Tottenham 3-1 Shamrock Rovers: Pavlyuchenko, Defoe & Dos Santos all score in five minute blitz after visitors took fairytale lead

Tottenham were spared their blushes after going behind to Irish minnows Shamrock Rovers before battering down the floodgates to record a 3-1 victory at White Hart Lane.

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Harry Redknapp’s side were afforded the first victory of their continental campaign but met staunch resilience in the first half, failing to break the deadlock despite dominating possession.

It took Stephen Rice’s unlikely opener to see Spurs find their cutting edge as quick-fire Roman Pavyluchenko, Jermain Defoe and Giovani dos Santos goals gave the hosts the result their overall domination deserved.

With ‘two eyes’ on the forthcoming north London derby, Redknapp continued with the trend of blooding youngsters – such as Thomas Caroll and Jake Livermore - in the Europa League, yet still named a much stronger side than was perhaps expected, with Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe both starting for the hosts.

However, on his return to White Hart Lane, ex-Spurs midfielder Rohan Ricketts had to make do with a place on the bench for the voraciously supported visitors, who were playing their first competitive match in England for over 50 years.

Tottenham started the game on the front foot, with Dos Santos fizzing in a couple of efforts from distance early on to test the credentials of Richard Brush. The Mexican winger very nearly turned provider in the 19th minute as Spurs began to step it up and after he slotted Defoe through on goal, Brush did well to get himself in the way of the striker’s effort and the ball cannoned off the crossbar.

Moments later Pavlyuchenko should have put the hosts ahead. After twisting and turning to manipulate himself some space in the box, the Russian pulled the trigger with Brush reacting fantastically to smother the effort.

Danny Rose was next up to go close, teed up by Dos Santos, the full back bent a sweet left footed shot from the edge of the box that beat Brush but rebounded off the bar.

Pavyluchenko had his header from a corner cleared off the line by Stephen O’Donnell then rifled one inches wide, as Shamrock struggled to repel wave upon wave of Tottenham attack before being saved by the interval.

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As the teams re-emerged after the interval, the game was spectacularly turned on its head, as Shamrock unexpectedly took the lead on 50 minutes. Carlo Cudicini – until this point a spectator – palmed away Gary McCabe’s free-kick and when the ball landed at Patrick Sullivan’s feet on the edge of the box, the right back fired it back in, with the ball flying beyond the keeper after taking a knick off Stephen Rice, who showed great reactions to divert the ball home.

Spurs probed thereafter with Rose and Townsend leading the fightback, both firing balls across the box that narrowly evaded tap-ins before Pavyluchenko rose highest amongst unconvincingly static defending to power home Dos Santos’ cross.

In almost carbon-copy approach play, Tottenham spared their blushes and squashed Shamrock’s hopes of a famous victory seconds later as Townsend marauded down the left and sent in a cross that invited Defoe to get across his man and nod home.

By that time the floodgates were well and truly open and as Defoe drove at the heart of the visitor’s defence, he slipped the ball to the right and with a yawning chasm ahead of him, Dos Santos stepped in to fire the ball well beyond Brush for his side’s third goal in five minutes after a fabulous flowing move.

Down the other end, William Dennehy went near with a nicely struck effort that went marginally over, before Pavyuchenko’s cross-cum-shot evaded everyone at the far post.

From there on, Spurs continued to boss proceedings, though could not extend their lead before the ref blew for full time, to put themselves joint-top of the group after two games with Rubin Kazan, who they welcome to White Hart Lane in their next European match.