First-half goal burst earns Spurs vital win

Tottenham 3 Stoke 1

The win was built on strikes by Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe’s third goal in four starts since rejoining Spurs and a header from Michael Dawson, before James Beattie pulled one back for the visitors after the interval.

The hosts were helped by Luka Modric pulling the strings in central midfield, allowing Spurs to pick up their first three points since winning at West Ham at the start of December.

Stoke had not won away in the top flight since 1984 and their hopes of ending that dismal run were over in the space of 17 first-half minutes.

Spurs had lost their three previous games against promoted teams this season but Lennon settled the nerves with his strike in the eighth minute.

Defoe carried the ball forward, dragging Stoke’s defence with him to the right before hooking the ball to Lennon on the right flank.

He raced into the area and buried his finish through the legs of Thomas Sorensen.

Spurs’ second goal came in the 21st minute following a slick move that sliced through the visitors.

Vedran Corluka cut in from the right then the ball fizzed between Didier Zokora, Modric and Roman Pavlyuchenko, who played Defoe through to smash in at the near post.

Spurs pulled clear in the 25th minute when Dawson headed in the third from a Modric cross.

The one-sided scoreline did not lower the intensity — Bentley clattered into Etherington then Danny Higginbotham exacted revenge on the England winger. Both were booked by referee Mike Riley.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis was signed as a player by Redknapp, who he described as a “lunatic” that he needed for his Bournemouth side in the 1980s. So it would have been no surprise that Stoke did not surrender without a fight.

They grabbed a goal back in the 57th minute through Beattie — the seventh time in his career he has scored against Spurs and his first for the club since arriving from Sheffield United.

Etherington floated a ball over Spurs’ defence and Beattie crashed his finish into the bottom corner on the half-volley.

“We’re going to win 4-3,” sang the visiting supporters, but it was not to be.

Spurs’ bench were furious with Riley when Shawcross appeared to haul down Lennon in the area as the winger chased a passback to Sorensen.

Richard Cresswell, who had been booked by Riley for a foul on Benoit Assou-Ekotto, glanced a header wide with Stoke’s final chance to set up a nervous finale.

Tom Huddlestone and Fraizer Campbell were brought on in stoppage-time, for Lennon and Pavlyuchenko, as Spurs closed out their victory.

TOTTENHAM: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon (Huddlestone 90), Zokora, Modric, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko (Campbell 90), Defoe.

STOKE: Sorensen, Wilkinson (Griffin 46), Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye (Sonko 46), Higginbotham, Delap, Amdy Faye (Fuller 49), Whelan, Etherington, Cresswell, Beattie.

Referee: Mike Riley.