| Goals | Goals |
|---|---|
| 20. Michael Dawson (10’) | 7. Pavel Pogrebnyak (4’) |
| 10. Emmanuel Adebayor (51’) | |
| 2. Clint Dempsey (79’) |
Spurs too strong for Reading
Pavel Pogrebnyak scored an early goal for Brian McDermott’s side, but Spurs responded through captain Michael Dawson, as well as two second half goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and substitute Clint Dempsey.
The visitors got off to a great start in the 4th minute when they opened the scoring as Ian Harte’s freekick came off the crossbar, but Pogrebnyak reacted quickly to nod the rebound home from close range.
Adebayor then had a glorious chance to level matters just two minutes later when he was picked out by Aaron Lennon at the back post, but the lanky striker directed his header wide.
Spurs did however get their equaliser in the 10th minute when Dawson got ahead of two defenders to head a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner into the back of the net.
The hosts then started to control the match and ten minutes later Moussa Dembele was unlucky to his fierce shot sailing just wide of the upright.
Jermain Defoe came even closer in the 36th minute when he skipped past two challenges before firing an effort on goal which went agonizingly wide of the far post.
Then a minute before the break Sandro almost put the hosts ahead as his low drive took a deflection, but Adam Federici pulled off a great save to keep his effort out.
Nonetheless, Andre Villas-Boas men went ahead six minutes into the second half when Lennon found Adebayor at the back post, and this time the Togolese placed his header past the exposed Reading goalkeeper.
The lead was almost doubled in the 63rd minute as Lennon went on a great run before finding Defoe inside the box, only for the England international to send his shot wide yet again.
The third goal did arrive in the 79th minute under fortuitous circumstances as Dempsey saw his long range strike ending up in the back of the net after deflecting off Mikele Leigertwood and over Federici.
Parker had a chance to seal a resounding victory in final minute of the game but Scott Parker’s drive was saved by Federici as Spurs were able to cruise to a comfortable win.
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