The Centre Circle

Tottenham 3-1 Fulham

FA Cup night’s at White Hart Lane are always full of atmosphere, so get a midweek London derby in the pouring rain with two sides in form vying for a place at Wembley and you have the recipe for a cracking game. Spurs and Fulham produced one.

In the first half it was Fulham who controlled things. A well hit blast from 25 yards by Simon Davis, who was given acres of room, forced Gomez into a flying save and minutes later it was the West London side who went deservedly 1-0 up. Damien Duff picked out the in form Bobby Zamora with a defence splitting pass and he finished across the keeper with aplomb. Tottenham tried to respond, Gudjohnsen forcing a low save from Schwartzer after a neat flick from Crouch. Gudjohnsen then chested down Bale’s cross for Modric to flash a volley a couple of feet wide.

Half time came and I don’t know what Harry Redknapp must have said but it certainly worked. in the 47th minute, Spurs won a free kick on the left hand side. Bentley, who was on as a substitute, swung in the ball and it missed everyone in the penalty box finding the far corner of the net. Spurs were buzzing now and things were getting heated. Bassong and Zamora both got booked for some shirt pulling, had Bassong connected with his flailing arm he may have seen worse than yellow. Then 2-1 Tottenham; Bentley’s cross to the back post found Pavlyuchenko whose sweet volley flashed past Schwartzer.  Soon it was three, Modric setting up Gudjohnson, who jinked around the Fulham keeper before rolling the ball into the net. White Hart Lane was now rocking and much as Fulham laboured there was no way back. Three huge games in a week were taking their toll.

So it is Tottenham who now progress to the FA cup semi finals and a date versus Harry Redknapp’s old team Portsmouth.