Jermain Defoe scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to book an FA Cup quarter-final spot with a 3-1 fifth-round replay win at home to third-tier Stevenage at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.
Joel Byrom opened the scoring for the visitors and the League One side sensed a famous victory, only for England striker Defoe to level before the break.
Emmanuel Adebayor edged Spurs in front with a penalty, before Defoe added his 15th goal of the season in the 75th minute to give eight-times FA Cup winners Tottenham a home quarter-final against Premier League strugglers Bolton.
Photo: Reuters
“I’ve felt sharp all season and, playing in a team like ours, you’ll always get chances to score,” Defoe said. “I’d love to play in the summer for England [at Euro 2012], but obviously I have to get a run in the Spurs team first.”
Only two Spurs players remained from the team defeated by English champions Manchester United last time out, but Tottenham, third in the Premier League, appeared to have a strong enough team to face lower-league opposition.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp also had Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart returning from injury and Scott Parker back from suspension, with the trio of key senior players starting.
However, within four minutes they were trailing, after Byrom surged into the penalty area and went over on the challenge of New Zealand’s Ryan Nelsen.
Spurs players protested that the ball would have gone out of play if Byrom stayed on his feet.
Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot and the Stevenage midfielder scored the penalty himself, sending Carlo Cudicini the wrong way.
Stevenage were looking for a second goal and Jon Ashton headed just over from a free-kick in the 26th minute, only for Spurs to level seconds later.
Cudicini’s punt downfield found Defoe, who took a touch to speed away from Ashton and then drove into the bottom corner.
Defoe almost added a second goal just before the half-hour when Chris Day fumbled a cross from Aaron Lennon, but the goalkeeper was up sharply to block the shot.
Early in the second half, Italian shot-stopper Cudicini made a stunning close-range save to deny Mark Roberts when the Stevenage captain found room from a corner and prodded towards goal with a left-footed effort.
However, it was Roberts who conceded a key penalty nine minutes into the second period, tripping Bale on the right-hand side of the area before Adebayor stroked in the spot-kick.
Defoe added his second goal when he ran onto Bale’s huge throw and cut inside before finding the bottom corner.
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