League Report: West Brom 2 Spurs 0

Courtesy of Official Site-

Our fixtures for the year ended with a defeat as two late goals secured victory for West Brom at the Hawthorns.

We were down to ten men for 55 minutes of the game due to a straight red card being shown to Benoit Assou-Ekotto but not enough chances were created even allowing for the reduction.

In the end Roman Bednar's header - looking very much like a foul on Michael Dawson - coupled with substitute Andy Beattie's stoppage time finish applied icing on the cake for the home side.

Luka Modric was the victim of a crude challenge from Jonas Olsson in the first incident of the encounter on what was a crisp afternoon with what felt like a considerable chill factor. The same home player, along with Jonathan Greening, a minute later felled Darren Bent with a thud as the Baggies clearly sought to place their mark on the meeting early on.

James Morrison was first to try his luck with a shot on goal, drifting in from the right and wafting an effort across the back of our defensive line before, at the other end, Bent was unable to pick out a blue shirt with his cut back following a David Bentley throughball.

A Vedran Corluka foul on Roman Bednar resulted in Heurelho Gomes being worked for the first time, Borja Valero's free-kick from the edge of the area forcing the keeper to save low to his left, with Scott Carson doing similar 22 minutes in to deny Bent.

Assou-Ekotto received his marching orders for raising his foot in a challenge with Gianni Zuiverloon on 35 minutes, with the temperature having been raised in the preceeding action when Olson chopped down Bent in full flight.

But we were down to ten and Didier Zokora dropped in at left-back with Modric now deployed in a deeper position.

For the goalkeepers it was not a busy half, just a bit of mopping up duties behind the defences. Probably the busiest individual was our physio, who it seemed was sprinting on at regular intervals.

Bentley had the chance to open the scoring five minutes before the break following an Aaron Lennon dash, but his shot was hurried and flew wide.

Into the second half and Gomes made a magnificent save to stop Chris Brunt's free-kick from the edge of the area sailing into the top corner. The set-piece was awarded for slight contact made by Jermaine Jenas on Valero and it really required Gomes to come up trumps again - and he certainly didn't disappoint.

The 11 men were not dominating the ten, however, and some of the football played by the team of the reduced number was quite fluid at times, although the game was still something of a scrap. Dawson was up to the task when Zuiverloon zipped in a low cross that beat the reach of Gomes and the defender made the vital interception before Luke Moore or Bednar could apply a tap-in finish.

Harry made two substitutions in quick succession, Jamie O'Hara taking the place of Bentley, with Gareth Bale later replacing Modric. The change meant O'Hara moving into the middle, with Bale operating ahead of Zokora down the left flank.

West Brom finally made their numerical advantage count in the 83rd minute when a Marek Cech cross was met flush on the head by Bednar, with his effort flying into the top corner. It did appear, however, that Dawson was shoved out of the way while the cross was in flight.

Fraizer Campbell was summoned from his warm up for the final four or five minutes, with Zokora sacrificed, but it was Bednar next in making an impact and forced another fine save from Gomes in the process.

There was nothing Gomes could do when Cech and Morrison combined to set up Beattie for a simple finish in front of goal just seconds before the final whistle.

Linked www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/oneofthosedays281208.html

League Report: Spurs 0 Fulham 0

Courtesy of Official Site-

Fulham held us to a 0-0 draw in the Boxing Day fixture at White Hart Lane, although we had the better of the game overall.

The point was a frustrating outcome on the day, as we failed to gain revenge against the side who inflicted our first defeat under Harry Redknapp's charge last month.

The manager made just one change to the side that were defeated by a late goal at Newcastle last Sunday.

Darren Bent returned from illness to replace Roman Pavlyuchenko up front but, and not for the first time in recent games, we were forced into an early reshuffle.

Tom Huddlestone limped off after just 20 minutes, making way for Jermaine Jenas to come into the midfield on his return from a calf injury.

The alteration certainly did not affect our dominance of the first half as we applied most of the early pressure.

David Bentley tested Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with a 14th minute long-range shot that bounced awkwardly in front of the Australian.

Luka Modric went looking for his third goal in as many games with an effort from a similarly distance which curled just past the post.

On the half hour mark, Benoit Assou-Ekotto surged into the box from left-back and squared for Aaron Lennon on the edge of the area, whose first-time shot was well saved down low by Schwarzer.

The resulting corner was hit deep by Bentley, but Vedran Corluka retrieved and pulled back for Lennon, whose cross was headed agonisingly wide by Ledley King.

Heurelho Gomes wasn't tested until the 36th minute, when Bobby Zamora crossed from the right and Clint Dempsey controlled on his chest in the box before forcing the Brazilian into a stunning save with a spectacular overhead kick.

It proved to be the cue for slightly more caution from the home side in the minutes leading up to the break, and there was time for another scare.

Two ex-Spurs boys combined on 41 minutes as Simon Davies crossed from the right but Zamora just failed to make the telling connection at the back post.

As the game entered its second half, Fulham were becoming a much tougher nut to crack, and we introduced a second striker in the form of Fraizer Campbell on 59 minutes in hope of breaking them down.

However, chances were still few and far between, although we again had the better of the game overall in the half.

Assou-Ekotto's left wing cross on 65 minutes was glanced wide by Modric, before Pavlyuchenko had a shot deflected past the post with his first touch after coming on as a 72nd minute substitute for Bent.

At the other end, Gomes had had little to do after the break until five minutes from time, when some fantastic goalkeeping stopped us coming away with nothing.

Davies hit a defence splitting pass which Andy Johnson ran onto round the back of King, but our in-form stopper was brave as he came out to save down at the feet of the England striker.

After this, we continued to push for the winner, but by then Fulham were defending in number and held out for the point.

Spurs (4-4-1-1): Gomes; Corluka, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Zokora, Huddlestone (Jenas, 20), Bentley (Campbell, 59); Modric; Bent (Pavlyuchenko, 72)
Subs not used: Cesar, Bale, O'Hara, Woodgate

Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Baird, Konchesky; Dempsey, Murphy, Bullard (Etuhu, 37), Davies (Nevland, 90); Zamora, Johnson
Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Gray, Stoor, Andreasen, Kallio

Linked here.

League Report: Newcastle 2 Spurs 1

Courtesy of Official Site-

A Damien Duff goal at the beginning of stoppage time denied the team a more than deserved point against Newcastle at St James Park on Sunday afternoon.

In deficit due to Charles N'Zogbia's early strike, Luka Modric's fine goal saw to it that the home side did not take a lead into the break yet, after dictating proceedings for large periods of the game, substitute Duff sealed maximum points for his team.

Aaron Lennon did his bit to crank up the tempo in the opening moments when he dashed down the left and took his marker before powerfully stroking across goal. Unfortunately, a blue shirt was not in attendance a few yards out.

It took N'Zogbia to enliven the home crowd when, after a spell of set pieces at the other end, Shay Given clutched and kicked, springing Newcastle into a speedy counter attack. N'Zogbia went shoulder to shoulder with Benoit Assou-Ekotto, just about getting the better of the full-back before Assou-Ekotto went to ground inside the area. The Frenchman kept his feet, turned and slotted past Heurelho Gomes to make it advantage Newcastle.

N'Zogbia forced Gomes into a spot of sharp stopping 26 minutes in before a Michael Dawson interception set Modric through on goal, despite calls for offside. The little Croatian held his nerve and drilled past Given to level the score and make it two in two games.

Roman Pavlyuchenko soon after stung the palms of Given from distance, but it was Modric catching the eye with his running with the ball and smart link play. The squeeze was being applied and Newcastle were firmly rocked back on their collective heels.

Dawson attempted to make capital from a David Bentley corner in the early seconds of the second half but could not wait for the ball to sit and his effort was always unlikely to trouble Given.

An N'Zogbia cutback required a timely block by Assou-Ekotto as the home side attempted inject some urgency into their play, while Gomes had to be quick to smother at the feet of Michael Owen.

