Hardly ideal preparation for this one. Shipping in 14 goals in the past 4 League games, the good run we'd had coming to a dead end. From all accounts Spurs have been playing some good football this season, and have genuine, if perhaps unrealistic, ambitions of a top 6 place. Perhaps that's why the crowd was a little disappointing - only just over 13,500, and this included a sizeable away support. Still, the stay-away fans were compensated for by the Sky TV money, as the game was shown on the magic lantern.
Redknapp and Freund missing from the visitors' midfield, no Sheringham or Richards, and Keane on the bench. I did wonder if Mr Hoddle had decided to put out a weakened team? No sign of it in the first 20 minutes, as the opposition took the game to us, and the Clarets were definitely tentative, and wary on the ball. I think the nerves had filtered through to the crowd, or vice versa, as it was a subdued Turf Moor atmosphere. Stan had elected for a more defensive line-up, leaving both Ian Moore and Glen Little on the bench. McGregor partnering Arthur at the centre of defence, and Branch returning to left back. That meant Davis and Grant played centre midfield, and Weller played on the right. I can understand the thinking, on a night when there would be a result: in other words, a possible 2 hours of football and then a penalty shoot-out. It would be foolhardy to go out all guns blazing, and be 3-0 down after 25 minutes, and the game dead.
After a couple of early scares, Spurs took the lead after 17 minutes when Poyet rose unchallenged from a corner to head home powerfully. Not that long ago, falling behind meant we'd lost the game. We all know that we have enough players to score, but this was to be a big test against a Premiership team. Shortly afterwards, Iversen wasted a great chance to make it 2-0, and there seemed little hope of us getting back in the game. Then the Master Tactician, Mr Ternent, introduced Glen to replace McGregor, and quite frankly Spurs couldn't cope with him. From here on in Burnley got better, and started to create chances. Yes, Spurs had their chances too, but it was Burnley who ended the stronger.
We seem to like to make things hard for ourselves - how many times this season have we had to come from a goal down? Like a fair number of those times, we came out buzzing in the second half. Stan's half time team talks must really be something, and the crowd had now found its voice and were getting behind the team. Taylor and West had already spurned half-chances before Blake equalised, on 58 minutes, and raised the roof. It had been coming, and although it took a big deflection, it was no more than we deserved. Blake and Little are playing so well together at the moment: both are at the heart of everything good we do. I wondered why Blake had been signed - well, his performances this season (when not wearing diving boots) have been Premiership quality.
You're at your most vulnerable after you've scored, goes the old cliché, and Robbie Keane (a half time substitute for Les Ferdinand) almost proved it within a minute, but he failed to trouble Marlon when clean through on goal. The turning point of the game? Arguably as on 62 minutes Skip made it 2-1 with a carbon copy of Spurs' goal. Glen took the right-wing corner, and Davis beat 2 men to power home. Would our fragile defence hold on? Of course we had our doubts, but they would have been considerably eased had Blake's left foot snorter not come back off the inside of the post. Fortunately Glen was still running amok, which meant that Spurs couldn't push everyone up.
Keane had two more efforts: he tried to lob Marlon, but put it tamely into his hands; and shot at his legs when through again. In the final minute, after bringing the ball down, Keane turned and smashed a volley against the bar. I thought Marlon touched it, and apparently TV replays confirm this; unsurprisingly, referee Dermot Gallagher didn't spot it, and so it was a goal kick.
There'll be games when Blake and Little have no luck and miss chances like Keane did, but whilst they're in this form you've got to fancy us to score. Now if we had a midfield, and a defence that wasn't like a sieve, where would we be? Still, this is a good Cup run for us, the money being desperately needed: let's crack on.
West McGregor Gnohere Branch
Weller Grant S Davis Briscoe
Attendance: 13,512.
Scorers: (Burnley) Blake 57, S Davis 61 / (Spurs) Poyet 17.
Referee: D J Gallagher (Banbury).
Becko's Man of the Match: Blake.