Gary Doherty, the big Irish striker whom George Graham has turned into a defender, found the scoring touch for the second time in five days to give Tottenham a stoppage-time FA Cup victory at humble third division neighbours Orient.

It ended Spurs' miserable run of away games without a win, dating back to April 19, but in the end they only won by a short head.

That phrase accurately describes former Luton striker Doherty's decisive goal - knocked in from a few yards after he rushed through a crowded area like a rush-hour commuter to meet Darren Anderton's 92nd-minute inswinging corner from the left.

And it also accurately describes the slender margin of unconvincing Tottenham's superiority against courageous but ineffective opposition, although the winner could have come slightly earlier but for goalkeeper Ashley Bayes' flying save to push away Sergei Rebrov's header for a corner.

It was not until the second half that Spurs displayed any real gulf in class over their hosts who would not have been flattered by a White Hart Lane replay.

Once more, Graham's team - the industrious Anderton honourably excepted - failed to produce any real quality or flair.

There is a saying, backed up by historical fact, that Spurs invariably win a cup when the year ends in one, but it must look a long road to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium this time for their followers who made the short trip across North-East London for this minnows v sleeping giants encounter.

It was never going to be a classic, with Spurs lacking the several key injured players but Doherty, a £1million front-line buy last season but standing in at right back for injured Stephen Carr, left his mark on it.

He followed up his maiden Premiership goal against Newcastle last Tuesday with another emphatic header - and that was rough luck on gritty if uninspired Orient.

The Brisbane Road team were up for the cup-tie, knowing Spurs had not won away since April and even without their three leading strikers - all injured - it was easy to detect the lack of confidence in George Graham's team during a scrappy first half.

Steve Watts and Kelechi Opara scuffled manfully up front for the minnows and produced a few scrambles in the Tottenham area but Orient's best effort before the break was an early long-range effort by impressive left back Matt Lockwood which stung Sullivan's hands.

Yet Spurs were too often tentative about trying to build on their clear technical superiority with committed attacks and when they did get a sight of the target were short of a cutting edge in front of goal to round off Anderton's busy inventiveness.

Sol Campbell, arriving late at the back-post for an Anderton cross which Sherwood flicked on, was ruled offside as he forced the ball past Bayes.

And the keeper should have been left helpless in the 26th minute after Ledley King's header from a Leonhardsen cross thumped back off a post. Stephen Clemence aimed an instinctive flick at the rebound but landed it on top of the bar.

Orient, unbeaten in 15 previous home games this season, efficiently dealt with most other raids and Bayes was only seriously threatened against before the break by a 30-yard speculation form Anderton which he comfortably saved at stretch.

Spurs had greater command after the break but still had to withstand a sustained spell in the last 15 minutes when Orient, with a little bit of class, might have made them pay dearly for lack of ruthlessness.

But just when the third division side looked like earning a replay, thanks to another good save by Bayes from Tim Sherwood - who was lucky to receive no more than a yellow card for one particularly bad challenge on the impressive Andy Harris - Doherty struck after the keeper performed wonders keeping out the otherwise ineffective Rebrov following Campbell's lofted cross.

Teams:

Leyton Orient: Bayes, Joseph, Lockwood, Smith, McGhee, Watts, Harris, Brkovic (Beall 89), Walschaerts, Houghton, Opara (Tate 72).

Subs Not Used: Barrett, Downer, Hatcher.

Booked: Harris.

Tottenham: Sullivan, Doherty, Perry, Campbell, Clemence, Anderton, Sherwood, King, Leonhardsen, Ferdinand (Korsten 71), Rebrov.

Subs Not Used: Walker, Young, Davies, Thelwell.

Booked: Sherwood.

Goals: Doherty 90.

Att: 12,336

Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).