Carling Cup - Spurs beat Watford to reach semis

Eurosport - Thu, 04 Dec 10:47:00 2008

Holders Tottenham came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road and reach the Carling Cup semi-finals for the third year running.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 Carling Cup Tottenham striker Darren Bent celebrates scoring the winner against Watford - 0

Hungarian striker Tamas Priskin gave Watford the lead but a penalty from Roman Pavlyuchenko and a strike from substitute Darren Bent ended the Hornets' hopes of being the third championship side to make it through to the final four of this season's competition.

Watford went at Tottenham right from the off, and their early dominance paid off when Priskin was given enough space in the box to turn and fire a clinical low strike past Heurelho Gomes.

The Hornets held that lead until the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Ross Jenkins obstructed Jermaine Jenas in the area and Pavlyuchenko continued his run of scoring in every round of the competition from the penalty spot.

With the tie looking nicely poised as the match entered the final 20 minutes of normal time, the ball fell kindly to Bent and his low drive beat goalkeeper Scott Loach at the near post to send the holders into the semi-final draw.

New Watford manager Brendan Rodgers's side certainly began the brighter of the two sides, and dominated the play leading up to Priskin's 13th-minute opener.

Tommy Smith - who out-paced Michael Dawson to get to the byline and cut the ball back to the Hungarian for the goal - in particular was giving the Tottenham defenders plenty of problems, and he saw his low drive from outside the box saved by Gomes, who received plenty of jeers and teasing from the home crowd every time he was near the ball.

In that opening period Watford forces several corner kicks but could not take advantage from any of them, and on one occasion Spurs mounted a break through Fraizer Campbell. The on-loan striker's pace was too much for Jobi MacAnuff, who brought Campbell down in the centre circle and promptly received a booking from referee Phil Dowd.

The pace of Campbell and Aaron Lennon began to pay dividends for Tottenham, with the in-form Lennon cutting inside full-back Jon Harley and firing a chipped shot with the outside of his boot that goalkeeper Scott Loach did well to tip over the bar.

Loach saved another Lennon strike a few minutes later, only this time he could only parry the winger's effort and the ball looped in the air before dropping for Campbell at the far post, but his was put off his attempted overhead kick by Leigh Bromby.

The home side began the second half in the same spirited fashion as the start of the first. However, once Watford captain and commanding centre-back Jay Demerit was substituted after injuring his leg in a challenge on Didier Zokora, the Spurs attack began to enjoy more space going forward.

Jenas, Jamie O'Hara and Bent all had chances to score, while defender Jonathan Woodgate saw a header blocked on the line by Lee Williamson.

Watford threw on John-Joe O'Toole and Will Hoskins as they pushed for an equaliser, but the ariel dominance of the Tottenham centre-backs was enough to shut up shop for the remainder of the match.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Comment 63 - 82 of 82

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. A big club, Spuds? Don`t make me laugh!!!

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Sun 7 Dec 10:09PM

  2. oi matty drysdale you plonker! WHL a library??!!You­ must be joking. Spurs fans are the most passionate,­ commited and vocal fans bar none. Just listen to any­ phone in or internet forum- its all SPURS. As for a­ library look no further than our south London­ neighbours the ARSE. They built the heamerrhoids­ stadium just accomadate the Japanese tourists. Ha Sole­ grasshopper. COYS!!!

    From nate, on Fri 5 Dec 11:02AM

  3. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP
    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: ­ PREMIER LEAGUE, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA AND CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP
    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER­ LEAGUE MATCHES

    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Fri 5 Dec 2:30AM

  4. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP
    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: ­ PREMIER LEAGUE, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA AND CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP
    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER­ LEAGUE MATCHES

    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Fri 5 Dec 2:30AM

  5. yum yum

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 8:58PM

  6. make that 2 pints and aload of humble pie for the pup!!

    From Wayne, on Thu 4 Dec 8:43PM

  7. make that 2 pints !

    From x h, on Thu 4 Dec 8:41PM

  8. mayb so but atleast i still support my team just as­ well when were losing as when we are winning its what­ true fans of their clubs do mate, all you whinging­ spurs fans crying into your conflakes every morning­ when you were rock bottom of the prem now listen to you­ all! makes me laugh!

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 8:38PM

  9. pour the man a pint of bitter and twisted!

    From x h, on Thu 4 Dec 8:35PM

  10. yeah enjoy watching your team pick up the losers medals­ at wembley after you get beat,im sure wembley will suit­ your fans its a bigger libray than the lane!

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 8:33PM

  11. to all visiting fans including mattdrysdale19 thx for­ looking in, all comments are greatly appreciated­ here,So if your not satisfied with the quality of your­ own homepages.
    Please complain to Yahoo and ask them­ for something as good as our homepage!!
    Common you rip­ roaring Lillywhites!!

    From Wayne, on Thu 4 Dec 8:31PM

  12. Highly unlikely..just face the facts, Watford are a­ third, at best second rate team. Always have been and­ always will be. Good to see all those vacant seats in­ the home supporters sections! That in itself speaks­ volumes.

    The atmosphere is better when Saracens are­ playing at home!

    From x h, on Thu 4 Dec 8:30PM

  13. no we are not in the top flight but you cant compare­ watford to tottenham fairly can you. anyway you­ aren't exactly doing well are you so see you in the­ championship soon ay

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 8:21PM

  14. oooops sorry mattdrysdale19 did I hit a tender spot for­ you...........lol
    cant wait to be pissed at wembley­ again,look out for me on the tele muppet!!

    From Wayne, on Thu 4 Dec 8:17PM

  15. I agree that Tottenham may not win the cup this season­ because Man Utd quite clearly have a stronger squad at­ the moment. But there is only one Premier Division! I­ dont see Watford in the top flight.
    And on the rare­ occasion Watford do make it to the 'big boys'­ league they invariably never hang around long!

    From x h, on Thu 4 Dec 8:07PM

  16. to libfutures.....shut up like the rest of your fans

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 7:07PM

  17. To mattdrysdale19.............atleast we hav some away­ support!!

    From Wayne, on Thu 4 Dec 6:52PM

  18. No way in hell are tottenham going to win the cup­ again, cant wait for Utd to stuff you, your away­ support was like a library till bent scored then you­ start cheering, pathetic. YOU­ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNSSS­ SSSSSSSS!!!

    From mattdrysdale19, on Thu 4 Dec 6:13PM

  19. I agree melliott650
    Hands up who wants to field a­ weakened side, and win F**k all this season?
    Now hands­ up who wants to be drunk at Wembley again?? lol

    From Wayne, on Thu 4 Dec 6:05PM

  20. comments about the so called big four fielding weaker­ teams and not taking this competition seriosly, way off­ the mark, all the pre season talk from chelsea about­ how they will win everything, suggests they wanted this­ cup, just look at there starting eleven in last years­ final, liverpool rested some of there players at spurs,­ again look who spurs had benched that night, a final at­ wembley is still a great day out whoever is involved

    From melliott650, on Thu 4 Dec 5:49PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account