Brace for Bale as Spurs showing menace

ANTON FERDINAND has endured a difficult week in which he has found himself the subject of unwanted scrutiny, but if the QPR defender was seeking respite on the White Hart Lane pitch, he came to the wrong place.

Not that the centre-back appeared distracted by the FA investigation into allegations Ferdinand was racially abused by John Terry, the Chelsea captain, last weekend. The Rangers defender performed commendably; it was just his misfortune to confront a Tottenham side in the kind of form that suggests the title race may not be the three-horse race many assume.

Gareth Bale produced two sumptuous finishes, Rafael van der Vaart capped an outstanding personal performance with a third and, but for a second-half recovery by the visitors, Spurs’ final tally could have been more.

As it was, Jay Bothroyd’s header gave Rangers unexpected hope midway through the second-half, but the outcome was unchanged. Tottenham are up to fifth and have the momentum to take them higher.

The progress of Harry Redknapp’s side has been largely overlooked this season, partly because they have been playing catch up since the postponement of their opening league game and successive defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City.

Yet while attention has been focused largely on the leading group or the early season troubles of Tottenham’s near neighbours Arsenal, Harry Redknapp’s side have quietly started to gel and they came into this game on the back of a10-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

The introduction of Emmanuel Adebayor has added potency to the attack while, perhaps more significantly, Scott Parker’s presence has provided the midfield foundation the team was too often lacking last season.

The result was evident in the opening half when Spurs simply overran a Rangers side who had been lifted by the previous week’s victory over Chelsea but who were provided with an immediate reality check.

The signs were there right from the second minute when Van der Vaart collected Luka Modric’s tame shot on the edge of the box, before placing his shot too close to Rangers keeper Paddy Kenny.

From the resulting corner, Heidar Helguson cleared Bale’s header off the line before Kenny finally snuffed out the danger with another good save from Van der Vaart.

The pattern for the first-half had been set and it was only a matter of time before Redknapp’s side translated their dominance into goals. Adebayor should have been the player to deliver the breakthrough but was guilty of missing two good chances before Bale’s 19th minute effort beat Kenny.

The manner in which Spurs went ahead summed up the difference between the two sides. Adebayor won a header, Van der Vaart collected the knockdown and played the ball to Aaron Lennon who picked out Bale’s forward run and the left-sided player finished with a crisp shot. And throughout the move, no Rangers player got close to making a challenge.

A second goal was also likely to come sooner rather than later and came when Van der Vaart once again converted a team-mate’s half-hit shot into a meaningful pass. This time it was Ledley King who launched a speculative effort, with a deflection from Joey Barton diverting the ball to the Dutchman’s feet and Van der Vaart responded with a more telling finish.

Rangers’ cause would have been even more desperate had Luka Modric’s volley found its way inside the far post but, having reached the interval facing a two-goal deficit, the visitors had chance to regroup and Warnock gambled by making his final two substitutions.

The change was immediate, with the visitors demonstrating much more purpose following the introduction of Jay Bothroyd as a forward partner for Heidar Helguson.

Spurs still dominated but were less convincing, especially after Bothroyd nodded home from close range in the 61st minute after being set up by Helguson’s header.

Kenny was quickly called on to make another excellent save, this time from Bale, but so too was Spurs keeper Brad Friedel and it took the move of the match to set up Bale’s second and secure the victory with 18 minutes remaining.

Again it was Van der Vaart, Lennon and Bale who combined, and again it was Bale who finished superbly from the edge of the box after exchanging sharp passes with Lennon. The goal typified Tottenham’s play and was crushing for QPR.

No wonder Tottenham’s ambitions extend beyond a place in next season’s Champions League.