Super-Sub Bent Sees Spurs Through

Tottenham Hotspur came back from a goal down at Vicarage Road to beat Watford in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

Spurs needed a goal from substitute Darren Bent to secure the victory and ensure the North London club were not the third Premier League scalp to be claimed by Championship opposition in this round.

The Hornets started brightly and troubled the Tottenham back-line in the early stages before deservedly taking the lead in the 13th minute through Tamas Priskin after some woeful Spurs defending.

Tommy Smith showed Michael Dawson a clean set of heels far too easily with a burst of pace on the left hand side before finding Priskin, who controlled the ball, turned away from Jonathan Woodgate and slotted home.

Tottenham seemed to wake up after conceding and almost responded inside of ten minutes with an audacious attempt from the outside of Aaron Lennon’s right foot from the edge of the area, which was tipped over the crossbar by goalkeeper Scott Loach.

Loach was suddenly the busier of the two ‘keepers, first saving a low shot from Jermaine Jenas and again being tested by a stinging drive from the lively Lennon that he could only palm into the air.

The ball nearly fell to the feet of Frazier Campbell on the line and Spurs had a case for a penalty as Leigh Bromby held the striker away from the ball at arm’s length, allowing Loach to recover.

Watford thought they had survived the relentless pressure piled on by Spurs and when Roman Pavlyuchenko hit the bar after breaking clean through on goal, the Hertfordshire side must have thought they would finish the half unscathed.

This was not to be the case though, as Spurs were this time awarded a penalty in stoppage time after Jermaine Jenas was clipped in the box, and Pavlyuchenko stepped up to comfortably convert the spot-kick.

An uneventful second half seemed to spring to life at the turn of the hour mark, as a Dawson slip almost allowed Priskin a run at Heurelho Gomes, but his shot was blocked.

The game opened up and Spurs started to probe opposition territory, sending weak efforts on goal at Loach and failing to latch onto crosses from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Jamie O’Hara.

It was a defender, Woodgate, who came closest to breaking the deadlock with a header from an O’Hara corner which was cleared off the line, before Bent’s strike beat Loach at his near post to seal the victory with 15 minutes left to play.

Teams

Watford (4-4-2): Loach, Mariappa, DeMerit (Doyley, 59), Bromby, Harley, Williamson, McAnuff (Hoskins, 83), Jenkins (O’Toole, 78), Bridcutt, Smith, Priskin.

Subs Not Used: Lee, Robinson, Bangura, Henderson.

Tottenham (4-4-2): Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Zokora, Jenas, O’Hara, Pavlyuchenko, Campbell (Bent, 65).

Subs Not Used: Cesar, Bale, Huddlestone, Gunter, Bentley, Boateng