Superb second half display sets up Portsmouth tie…
Tottenham Hotspur booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals after running out 3-1 winners over Fulham at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.
Bobby Zamora’s neat finish was cancelled out by second half goals from David Bentley, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Eidur Gudjohnsen to set up a clash with Portsmouth at Wembley on April 11.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp made two changes from the side that beat Stoke City 2-1 on Saturday with Eidur Gudjohnson partnering Peter Crouch up front in the place of Roman Pavlyuchenko, who dropped to the bench. Wilson Palacios also returned to the starting line-up, replacing the cup-tied Younes Kaboul in midfield.
Brede Hangeland missed Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City with a chest injury but he recovered in time to replace Chris Smalling, while Stephen Kelly was preferred to Chris Baird at right-back in Fulham’s only other change from the weekend.
Tottenham were almost presented with an opportunity in the opening minute. Bale got the better of Kelly on the left wing and cut inside past the Republic of Ireland international before breaking into the penalty area but as he shaped to drive the ball across the face of goal, he was stopped in his tracks by Hughes who put in a solid challenge before promptly clearing.
Fulham’s attacking play centred around the ever-impressive Zamora and he almost created a chance for Murphy on five minutes. The man hotly-tipped for an England call-up combined with Duff on the edge of the area to set up Murphy but the Cottagers captain could only fire the ball straight into the arms of Gomes from 25 yards out.
Palacios went close for the hosts shortly after when he fired just wide of Schwarzer’s left-hand post from 30 yards, but Fulham quickly responded with a chance of their own. Zamora was again involved, finding Davies in space midway through the Spurs half, and under pressure from Gudjohnsen, the Welshman unleashed a powerful strike towards the top right-hand corner but Gomes was again equal to it.
It was an open game in the first half hour with both sides creating plenty of chances and it was the visitors who struck first. Palacios and Bassong were slow in closing down Duff as he approached the Tottenham penalty area and the winger threaded the ball into the path of Zamora, who escaped his marker Dawson to neatly side-foot the ball past Gomes into the bottom left-hand corner.
There were claims for a penalty when Crouch controlled Bale’s long-throw into the penalty area. As the England striker tried to bring the ball under control, Kelly inadvertently handled the ball but referee Martin Atkinson didn’t judge the handball to be intentional and waved play on.
Tottenham were close to an equaliser moments later after Bale’s left wing cross found Gudjohnson, and the man on loan from Monaco used his chest to lay the ball off to Modric on the edge of the area but the Croatian’s left-footed snap shot was dragged a couple of yards wide of goal.
Both sides had chance from set-pieces towards the end of the first half. Bale’s looping delivery found Dawson just inside the Fulham penalty area but after his initial shot was blocked by Etuhu, his second effort was weak and the Cottagers cleared the danger. Moments later Duff’s corner found an unmarked Hangeland 12 yards out but his bullet header fizzed just over.
Fulham piled on the pressure in first half stoppage time and Zamora almost grabbed his second of the night when he met Gera’s cross at the far post, but he could only head over from an awkward angle as the Cottagers deservedly went into half-time a goal ahead.
Harry Redknapp clearly wasn’t happy with his side’s first half performance and responded by making two changes at half-time with Bentley and Huddlestone coming on for Kranjcar and Assou-Ekotto.
Bale moved to left-back in the place of the departed Assou-Ekotto and just like he did in the first half, raced down the left wing in the first minute of the half. The Welshman looked to skip past Kelly once again but was brought down and the Fulham defender picked up a booking.
With Bentley’s first touch since coming on as a substitute, from the resulting free-kick close to the touchline, he curled the ball right-footed into the crowded penalty area but nobody could get on the end of it and the ball landed in the far corner.
From the resulting free-kick, Bentley stepped up with his first touch since coming on as a substitute to curl the ball right-footed into the crowded penalty area but nobody could get a touch and the ball flew into the far corner past Schwarzer. Corluka looked in an offside position as he looked to get on the end of the delivery and the Croatian may have been adjudged to have been interfering with play but there were no protests from Roy Hodgson’s men.
Spurs were forced into a change on 53 minutes when Corluka hobbled off so Redknapp brought on Pavlyuchenko, who had been a doubt before the match, as his replacement, which meant Palacios had to cover at right-back with Gudjohnsen taking his place in midfield.
Just five minutes later, two of Redknapp’s substitute’s combined. Bentley was found on the right wing and he took a touch before delivering an excellent cross to the far post and Pavlyuchenko fired the ball left-footed past Schwarzer at his near post to give Spurs the lead.
Pavlyuchenko almost scored a second when he raced past Hangeland in the area to strike at goal but Schwarzer managed to palm the ball wide. Bentley’s corner was headed clear by Etuhu but only as far as Modric on the edge of the box who fired powerfully towards goal but Schwarzer did well to catch the ball under pressure.
Redknapp said last week that he would like to sign Gudjohnsen permanently next season and the Iceland international showed why with 25 minutes left on the clock. He started the move from deep in midfield by laying the ball off to Crouch, and he flicked the ball to Modric, who played a wonderful pass back to Gudjohnsen, who had raced into the penalty area, and he dinked the ball over Schwarzer, who had gone to ground, before casually slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Roy Hodgson responded to going 3-1 down by bringing on Dempsey for Kelly with Davies moving to right-back. Zamora will have impressed England manager Fabio Capello watching on from the stands but he was brought off shortly after with Okaka coming on in his place.
Gera looked to stage a late comeback for Fulham when his delivery from the left caused problems in the Spurs penalty area. Gomes flapped at the cross and after a scramble in the area, the ball landed at the feet of Duff on the edge of the box but he dragged his left-footed shot wide of Gomes’ left-hand post.
Fulham pushed players forward late on with Okaka causing panic in the Spurs defence in stoppage time but the Cottagers couldn’t find a way back into the game in the three minutes of time added on as Spurs held on to set up a tie against Harry Redknapp’s former club Portsmouth in the semi-final.
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