Tom Huddlestone and Robbie Keane got Tottenham dreaming of Carling Cup glory again after reaching the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Everton at White Hart Lane.

Spurs reached the final of the competition in the last two seasons, winning it in 2008, and they are two ties from Wembley again after Huddlestone's thunderbolt volley and Keane following up his own saved penalty.

They still needed saves from Heurelho Gomes at the start of each half to extend Everton's run of matches without a win to five.

Both sides have ambitions of pushing the traditional top-four heavyweights for a place in the Champions League but the cup competitions represent their chance of glory.

Everton boss David Moyes had to field a strong team anyway, with 10 senior players on the treatment table but Ayegbeni Yakubu returning from a heel problem to replace Jo.

Harry Redknapp also put David Button, Dorian Dervite, Dean Parrett and Harry Kane in his matchday squad but fringe players such as David Bentley, Gareth Bale and Alan Hutton seized their chance and Roman Pavlyuchenko started after Russia boss Guus Hiddink spoke to the Spurs boss last week about how to fire up the striker.

Keane got close to scoring on the half-hour mark. Sylvain Distin twice made a total mess of clearing Benoit Assou-Ekotto's ball over the top and Keane poked the ball onto the post.

But Spurs were ahead in the 31st minute, seconds after they were defending a corner. Keane shifted the ball to Bentley on the right, his cross was missed by Pavlyuchenko but Huddlestone thumped the ball home with a left-footed volley.

Everton, after taking Saha off for Jo, were almost level immediately after the restart when Tim Cahill made a yard of room for himself and unleashed a drive towards the top corner that Gomes parried. The Brazilian also saved from Jo after Fellaini sent him through.

Keane eventually added the second in the 57th minute following up his own penalty, finishing off the total chaos that ensued when Tim Howard saved his spot-kick.