Southend United home, 20.12.06

Last updated : 21 December 2006 By SpursMAD

Pat Sheehan, The Sun: A dramatic winner broke brave Southend hearts after 115 minutes of a cracking quarter-final clash.

Jermain Defoe's goal finally sunk magnificent Southend who came mighty close to humbling Spurs in their own back yard.

Much of Tottenham's play was scrappy on a night that belonged to the Championship side.

In a game when so much went wrong for Spurs the goal was tough on keeper Darryl Flahavan, who produced saves that were Premiership if not world class.

It would not have been a surprise if Southend had clinched a place in the semi-final as they lived up to manager Steve Tilson's boast they would go for the throats of the Premiership giants.

But Tottenham's pedigree came under the severest of tests as Southend cranked up their game to another level.

Southend's early attacks made the re-shuffled Spurs defence aware they were not in for an easy night against the Championship strugglers.

Spurs, without the calming influence of rested centre-half Ledley King, made hard work of containing Southend.

And when Tottenham demonstrated their class, the Shrimpers' well-drilled back line held firm.

The quality Southend needed for a breakthrough just was not there but striker Freddy Eastwood and Jamal Campbell-Ryce did cause a few flutters.

Substitute Edgar Davids provided red-raw determination while Spurs looked increasingly ragged as Shrimpers went for the upset.

Substitute Dimiatr Berbatov made Defoe's face-saving winner. It was close, very close.

Mike Walters, Daily Mirror: Jermain Defoe broke Southend's hearts with a winner as late as it was scarcely deserved as Tottenham made desperately hard work of it.

After man-of-thematch Efe Sodje's late header went agonisingly close to winning the tie in normal time, Southend keeper Darryl Flahavan produced a wonderful save to deny Mido a stoppage-time winner.

Spurs boss Martin Jol afforded due respect by fielding a strong side - and the Shrimpers' purposeful approach soon vindicated his decision to take them seriously.

Mark Gower tested England keeper Paul Robinson with a dipping shot and Freddy Eastwood caught the eye with his work-rate alone.

But Spurs, Steed Malbranque pulling the strings in midfield, carried the greater threat and came close to drawing first blood after 22 minutes.

Flahavan remained the busier keeper saving well from a Defoe header. An angled drive from Malbranque, Paul Stalteri's speculative longrange effort and Defoe's lob over the top signalled an increase in the tempo after the restart. But Southend refused to be pushed back.

Sodje was a colossus, Kevin Maher was tenacious and Eastwood roamed across the front line in true gypsy fashion.

Russell Kempson, The Times: Tottenham made desperately hard work of it. Southend United pushed them all the way in an absorbing quarter-final.

Tottenham dominated most of the tie, but could not break the deadlock and were indebted to Jermain Defoe in the 115th minute.

Spurs opened in an aggressive manner. Southend were busy, too, with Kevin Maher, the captain, and Mark Gower to the fore. Their midfield work was industrious and often fruitful.

However, with most of their approaches breaking down on the edge of the home area, it was Tottenham who gradually worked up a head of steam.

Freddy Eastwood showed a number of neat touches. He lacked support, though, with Lee Bradbury, his strike partner, regularly pushing too wide to be of any use.

Still Tottenham kept up the pressure as Southend who were putting up a sterling fight at last managed to create a chance.

Tottenham continued to force the pace in the second half and Darryl Flahavan had to earn his corn but almost paid for not taking advantage of their superiority in the 75th minute.

Flahavan made a fine save in the final seconds of normal time from Mido, but the extra period had little to commend it, with both sides apparently exhausted. Tottenham summoned one last effort but it had been tough going for Tottenham.

John Ley, Daily Telegraph: Tottenham were inexplicably shaky. It was a remarkably gutsy display by Southend.

Though Southend's chances were few, the manner in which they defended – and the stirring performance of goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan – should have been enough to take the game to penalties.

When Dimitar Berbatov, who started on the bench, joined Mido and Defoe in a three-pronged attack, it was a mark of respect to Southend's implausible performance.

It was the performance of the back five that caught the eye. Flahavan was terrific while Efetobore Sodje seemed to get to every ball. Southend even had to make an early defensive change when Spencer Prior suffered a groin strain and had to be replaced, by Peter Clarke, who proceeded to enjoy an impressive display.

Simon Burnton, The Guardian: Southend dragged the contest into extra time before being beaten. Penalties were only five minutes away when Jermain Defoe, until that moment almost anonymous and even then marginally offside got the glory.

It took the second-half introduction of Dimitar Berbatov to add life to Tottenham's limp attack, and he was eventually involved in the winner.

Freddy Eastwood, did little to catch the eye last night, at times appearing only slightly more mobile than his home.

The only time Paul Robinson, the Spurs captain, was central to the action was in the pre-match coin toss. It was Southend's defenders who starred this time, despite the loss of the centre-back Spencer Prior to a groin injury in the 25th minute. Efe Sodje was immaculate, dominant in the air and alert on the ground. His interceptions were countless and he might even have scored an equaliser in the dying seconds only for his header to fall wide of Tottenham's goal.

Alan McCormack scurried in midfield. Flahavan's decision-making was sound, his handling impeccable and when called upon to make a save he excelled.

It had taken Spurs exactly a quarter of the match to fashion their first clear chance. Tottenham's superiority was marginal and in the final minute of the first half they might have fallen behind.

The theme last night involved Tottenham passing their way to the edge of their opponents' penalty area and then losing their way once they got there. But the arrival of Berbatov invigorated the Premiership side.

Conrad Leach, The Independent: Southend were within five minutes of forcing a penalty shoot-out and seriously entertaining the possibility of claiming a victory.

In truth, Spurs should have been long out of sight, but thanks to Darryl Flahavan, their goalkeeper, the Shrimpers resisted far longer than anyone would have predicted. He kept his teammates alive in this League Cup quarter-final, frustrating Spurs into looking an increasingly ragged and disorganised outfit.

Several times Flahavan kept out efforts from, among others, Mido, Jermain Defoe and Steed Malbranque. Prior to Defoe's match-winning effort, when Flahavan was beaten he had luck on his side, in the equally solid form of the crossbar, all of which forced this game into extra time.

Jol had not taken Steve Tilson's side lightly, nor had he fielded his strongest side, opting to rest Ledley King, Pascal Chimbonda and Dimitar Berbatov.

The plan backfired, however, as he was forced to bring on the Bulgarian late on in normal time. That then forced Mido out on to the left wing, from where the Egyptian endured a fairly fruitless night.

Freddy Eastwood looked bright throughout as did Jamal Campbell-Ryce out on the right wing, where his pace troubled Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Spurs' early attempts were from long-range and went close to opening the scoring after 23 minutes, not that Southend were sitting back. Their best chance fell to Efe Sodje after 75 minutes, but his header dropped just wide and the danger refused to go away for Southend.