Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Stoke City: The Road to Survival Begins...Again

A brilliant first half display where Spurs scored three goals set the foundation for a well deserved victory over Stoke in the crucial relegation scrap at White Hart Lane tonight.

Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Defoe, and Michael Dawson all scored before the half hour mark to put the tie beyond Stoke, who scored a second half conciliation goal through James Beattie.

The first-half performance was top drawer and was exactly what Harry Redknapp and Spurs fans have been calling for all season. After a week that saw Tottenham lose in both domestic cup competitions a good performance was exactly what the doctor ordered and a shell shocked Stoke were lucky to make it to half time only three down.

Croatian playmaker Luka Modric was at the heart of all of Tottenham's best moves, and this performance will have gone some way to redeeming his flagging reputation.

With new signing Carlo Cudicini in the team in place of injured keeper Heurelho Gomes, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp brought back Jonathan Woodgate, Lennon and Defoe, who all missed the 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.

Stoke, who were unchanged, could have taken the lead after a minute when Beattie crept in front of Woodgate, but the ex-Everton striker failed to make full contact with Whelan's free-kick and after that it was all one way traffic.

With David Bentley reverting to his favoured right midfield berth for almost the first time this season, Redknapp switched Lennon to the left. And the move paid instant dividends as Jermaine Defoe found the diminutive speedster on the edge of the box and he finished superbly to give Spurs a deserved lead.

A superb passing one touch passing move that saw seven Spurs players touch the ball before Roman Pavlyuchenko's defence splitting pass put Jermaine Defoe through, and the new signing scored his fourth goal in four games against Stoke.

With Spurs in a rare vein of form, they added a third through a well worked short corner. Bentley played it to Modric who beat his man easily and his pin point cross to Michael Dawson left the centre half with an easy finish to put Spurs three up.

The partnership that appears to have formed between Defoe, Pavlyuchenko, and Modric tore Stoke apart, and with Redknapp singing the Croatian's praises at full time it will be one he will want to cultivate as Spurs move away from the danger zone.

Stoke went in at halftime dead and buried, but Harry Redknapp's student at Bournemouth Tony Pulis would have known that an early goal would have an effect on Tottenham's fragile confidence, and he sent out a different Stoke team for the second half.

They scored the early goal they wanted after Matthew Etherington's lofted pass was controlled by James Beattie who's sliding finish into the far post gave him his debut goal and denied Cudicini a debut clean sheet.

Stoke came back into the game and closed Spurs down much more swiftly as they chased the game. Substitutes Danny Griffen and Ricardo Fuller appearing to have put their past behind them as they tried to fight their way back into the match.

But this Spurs team were not to be denied, and Luka Modric continued to find space and create chances for the excellent Defoe and Pavlyuchenko. Aaron Lennon and David Bentley provided out balls for Spurs time and time again as the two wide men played their best game this season.

Overall it was a disappointing game for Stoke who continue to have the worst away record in the Premiership, they have only picked up three points on their travels this season, and with Spurs under severe pressure following recent poor performances Tony Pulis would have felt that this was a game that was there for the taking.

Harry Redknapp was in jubilant form, as his side moved away from the bottom of the table, albeit for one night. And with two of his new signings (Palacios and Chimbonda) sitting in the wings Harry will be obviously delighted with Spurs best performance of the season.

One black spot was David Bentley's fifth yellow card of the season, and after struggling to recapture his form and putting in his best performance since his big money move from Blackburn he is now suspended for the Derby against Arsenal in February.

Spurs take on Bolton before that all important local derby and after moving as high as 13th, Harry will be looking for a similar performance to keep the impetus up as Spurs need all the points they can get.