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A hat-trick from Peter Crouch in Tottenham Hotspur's 5-1 win at a plucky Preston North End helped ease his team's passage into the Carling Cup fourth round.

Crouch opened the scoring with the first of his three goals in the 14th minute before Jermain Defoe doubled the Premier League side's lead eight minutes before half-time. Inbetween Preston missed two very presentable chances through Darren Carter and Billy Jones.

Preston's conviction waned in the second half, though, and when they did find a way through Spurs' defence, The Lilywhites found a formidable obstacle in Heurelho Gomes, the keeper saving twice from Ross Wallace.

Crouch quashed any thoughts of a late Preston fightback with Spurs' third goal 13 minutes from time and, though Chris Brown replied briefly for the home side, another substitute, Robbie Keane, added Spurs' fourth goal.

England international Crouch had the final say, however, with the striker's backheel in the final minute securing his hat-trick and an emphatic if slightly flattering victory at Deepdale.

Harry Redknapp took few chances against Spurs' Championship opponents, the manager fielding a strong line-up.

One of Redknapp's seven changes, Giovani dos Santos, who was later withdrawn through injury, was the first player to threaten a goal with his strike clipping the crossbar, but on eight minutes Preston had a wonderful chance to opening the scoring, with Jones's header from six yards out saved by Gomes.

Jones's miss was made all the more costly in the 14th minute by Crouch's adroit finish, the England striker claiming his third goal of the season from Gareth Bale's cross.

As if the point hadn't already been made of the disparity in finishing, Preston then proceeded to miss two very presentable opportunities before Spurs doubled their lead.

Gomes had already saved acrobatically from Jon Parkin when Darren Carter was given a free shot at goal which he wasted with his left foot in the 34th minute.

Two minutes later Jones missed his second chance of the game when he pulled a shot wide of goal following Wallace's cross from the left.

Just 60 seconds after Jones's miscue, Redknapp's side were celebrating going 2-0 up. Defoe's wonderful turn and shot was initially saved by Andy Lonergan but the striker was on hand to head home the rebound.

Spurs sought to kill the game off entirely at the restart, with Lonergan forced into desperate saves to deny first Tom Huddlestone and then substitute Aaron Lennon.

Preston were running out of ideas but 20 minutes from time the visitors were again grateful to Gomes, who kept out, at full stretch, a free-kick from Wallace.

Gomes again denied Wallace with another long-range effort moments later and Parkin could not convert the chance on the follow-up.

Tottenham knew they would be returning south with their passage to the next round assured when Crouch doubled his tally for the evening 13 minutes from time. The former Portsmouth striker made no mistake from 12 yards after Lennon had sprung the home side's offside trap.

Preston finally had something to cheer with seven minutes to go when Alan Irvine's two substitutes, Chris Brown and Neil Mellor, combined for a consolation, the former player claiming his seventh goal of the season from 12 yards out.

Another substitute, this time for Spurs, got his name on the scoresheet in the 87th minute, with Keane converting a pass from Huddlestone, but the goalscoring heroics belonged to Crouch.

The former Portsmouth forward claimed his first hat-trick since scoring three times for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2007 with an audacious backheel to remind his manager of his claims to be a first-choice pick from Redknapp's attacking riches.

Chris Stanton / Eurosport