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Three first-half strikes gave Spurs an emphatic 4-0 Premier League victory over Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane.

Captain Robbie Keane netted inside the opening 10 minutes to set the ball rolling, before Tuncay had a goal disallowed for offside two minutes later.

Roman Pavlyuchenko doubled the home side's lead with a 14th minute strike, with Aaron Lennon capping a dazzling display with a third five minutes before half-time, and a fourth in the 79th minute.

The winger might have opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute when he stole in unmarked at the back post to stab Jermaine Jenas's floated cross wide of Brad Jones's near post.

But Keane made his first chance count with a true poachers strike; a corner was whipped in by Jenas, which Michael Dawson flicked on with his head, leaving the Irishman with the simplest of tap-ins at the back post.

Boro did start the game with positive intentions and Tuncay thought he had equalised minutes later, but the referee's assistant has other ideas; the Turk blasted home a crisp volley, before looking up to see the linesman's flag to abruptly end his celebrations.

Pavlyuchenko cemented Spurs' lead after slick interplay between Keane and Luka Modric down the right wing, before the Croat delivered a precise ball across the box for the Russian to tap home.

Tuncay was left to rue his luck again after his drilling shot from 10 yards out - which was arrowing towards the bottom corner - was bravely blocked by the sliding Michael Dawson.

Vociferous appeals for a Spurs penalty were turned down by referee Howard Webb midway through the half, as Wilson Palacios's speculative cross struck the arm of Matthew Bates, with the defender given the benefit of the doubt.

Keane was then denied his second of the evening by Jones, who spread himself well to save, after neat work from Benoit Assou-Ekotto down the left wing put the striker through on goal.

But the Spurs skipper remained at the forefront of everything for his side, slipping in Lennon to give the hosts a three-goal cushion, with the diminutive winger slamming his shot past Jones.

An aberration in front of goal by Jeremie Aliadiere squandered a glorious chance for Gareth Southgate's side to haul themselves back into the game on the stroke of half-time; the Frenchman heading wide from close range after Tuncay's pinpoint cross.

The Boro manager found himself bemoaning his side's profligacy throughout the match, with Heurelho Gomes barely troubled, despite Tuncay, in particular creating numerous opportunities.

The Turk clipped a cross-shot over Gomes, completely beating the keeper in the 63rd minute, but once again had his head in his hands as the ball cannoned off the far post.

Lennon was a potent threat throughout, supplementing his devilry down the wing with a clinical end product, and his second goal was delightful; Keane again was the supplier, leaving the midfielder to dink a precise lob over the onrushing Jones.

As Southgate anxiously urged his side forward right to the end, Redknapp was afforded the luxury of resting his weary members: the excellent Jenas, Modric and Pavlyuchenko were all taken off with a view to the trip to Wearside on Saturday.

In the dying seconds Tuncay had the ball in the net again, but with an almost comical inevitability, the flag was raised once more, to compound an insipid performance from the visitors, who drop to 19th place in the table, with Spurs rising to 12th.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport