Deadly Defoe gets Spurs back on winning track

Tottenham 1 Fulham 0

Afterwards Tottenham manager Martin Jol was full of praise for teenager Aaron Lennon after he put in a man-of-the-match performance.

The 18-year-old, in only his third appearance in a Spurs shirt, was influential all night.

"Today we proved we are very good team and we have good prospects in Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Jenas," said Jol. "Lennon is a very big talent. I think he can be a big player in the future and he showed that today."

Jol felt his side recovered well from the shock Carling Cup exit to League Two Grimsby last week.

"Even when you play at home you have to get the confidence of the crowd back and I think we did that.

"We are still sick as parrots [over the Grimsby defeat], because it was the shortest way to Europe but tactically tonight it was all right although in the second half we could not hold the ball. At 1-0 you need to keep the ball.

"But I think we deserved the win."

It had all started so promisingly for Tottenham when Defoe opened the scoring after only eight minutes.

Lee Young-pyo and Mido had both threatened before Defoe was given all the space and time he needed after a long ball over the top from Ledley King and he clinically finished beyond the advancing Tony Warner.

Defoe's strike did not bring an immediately noticeable improvement in urgency by Fulham, although full-back Moritz Volz showed the way with a determined run and shot which skidded across the face of goal.

Fulham were desperately unlucky not to equalise when a Claus Jensen shot smacked against the top of the Tottenham crossbar.

When Paul Stalteri did well to block Brian McBride's goalbound shot, Jol's anxiety was illustrated by his numerous trips to the edge of the pitch.

Mido might have relaxed him by keeping his shot a little lower and Warner then saved well from Davids.

When Spurs started the second half with another wave of attacks a home win seemed a certainty.

Mido wasted a great chance, electing to try to pick out Defoe with a pass instead of shooting when the temptation was almost too much.

Stalteri got forward onto Aaron Lennon's pass and there were screams for a penalty when he went down in the box from Boa Morte's challenge.

In the last 10 minutes there was a distinct feeling of unrest among the vast majority of the crowd as Spurs clung on to a narrow lead which could easily have been much bigger had they taken their chances.

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Stalteri, Naybet, King, Lee, Lennon (Reid 71), Jenas, Pedro Mendes, Davids, Defoe (Keane 75), Mido (Rasiak 89).

FULHAM: Warner, Volz, Knight, Bocanegra, Niclas Jensen, Radzinski, Malbranque, Diop, Claus Jensen, Boa Morte, McBride (John 75).

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).