FA CUP/Tottenham 3 Fulham 1:TOTTENHAM WILL play Portsmouth for a place in the FA Cup final after completing a storming comeback. Eight years to the day since he was first appointed Pompey manager, Harry Redknapp woke this morning to contemplate taking on the club he managed during two stints, which included 2008's triumphant final win over Cardiff City. Yet an insipid first-half display suggested Spurs might not progress.
They had begun deceptively well. Luka Modric span near halfway to take the ball into the Fulham half, before a glance up was followed by a precise pass into Gareth Bale’s feet. The 20-year-old’s pace took him towards the corner flag, before a flashing turn brought him into the area, where there might have been a claim for a penalty if he had gone down when clipped. But he did not and this threat faded.
It presaged a bright opening, particularly from Fulham who looked convincing during the half, having dumped Juventus out of the Europa League last week.
Simon Davies was first to show for the visitors, finding Paul Konchesky. He switched play to Damien Duff and he touched the ball back to Danny Murphy, before the Fulham captain tested Heurelho Gomes from range.
Davies’s rasping shot minutes later had the Brazilian desperately punching the ball to safety.
With Wilson Palacios’s long-distance attempt – this had Mark Schwarzer scrambling as it bounced wide – also featuring in the exchanges, the supporters had enjoyed a value-for-money start.
On 18 minutes, though, the Spurs contingent saw the investment sour. Once more Duff had floated away from his wide position before he slipped a pass behind the defence that pulled Zamora into space. There, before a watching Fabio Capello, he slid an instant finish beyond Gomes for his 17th goal of the season. The lead did not flatter Fulham
Redknapp’s demand for greater animation did lift his team though there was still the sense Spurs lacked composure in the final third. Palacios offered one illustration of the problem when his ball into Niko Kranjcar left Fulham’s defence square but also rendered the Croatia midfielder flat-footed.
Still, as the break arrived, Spurs had woken from their moribund start. Fulham walked off for their own half-time chat having seen Zamora steer a header too high.
Redknapp’s thoughts about what he had just witnessed were spelled out when Kranjcar and Benoit Assou-Ekotto were yanked off for Tom Huddlestone and David Bentley for the second half.
The ploy worked instantly. Bale, who slotted into left-back, was fouled by Stephen Kelly when attacking down his flank. Bentley curved the free-kick into Fulham’s area. This missed everyone, including Vedran Corluka who dipped under the ball and may have been offside, to career beyond Schwarzer. Bentley nearly had a second from an identical position moments later when his curling shot forced a difficult save on the now rain-slickened surface.
The tie’s momentum had switched. And, for Fulham, worse was to arrive. After Zamora and Sebastien Bassong were shown yellow cards for a moment of handbags, Spurs took the lead. Roman Pavlyuchenko had entered after Corluka had been injured, causing Redknapp to order Palacios to play right-back as he sensed the Russian might continue his run of scoring.
This proved correct. The centre-forward volleyed to the net from Bentley’s cross from the right.
After 65 minutes Gudjohnsen rounded off smart work from Peter Crouch and Modric.
Fulham continued fighting but this was Tottenham and Redknapp’s night.
TOTTENHAM: Gomes, Corluka (Pavlyuchenko 53), Bassong, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto (Huddlestone 46), Kranjcar (Bentley 46), Palacios, Modric, Bale, Gudjohnsen, Crouch. Subs not used: Alnwick, Rose, Livermore, Townsend. Booked: Bassong.
FULHAM: Schwarzer, Kelly (Dempsey 69), Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky, Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies, Gera, Zamora (Okaka 77). Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Baird, Riise, Smalling, Greening. Booked: Kelly, Zamora.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
