a pass from Darren Bent and squaring for the lively Lennon to add his second, clipping the ball over Jones.
Boro nearly picked up a consolation goal inside the last 10 minutes from Tuncay but having conceded three in the first half, the Teesside club were always going to find it difficult to get back into the game, leaving them to bemoan the fragility of their defence in the opening exchanges.
Spurs could have even added a fifth towards the end as Keane met O’Hara’s corner, only to head over the crossbar.
TEAMS
Tottenham: Gomes, Zokora, Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Jenas (Huddlestone 65), Modric (O’Hara 73), Pavlyuchenko (Bent 53), Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Bentley, Chimbonda, Corluka
Middlesbrough: Jones, Hoyte (Johnson 70), Wheater, Huth (Taylor 45), Pogatetz, O’Neil, Bates, Arca, Downing, Aliadiere (King 53), Sanli.
Bookings: Pogatetz.
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Emnes, Alves, Walker
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