Kanoute genius secures Spurs win

Tottenham 3 Crystal Palace 0

Fredi Kanoute’s 47 minute hat-trick ensured Tottenham a comfortable passage into the FA Cup fourth round with victory over First Division Crystal Palace.

Kanoute, who is in the middle of a club-versus-country dispute over his African Nations Cup call-up for Mali, had wrapped up the game long before Tottenham had Gus Poyet sent off in the 79th minute, followed two minutes later by Palace’s Danny Butterfield.

Spurs, without a win in five matches, had captain Stephen Carr back in their defence after suspension. Midfielder Simon Davies, out for most of the season with a hip injury, returned on the bench but Darren Anderton was again absent with a calf injury.

Palace had Cedric Berthelin in goal in place of on-loan Thomas Myhre, who was refused permission to play by Sunderland. Darren Powell also missed out again with a thigh injury.

Palace had two players booked in the opening 14 minutes.

Referee Andy D’Urso showed Ben Watson a yellow card for bringing down Robbie Keane after only nine minutes. Keane hit the free-kick straight into the defensive wall and when the ricochet reached Frederic Kanoute he shot into the side-netting, but the offside flag had already been raised.

Four minutes later Michael Hughes had his name taken for bringing down Poyet from behind.

Tottenham, from the resulting free-kick launched the attack which led to the opening goal with Kanoute providing an excellent finish to lash in an angled 15-yard shot from the right-hand side in the 14th minute.

Kanoute struck again in the 20th minute to put Tottenham 2-0 ahead.

Stephane Dalmat left three defenders standing as he burst through on the right side of the penalty area, before squaring the ball back to Kanoute who was left with the easy task of side-footing in at the far post.

Dalmat caused Palace all sorts of problems as he tried to juggle his way through again, after linking with Kanoute, but Gary Borrowdale stood firm to block his progress.

Tottenham almost scored again when young midfielder Johnnie Jackson tried a left-footed shot but, with the Palace defence in total disarray the ball was scrambled away.

Kanoute was denied a first-half hat-trick when his powerfully struck shot was superbly beaten out by goalkeeper Cedric Berthelin and then Dalmat fired a volley over the crossbar.

Jackson was booked for a foul just before half-time.

Kanoute completed his hat-trick in the 47th minute when he took a pass from Ledley King, turned and struck a fine right-footed shot past Berthelin.

The goal ended any hopes of a fight back by Palace who had replaced Johnson with Dougie Freedman at half-time.

It should have been four in the 52nd minute when Keane, with only Berthelin to beat, fired over the crossbar from close range.

Tottenham goalkeeper Kasey Keller was finally called on to make his first save in the 58th minute when Danny Butterfield tested him from long range.

The home side were so much in control that they had no problem sending on Welsh international Simon Davies, who has missed the majority of the season with a hip injury, for Ledley King in the 63rd minute.

They continued to dominate with Dalmat sending a fierce cross inches over the bar and then Keane saw his shot saved by Berthelin.

Tempers flared when Poyet was annoyed by a challenge from Freedman and, after consulting his linesman, the referee booked the Palace substitute and then to the surprise of the crowd sent off Tottenham’s Poyet, allegedly for spitting, in the 79th minute.

There was further controversy in the 81st minute when Crystal Palace had Butterfield sent off after Tottenham substitute Bobby Zamora was felled by a vicious challenge.

But he left the pitch pleading a case of mistaken identity with substitute Jamie Smith the apparent culprit.

In the final minute Tottenham’s Dalmat had a shot cleared off the Palace line by Hughes and, in the dying seconds, Palace produced their best attempt on goal with Tony Popovic’s header well saved by Keller.