Redknapp rides his luck

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp admitted his side were very lucky to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup after edging past Watford at Vicarage Road.

After spending all week in Southwark Crown Court this week, Redknapp returned to the dugout to find his Tottenham team in disarray. The Barclays Premier League title chasers put on a woeful display in the first half and only went through thanks to Rafael van der Vaart's 30-yard drive just before half-time.

Watford, who sit 35 places below Spurs in the league ladder, looked much the sharper side and rattled the woodwork twice in the second half.

Lively striker Marvin Sordell was unlucky not to impress his suitors after being foiled on a number of occasions by Carlo Cudicini and Redknapp conceded it was a minor miracle that his team progressed.

"I thought we were fantastic," Redknapp joked. "The football was mind-blowing. I have never been so excited watching us play. It was unbelievable.

`How we won that game I will never know. It's better to be lucky than good sometimes and we were lucky today, that's for sure. We never played - we didn't pass the ball - and they played really well. They pressed us and passed it so how they lost I don't know."