The game was lacking a flow as the hour mark approached with moves breaking down on the verge of the last third for both sides and too often a ball over the top came to nothing. You began to suspect it might be a case of which manager made his move in a decisive bid to win the game.

The noise in the stadium was coming from the packed visitors' section, with the home fans slow to stir in support of their team.

There was nearly an opening for Tom Huddlestone following a Lennon cut inside, where the central midfielder was almost in position to benefit from Sebastian Bassong getting in a muddle around the penalty spot. Given came out to clear up and Huddlestone ended up grounded - and got a booking for his trouble.

Harry made his first change in the 65th minute, withdrawing Pavlyuchenko and drafting in Fraizer Campbell.

It was an older hand at the striking game, Owen, who had the first big chance of the half when he blasted over from a promising position and Newcastle picked up a little momentum.

The initiative was gradually clawed back as we headed into the final ten minutes and a more fortunate touch on the edge of the area for Lennon could well have led to the lead being snared, before clever play from Modric and Bentley provided a headed chance for Campbell that he could not steer on target.

Lennon then beat Jose Enrique and fizzed over a cross that Campbell propelled himself towards but could meet.

The sting was very much in the tail though. Duff pushed forward and exchanged passes with Mark Viduka before rolling the ball past Gomes to turn a point into an unlikely three for the home side.

Linked here.

UEFA Cup Draw Round of 32

Courtesy of Official Site-

We have been drawn to face Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the Round of 32 of this season's UEFA Cup.

The tie will take place over two legs, the first being on either the 18th or 19th of February, the second on February 26, 2009.

We will play the first leg away from home, with the return being held at White Hart Lane.

Should we advance to the Round of 16, we will face the winners of the tie between Aston Villa and CSKA Moscow.

Round of 32 draw in full
PSG (FRA) vs Wolfsburg (GER)
FC Copenhagen (DEN vs Manchester City (ENG)
NEC Nijmegen (NED) vs Hamburg (GER)
Sampdoria (ITA) vs Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
Braga (POR) vs Standard Liege (BEL)
Aston Villa (ENG) vs CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Lech Poznan (POL) vs Udinese (ITA)
Olympiacos (GRE) vs St Etienne (FRA)
Fiorentina (ITA) vs Ajax (NED)
Aalborg (DEN) vs Deportivo (ESP)
Werder Bremen (GER) vs AC Milan (ITA)
Bordeaux (FRA) vs Galatasaray (TUR)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR) vs Valencia (ESP)
Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) vs Stuttgart (GER)
Marseille (FRA) vs FC Twente (HOL)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) vs SPURS

(Teams on the left to play the first leg at home)

Linked here.

UEFA Cup: Spurs 2 Spartak Moscow 2

Courtesy of Official Site-

Tom Huddlestone has stressed the importance of not losing games as he completed our comeback from 2-0 down against Spartak Moscow last night.

The midfielder's 74th minute header added to Luka Modric's earlier strike as we claimed a point to seal our qualification for the knock-out stages of this season's UEFA Cup.

Although Tom felt it was only simple mistakes that saw us go two goals down in the first place, he believes we were much better after the break as the scoreline shows.

And now the England Under-21 international is looking forward to the Round of 32 in February, when we face Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.

"We don't want to lose any games, and even though we may have gone through regardless, it's never nice to lose a football match," said Tom.

"I don't think we were too bad in the first half, but we conceded two sloppy goals and didn't create as many chances as we would've liked.

"It was just a case of going out in the second half with a bit more energy and a bit more quality when it came to creating chances with the final pass or shots on goal.

"We knew the importance of the game and that to guarantee qualification, we couldn't afford to lose the match.

"A Club this size wants to be involved in as many games as possible and as many competitions as possible, so it was vital we got through."

On his second goal of the season, Tom added: "I'm not renowned for my heading but it was nice to get on the scoresheet and play 90 minutes as well."

Linked here.

New Stadium Designs Revealed

Courtesy of Official Site-

The Club today revealed the first images of the Club's proposed new stadium design, part of the Northumberland Development Project.

Designs for the new home of the Club have been developed by KSS, leaders in stadia design.

Commenting on the release of the images, Club Chairman Daniel Levy said:

"The brief I gave the architects was to design an iconic stadium that would be one of the best in Europe. My over-riding priority is to re-create the terrific atmosphere we have at the current stadium, within a world class stadium that offers state-of -the-art facilities.

"This means designing a stadium which has supporters as close as possible to the field of play and not simply looking to chase headline capacity. Our fans will find themselves closer to the pitch than at any other comparable stadium in the UK. This design puts fan experience first.

"In addition to the stadium, we are designing great facilities within the overall masterplan that will add positively to the local environment and locality, components that can play a role in the regeneration of the wider area."

David Keirle, Chairman of KSS, outlined the strategy behind the stadium design:

"The key driver has been to deliver the best possible fan experience on all levels.

"The visuals of the new stadium show that it's really seen as a building which responds to the brand, which we see as representing style and flowing lines of football.

"We have spent a great deal of time looking at different roof formations. The roof has been designed to focus the noise back onto the crowd and onto the pitch. All seating is enclosed, there are no open corners, so everything is focused back onto the pitch and the acoustics will maximise the impact of the vocal support from fans. The stadium will have a roof that allows us to have four large screens up in the top corners, which means every spectator will be able to see a whole host of information.

"The plans we have produced will result in close proximity for the fans to the pitch, we are going to be metres closer than other stadiums of comparable size. We are fine tuning the plans and these will ultimately determine the final capacity."

The new stadium will also benefit from a Club museum, shops and homes, new facilities for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and important public space.

The plans will enable the team to remain at the current site throughout construction.

Daniel Levy added:
"Development projects on this scale take a long time from the initial starting point to final completion. Any new stadia we have seen recently would have been designed at least eight to ten years ago. We are designing for our future and this stadium design has been described as the first of the next generation of stadia.

"This development is more than just somewhere where the team can play football. The Northumberland Development Project will deliver substantial investment for the future of the Borough and will benefit the community.

"It's about leaving a legacy for this great Club and, once delivered, I hope all our fans around the world will be very proud."

An interview with Daniel Levy and David Keirle will be available shortly on Spurs TV Online and all free-to-view areas...

Linked here.

League Report: Spurs 0 Man United 0

Courtesy of Official Site-

Hary Redknapp paid tribute to his reshuffled defence after we lost key players but did more than enough to deserve a 0-0 draw against reigning champions Manchester United at the Lane on Saturday.

Ledley King failed a fitness test before the match and the problems mounted just 10 minutes into the game when Jonathan Woodgate was forced off with a back problem.

Michael Dawson was outstanding in place of Ledley and was joined by Vedran Corluka, who started at right-back, in central defence following Woody's departure.

Didier Zokora switched from midfield to right-back and was largely untroubled by United's dangerman Ronaldo as an exciting game played in constant rain ended goalless.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto was also solid at left-back and a fine night's work all-round defensively was completed by Heurelho Gomes, who made sure the clean sheet was kept intact with two excellent late saves from Ji-Sung Park and Ryan Giggs.

It wasn't just about defending though.

We created the better chances in the first half as Edwin Van der Sar was forced to save from David Bentley and Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric headed just wide. Van der Sar was tested again by Bentley after the break and another Modric effort grazed the of of the net.

"Any time you take a point off United it's always a good result," reflected Harry afterwards. "You want to win your home games but we started without Ledley, who failed a fitness test before the game and then we lost Jonathan Woodgate.

"You lose your two main central defenders and you think it's going to be a tough night, but to come through as we did was fantastic.

"Michael Dawson did excellently, Corluka went into the centre from right-back and Zokora went to right-back and did a great job on Ronaldo. It was a great performance and a hard-working performance.

"You have to be at your best to get anything out of United and we worked our socks off and showed a fantastic attitude. The lads have done that ever since I've been here."

As for Gomes, Harry added: "It was a great save at the end, that's what he's there to do and that's what he did. His confidence couldn't have been any lower a few weeks ago. He's improved. Tony Parks (goalkeeping coach) has been a big influence, he's a bubbly character and he's got into him and given him a lot of confidence."

The only down side for Harry was the injuries to both Woody and Jermaine Jenas. "JJ's torn a calf muscle," he reported.

Linked here.

League Report: West Ham 0 Spurs 2

Courtesy of Official Site-

Ledley King's first goal since December 2005 and a stunning strike from Jamie O'Hara sealed a valuable three points on the road at Upton Park on Monday night.

The skipper's last contribution to the goal charts was against Portsmouth and his header against the Hammers set the tone in a match where maximum points were richly merited after the momentum was seized in the second half.

There was a real chance to get the night off to flying start when Aaron Lennon pinged back across goal to where David Bentley was waiting to roll into the path of the returning Luka Modric. From a central position the Croatian opted for precision rather than power, but his radar was askew on this occasion and it was an easy field for Robert Green.

The lively beginning was not built on and both sides struggled when it came to keeping possession in the first 20 minutes - particularly in the final third. Green's next sight of ball came when a Benoit Assou-Ekotto cross was headed at him by Bentley.

West Ham did have the ball in the net off Jermaine Jenas, with referee Mr Foy spotting the fact that the midfielder was being knocked about and duly ruled out any home lead.

The contest continued to stutter with either side establishing authority until Bentley latched onto a headed clearance and lashed the ball goalwards on the half-volley with Green forced into a smart reaction save.

Control was being exerted in the approach to half-time and the home crowd were increasingly venting their collective frustration. A low cross from Lennon skidded across goal and Roman Pavlyuchenko stuck out a leg at the far post but ended up hitting it.

Also increasing was the influence of Modric, clearly the most influential player on the pitch in the first half, gliding across the surface and seemingly almost always in a position to receive the ball.

Lucas Neill smashed across goal in the opening exchanges of the second half, with Julien Faubert unable to make any sort of connection, but West Ham did appear to emerge with something of a spring in their step.

It was Lennon who rocked them back on their heels with a speedy dash before he was bundled off the ball before Modric speculated from distance with an effort that was foiled high in the air by Green.

There then looked to be a strong case for handball against Herita Ilunga from Vedran Corluka's cross, but Mr Foy might not have been in the best position to spot.

By this time Darren Bent was in the thick of the action having replaced Pavlyuchenko, while West Ham swapped Faubert in a popular move with Mark Noble. A brilliant incisive move involving Jenas and Lennon led to Bent being presented with a scoring chance in front of goal just after the hour, but his sidefooted effort did not find the target or do the move justice.

The quality was now on show with most of the approach work from the team in white shirts, although execution of the final ball was proving a frustration. This couldn't be levelled at Assou-Ekotto when his sliderule pass across goal picked out Bent on the turn, but the striker was quickly outnumbered.

Didier Zokora then made a dash for it and unleashed a shot that Green did well to save low to his left.

The deadlock was then broken by a these days unlikely goalscorer. A magnificent cross from the right by Lennon was met by the head of King, who nodded downwards and beat the despairing dive of Green.

Substitute David Di Michele tried to force the issue shortly after his introduction but was denied by a determined block from Jonathan Woodgate in front of goal.

Apart from this the flow was towards the goal guarded by Green and Lennon was not too far away from adding to the lead with just over ten minutes remaining.

Heurelho Gomes denied Neill and then Di Michele from point blank range with fine saves before West Ham were caught with a counter-punch when Corluka picked out the substitute O'Hara who let rip from 20-odd yards and arrowed the ball into the top corner to complete a fine night's work.

Linked here.

Carling Cup Draw 12/2008

Courtesy of Official Site-

We have been drawn against Burnley in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

Derby County will play Manchester United in the other semi-final.

We were first out of the hat and will therefore play the first leg at White Hart Lane.

Dates are yet to be confirmed but the scheduled dates for the legs are the week commencing January 5 and week commencing January 19.

As soon as we have the dates finalised, we will annouce through our normal club channels.

Linked here.

