Sport 30-11-2001 Spurs Scrape Past Fulham - Worthington Cup who: Spurs midfielder Simon Davies what: Fires late winner to send Tottenham into Quarter Finals where: Craven Cottage, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "`Spurs are on their way to Cardiff` does not have quite the ring of the Chas `n` Dave original, but ring true it may in the new year," writes the Independent`s Steve Tongue after Tottenham squeezed past fellow Londoners Fulham thanks to a late winner from Simon Davies. "Two seasons ago," recalls Alyson Rudd in the Times, "Tottenham travelled to Craven Cottage as holders. Fulham were then the first division underdogs, a club with ambitions to enter the Premiership but considered small fry all the same. They knocked Tottenham out with style in a tie that marked the start of real belief that they could handle life at the top." This year, though, Fulham are establishing themselves in the Premiership and even felt confident enough to rotate their squad, "putting five first-team regulars on the substitutes` bench, with Sylvain Legwinski not even getting that far," notes the Independent report. "As a result, they lacked the cohesion and quality of passing evident recently in an impressive run of League performances." Nevertheless despite this and an early goal from Sergei Rebrov, Fulham dominated much of the match and, explains the Telegraph`s John Ley, got their reward: "In the third minute of first-half added time, Steve Finnan`s ball left Spurs` defence square and Barry Hayles got behind Bunjevcevic to glance the ball into the left-hand corner." The match appeared to be destined for extra-time, "but Davies` instinctive strike five minutes from the end saw Spurs in the quarter-finals," says BBC Online. "A free-kick was nodded down by Ledley King, and Davies, on the edge of the box blasted a left-footed drive past a stranded Taylor." "Sunday`s match against Leeds is more important for me," Jean Tigana, the Fulham manager, said in justifying his team selection. Glenn Hoddle, meanwhile, can look forward to a home tie against Bolton Wanderers in the next round. [... more]

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