Niko Kranjcar brace as Spurs beat Peterborough

January 3, 2010 · No Comments

Tottenham Hotspur made light work of Championship strugglers Peterborough United as they ran out 4-0 winners in the FA Cup third round clash at White Hart Lane.

Niko Kranjcar scored a brace with goals either side of half time, before Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane added a goal apiece, the latter from the penalty spot.

Despite insisting he was prioritising a top four league finish over silverware this season, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp fielded a strong side against the team currently bottom of the Championship.

Keane and Kranjcar both had several chances before the latter opened the scoring with 10 minutes of the first half remaining.

Kranjcar was found in the area by his Croatia compatriot Luka Modric and he drills a shot into the bottom corner.

He doubled his and Tottenham’s tally as the match approached the hour mark, finishing from close range after Gareth Bale’s cross fell to him for his seventh goal for Spurs.

Bale, set for a rare run in the team because of the groin injury to left-back Benoit-Assou Ekotto that has ruled him out of the African Cup of Nations, then set up another goal, this time for Defoe.

Defoe struck low from the centre of the area to register his 17th goal in all competitions this season.

Deep into injury time, Posh defender Chris Whelpdale brought down Spurs substitute Danny Rose in the area, and Keane struck his penalty down the middle to score his first goal in six matches. — Eurosport