Spurs pay penalty for some hapless finishing

Spurs 1 Liverpool 1 (AET)
Liverpool win 4-3 on penalties: Tottenham crashed out of the English League Cup on penalties last night to Liverpool, after the teams had finished deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Tottenham looked to have booked their place in the semis when they took the lead through England striker Jermain Defoe in extra-time.

The north London side had squandered a host of chances to put the tie beyond Liverpool's reach in normal time, but Defoe finally broke the deadlock in the 108th minute.

However, Tottenham striker Fredi Kanoute inexplicably gifted Liverpool the chance to equalise by handling the ball in the penalty area four minutes from time.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle sent Paul Robinson the wrong way from the spot-kick to ensure the tie went to a penalty shoot-out - and misses from Frederic Kanoute and Michael Brown proved costly.

After 30 minutes of extra-time produced a breakthrough each, the teams went to penalties.

Kanoute and Brown then missed from the spot and Sinama-Pongolle scored the clincher to send Liverpool through 4-3 on penalties.

In normal time, Rafael Benitez's team had survived thanks to two saves from Jerzy Dudek, some poor Spurs finishing - notably by Robbie Keane - and a combination of good defending and their opponents' utter lack of wit in attack.

An almost full-strength Spurs were pedestrian, short of creativity and delivering too many poor passes in the face of a team who spent most of the second half in 4-5-1. Their possession produced few chances and they were fortunate Anthony Gardner was shown yellow and not red in the 77th minute when he tripped Sinama-Pongolle with the striker seemingly clear on goal.

Liverpool had selected a team unrecognisable from the one that dramatically defeated Arsenal. Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, the last-minute hero of that game, were the only survivors from Sunday's starting XI. A mix of experienced reserves and young players were drafted in.

Tottenham, too, had made changes, though far fewer. Most notably Defoe was asked to begin on the bench, a response perhaps by the Spurs head coach Martin Jol to the striker's irresponsible behaviour in taking off his shirt in celebration on Sunday and earning a suspension.

Whatever the reason, Keane and Kanoute started up front for Tottenham, and Kanoute went close to giving his team an early lead. Supplied from the left by Reto Ziegler, he crashed a shot against Dudek's crossbar.

Yet there was no sign in the first half that Spurs would sweep aside their depleted opponents. They enjoyed the vast majority of possession and pressure but lacked sparkle or real cutting edge, missing the ingenuity and movement of Defoe, who is so often their brightest attacking player.

Tottenham also broadly found Liverpool in stubborn mood. Salif Diao was doing a useful job in midfield, Stephane Henchoz started solidly at centre-back and young Stephen Warnock was dogged at left-back even if there were occasional signs of inexperience.

It was down his flank that Kanoute broke to set up a chance that Rohan Ricketts wastefully headed wide. But that was one of few good opportunities for Tottenham as they failed to make their territorial dominance count.

Liverpool attacks were extremely rare. They found it hard to get a break from defensive duties because they struggled to hold possession when given the chance. Little was seen of Mellor or Sinama-Pongolle in attack as they were starved of decent service. though a couple of times they let themselves down with a poor touch or pass.

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Pamarot, Gardner, King, Atouba, Ricketts (Defoe 66), Brown, Carrick, Ziegler, Kanoute, Keane (Pedro Mendes 85). Subs Not Used: Fulop, Naybet, Redknapp. Booked: Pamarot, Gardner. Goals: Defoe 108.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Raven, Henchoz, Whitbread, Warnock, Nunez (Smyth 70), Diao (Partridge 111), Biscan, Potter, Mellor (Welsh 52), Sinama Pongolle. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Foy. Booked: Welsh. Goals: Sinama Pongolle 117 pen.

Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).