Five-goal Spurs sink Charlton

Tottenham 5 Charlton 1:Dimitar Berbatov scored the first and last goals as Tottenham opened the floodgates to thrash relegation-threatened Charlton at White Hart Lane.

Teemu Tainio, Steed Malbranque and Jermain Defoe also scored for Spurs, who extended their run of wins at home to nine and revived hopes of challenging for a Champions League place.

Michael Dawson's own goal was the only reply from the visitors, who are still without a Premiership away victory.

It was Spurs' first Saturday game at White Hart Lane since the defeat to Everton in August, and initially there was a lack of edge that normally comes with their evening clashes.

Despite this, Dawson was booked early on for a slide on Charlton lone-striker Darren Bent, while Bryan Hughes also received a yellow card, in the 11th minute, when he prevented Lennon breaking forward.

Amady Faye, who had already unsuccessfully tried his luck from long distance, had the first meaningful effort on goal when he fizzed a volley just wide after Spurs failed to clear the ball, but clear-cut chances were difficult to come by.

Dawson had a penalty appeal waved away by Mike Dean after 25 minutes when broke forward, collected the rebound from his own cross, and went down under the challenge of Faye in the area.

Lennon had switched to the left flank and it sparked Spurs into life, with their first spell of pressure in the match resulting in the opener.

Tom Huddlestone slid the ball to the England winger on the half-hour mark, and he turned and flicked through to Berbatov to score his eighth of the season.

Spurs doubled the lead three minutes later when Lennon's cross was cleared and fell to Tainio, returning to the side to replace suspended midfielder Didier Zokora, whose drive took a slight deflection to wrong-foot Scott Carson.

Looking comfortable to extend their winning run at White Hart Lane, the hosts were then caught on the counter attack when Andy Reid, the former Spurs winger, helped pull a goal back.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder, who shifted from the left to the middle since his move, broke through Tainio's tackle and surged forward with four minutes left in the half.

Reid's low cross looped over Paul Robinson off Dawson, handing Charlton hope in their search for an opening away win in the Premiership this season.

There was still time in the first half for Lennon to get brought down on the edge of the area — Spurs thought they had a shout for a penalty — and Defoe had his free-kick deflected wide.

Defoe had two efforts early in the second half too but neither troubled Carson.

In the 53rd minute Charlton took off Radostin Kishishev for Dennis Rommedahl to give the visitors more of an attacking threat, but Spurs restored their two-goal cushion within a minute.

Berbatov nodded a floated cross back into the path of Malbranque on the edge of the area, who took a touch before volleying in his first firmly past Carson for his first in Tottenham colours.

Defoe extended the lead in the 63rd minute after Hughes stayed on the ball and Lennon stepped in. The ball broke to Defoe, who lashed past Carson.

Berbatov made it 5-1 two minutes later, collecting Robinson's throw, getting a fortunate deflection off Faye before rifling past Carson.