George Graham's call for more flair was answered in emphatic style as Spurs
swept into the FA Cup quarter-finals with two sensational goals.
Darren Anderton and David Ginola each scored a goal of supreme class to leave
Spurs fans dreaming of a Wembley Cup double.
After booking their place last week in the Worthington Cup final, Graham told
his players to go out and enjoy themselves in this fifth-round replay and to
turn on the style.
His players did just that, and after a closely-contested first half, Graham's
team triumphed over his former club to earn a trip to First Division Barnsley.
Anderton struck first after 59 minutes with a pinpoint 35-yard rocket, and
Ginola sealed victory eight minutes later with an equally-special volley from
20-yards.
The Tottenham turnaround under Graham gets more remarkable with each match.
This was his side's eighth clean sheet in the last 11 matches and extends the
unbeaten run to 14 games.
In 1993, Graham steered Arsenal to a historic FA and League Cup double, and
you can't help Spurs fans for feeling this might be their year.
The only sour note was an injury to England striker Les Ferdinand who was
rushed to hospital by ambulance at half-time suffering from concussion for the
second time in the space of five days.
This was good, frantic, FA Cup fare from the off. After four minutes Nigel
Martyn mishit a clearance straight into the midriff of Steffen Iversen.
The ball broke loose to Ferdinand, but Martyn's blushes were spared by Alf
Inge Haaland who reacted smartly to block the shot.
A minute later, Steve Carr burst down the right and curled in a good cross,
but Anderton's header lacked the power to trouble Martyn.
The goalkeeper's quick throw started a counterattack, and a rare slip by Sol
Campbell gave Harry Kewell a free shot. The Australian international should at
least have hit the target, but his low drive was wide of the right post.
At the Leeds end, Iversen flashed a header just over from Anderton's cross
after 11 minutes. Meanwhile, a good battle was developing in the Spurs box
between Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ramon Vega.
Both sides suffered a blow after 22 minutes when Ferdinand and David Wetherall
clashed heads on the edge of the Leeds box and were replaced by Chris Armstrong
and Gunnar Halle respectively.
Wetherall walked off, while Ferdinand left the field on a stretcher. His
condition was especially worrying as he had past a late fitness test after
suffering concussion at Middlesbrough on Saturday and he had a gash repaired
with medical 'glue'.
Halle quickly forced a good save from Walker from a well worked 32nd-minute
corner.
Martyn did even better two minutes later from a Tottenham corner when Steffen
Freund set up Iversen for a fierce volley which the England goalkeeper turned
away in spectacular fashion.
The tussle between Hasselbaink and Vega was hotting up, and six minutes before
the break, the Leeds man found space to cross from the left, and Campbell headed
off the line.
The second half picked up where the first left off, full of speed, aggression
and excitement.
Walker had been praised yesterday by Spurs boss Graham who said his form was
worth an England recall, and he was showing why with some immaculate handling.
It was not until the 54th minute that we really saw the first glimpse of the
Ginola magic, but it was worth waiting for.
He waltzed cross-field past a handful of Leeds defenders and unleashed a
fierce left-foot shot which Martyn just fingertipped onto the inside of the far
post and to safety.
But the Frenchman was upstaged after 59 minutes by ever-improving Anderton as
Spurs finally took the upper hand. Ginola found him in space with a free-kick,
and Anderton unleashed a screamer which flew in off the far post.
Surprisingly, it was Anderton's first goal in open play this season - his two
others came from the penalty spot - but what a way to open his account.
But Ginola wasn't finished. After 66 minutes, he went on a great dribble and
thundered a shot against the bar, then a minute later came the goal he deserved.
Tim Sherwood's cross was cleared to him on the edge of the box and he buried a
superb volley.
Walker kept Spurs in it from the restart with a great reflex save from Kewell,
and as Leeds showed flashes of danger, the Spurs players were defending with
their lives.
We knew it was not Leeds' night after 76 minutes when Hasselbaink was unlucky
twice in the space of 60 seconds.
First, Walker helped his rising shot over the bar, then when the Tottenham
goalkeeper finally was beaten, Hasselbaink's shot struck the post.
Spurs held out to make it a deserved victory for sorcerer Graham over his
brave apprentice David O'Leary.
Teams
Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Vega (Young 78), Campbell, Edinburgh,
Anderton, Sherwood, Freund, Ginola (Sinton 89),
Ferdinand (Armstrong 24), Iversen.
Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Nielsen.
Booked: Edinburgh, Freund.
Goals: Anderton 60, Ginola 68.
Leeds: Martyn, Radebe, Wetherall (Halle 24), Woodgate, Harte,
Haaland, Bowyer, Hopkin, Kewell, Hasselbaink, Korsten (Smith 71).
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Granville, Jones.
Booked: Radebe, Hopkin, Smith.
Att: 32,307.
Ref: N Barry (Scunthorpe).