Freddy Adu interview with Benjamin Adler

Courtesy of ESPN-

Freddy Adu has found life tough in France since arriving at AS Monaco from Benfica. Still only 19, Adu has spent just 144 minutes on the pitch this season.

DougPensinger/GettyImages

Freddy Adu: Now playing for AS Monaco

The young American prodigy, a professional since the age of 14, is struggling to impose himself. But he sees a bright future ahead. ESPNsoccernet met with the former DC United player to talk about his career so far and his ambitions.

What do you take out of this season so far? Is it living up to your expectations or are you disappointed?
I am happy with my progress, I don't play a lot and I regret it but I can feel that I have progressed. I am training better, I have built better habits on and off the field, and that is great because the life of a pro comes down to little details. About a month ago I realized that I was too inconsistent and I have changed my way of working to change this, first of all in training. I now hope to just play more. I am ambitious and ask a lot of myself, I always remind myself I can do better.

Did you do your research on Ligue 1 before signing, on the style of play?
I gathered some information, yes. I knew for example that it was very physical so I was not surprised on that level. However, it is better technically then what I had envisioned.

You speak of the progress you have made, can you describe this?
I have to be better on the ball and also at finding it. My finishing is already much better, running with the ball also and that is what I really needed to improve at. That is where my margin of improvement has been the best since arriving in Europe. But, as I said before, I can do better.

You are only 19, which we often seem to forget. How is life in Monaco, so far from your family?
Very well, my best friend lives with me. He joined me after finishing his studies at university. He has kind of become my sports agent, I can trust him so it is great. The club's president will help him find a job in the region. He loves football and is playing for the third team.

And your integration within the squad?
I am lucky to be in a group in which many players speak English, so the language barrier is very small compared to Benfica. There the culture shock was very hard, in the beginning especially. And then I started to learn Portuguese and things became better. But here in Monaco, I am doing just fine.

Have you begun to take French lessons?
No not yet, I haven't really had time. But it is in my plans.

How do you deal with daily life in a locker room with experienced pros, egos, salaries and demands very different from MLS?
It took me six months to get used to it when I arrived at Benfica, so now it is not a problem. I learned: I work, I observe and I keep quiet. I take a lot from the star players, everyday and little by little. I really want to learn from them in order to progress, that's how it works.

After stepping back a little, did the buzz surrounding you after your very spectacular debuts not hurt you? So great was the expectations?
Maybe it didn't help, but that's what happened and I have to get on with it. When you are a pro you have to learn to handle it. I prefer to look at the positives. When I tell myself that I have already been a pro for five years, I smile saying "already, holy cow!" I have to put to use all that I have learned since the beginning.

Obligatory question for all Monaco players: playing in a stadium half full, it's not very attractive is it?
When you are a pro you have to play in all kinds of conditions, whether the stadium is full or empty. Of course I would like to play in a packed stadium but the fans that come have come to make noise, so it's ok.

DougPensinger/GettyImages

Adu in action for the United States in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala last month

Having a president who has spent a lot of time in the United States, does it help or not at all?
Yes it helps because he is familiar with football in the United States and speaks very good English. But it's the coach I have to impress. And recently he has told me he was happy with me and I had to keep doing what I'm doing.

What language do you speak with Ricardo [Gomes, AS Monaco coach]?
Portuguese

What is your opinion on Ricardo?
Ricardo knows what he is doing, he gives off that impression. But it is very hard to read what he is thinking, it's impossible. When he is happy with you he lets you know, and same if he is disappointed. Players like to know how they are doing. It is important the coach tells them what he thinks.

Last season at Benfica, you were playing superbly at the beginning of the season before suffering a loss of form. What happened?
I went through a season with three different coaches, it is not easy. I was playing very well at the start then I went away with the national team for a World Cup qualifier. When I came back, Jose Camacho was not there anymore and I wasn't in the new coach's plans. I basically didn't play after that.

Have you contemplated a return to MLS?
No I have never thought about it. It's in Europe that I want to continue my career and I will do anything to succeed. I will make it. Everything depends on me. I have received the talent, I have to maximize it.

Your parents were in agreement about turning pro at 14?
Yes, of course. I played for the team of my home city so I still lived with them like a normal teenager.

Who are your best friends in the locker room?
Jean-Jacques Gosso, Jerko Leko and Patrick Müller.

Your dream as a footballer, what is it?
My dream is to play for one of the top European clubs, the top five. Tottenham are also one of my dreams, since I supported them as a boy. My objective is the Premier League which is for me the best league in the world.

One last question on the national team: How is the squad coming together for the next World Cup?
I see the the whole squad improving so I am very optimistic. We have a lot of young players who play in Europe and fight to get a place, they have a strong mentality. The national team will benefit from it and I can guarantee you that we will do better than many people think come South Africa 2010.

Linked here.

Tenuous link but I was pleasantly surprised that Freddy Adu is a Tottenham fan.

Carling Cup Report: Watford 1 Spurs 2

Courtesy of Official Site-

A Carling Cup semi-final now awaits after the team came from a goal behind to defeat Watford at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night.

The early setback was overcome moments before half-time when Roman Pavlyuchenko converted a penalty, with Darren Bent booking our last four place with 15 minutes remaining.

It was frantic stuff from the off with the home side certainly speedier out of the blocks and probably quicker in warming up on a cold night in Hertfordshire.

Fraizer Campbell attempted to slice open what, early on, looked like a resolute Watford rearguard with a slide pass roughly into the path of Didier Zokora, but his assist-attempt was overhit and Zokora's wait for a goal was always going to extend.

With 12 minutes on the clock Tommy Smith's determined dash down the left led to the ball being squeezed inside to Tamas Priskin. The striker still had a fair bit to do, but did it in a clinical fashion, turning in the area and powering a low curling shot beyond the reach of Heurelho Gomes and into the net.

Twenty minutes in Zokora set Aaron Lennon on the run and, after checking inside his marker, the winger employed the outside of his boot and sent the ball swirling towards the top corner. Home goalkeeper Scott Loach was forced into a magnificent save on the stretch.

Territory, possession and a genuine threat going forward began to be posed, the feeling being that if the final ball was right then the pace of Lennon or Campbell could well pay dividends.

However, it was Gomes making the next save with a smart smothering of Liam Bridcutt's low drive, before Loach did similar at the other end. Loach was slightly less assured in dealing with the threat when Lennon burst through, pushing up in the air leaving Campbell to attempt to nudge home, but the danger was finally averted.

Two minutes before the break Pavlyuchenko had the chance to square the game when he seized on an error by Leigh Bromby and stole in on goal. The Russian went for the top corner and hit the bar with only the keeper to beat.

In stoppage time Jermaine Jenas was tagged by Ross Jenkins inside the area and, after taking a good look, referee Mr Dowd pointed to the spot. Pavlyuchenko did the honours and it was evens at the break.

Watford began the second half with renewed purpose without unduly troubling Gomes, while we laboured to recapture some of the vigour from the latter stages of the first half.

Bent was summoned from the bench not long after the hour in place of Campbell in a bid to sharpen up the attacking intent, but it was Zokora who sped the length of the pitch on the counter before delivering a disappointing cross that Loach was able to field with ease - as he did two low efforts from Jenas and one from O'Hara.

Pavlyuchenko came close to unlocking the gate when he spread the play wide to Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who pinged the ball across the face of goal awaiting a touch that never came. A Jonathan Woodgate header, albeit not the most powerful, was nodded off the line by Lee Williamson.

In the 76th minute the deficit was finally overturned when Lennon combined with Pavlyuchenko before the ball sprang off Bridcott in the direction of Bent to the right of the penalty area. From an angle the striker aimed towards the near post, beating Loach low to his left, before joining in the celebrations with the travelling masses.

Bent could have added to his night's work three minutes from time when he attempted to seize on a Lennon cross, but was unable to make a suitable connection.

Manchester United, Derby or Burnley will be next in this competition - a two-legged semi-fial - with our opponents to be determined on Saturday.

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