Sponsored by
Tottenham Hotspur 9 Wigan Athletic 1: Defoe is goal glutton as Spurs sweep aside Wigan
TOTTENHAM'S manager Harry Redknapp hailed the performance of Aaron Lennon after his side thrashed Wigan at White Hart Lane.
Jermain Defoe scored five times in an incredible second half but Redknapp was keen to praise the contribution of former Leeds United midfielder Lennon.
"I thought we started really bright, we had 25 minutes where we really got off after them in the first half before they came back into it," Redknapp said.
"We came in at half-time and said we had to get back to how we started, pressing them all over the park, and we decided to work them and made the opportunities and took them.
"Their keeper (Chris Kirkland) made some great saves as well.
"Lennon is a fantastic talent, anybody would have had a hard day with him in that sort of form. He deserved that goal at the end."
Speaking about Defoe, Redknapp added: "For Jermain to get five goals was an outstanding performance.
"Yesterday in training he looked so sharp and I felt if he could carry that into the game he would be a real handful.
"You don't get too many nines in the Premier League, it's a bad day for Roberto Martinez (Wigan manager) but he'll come back even stronger and I'm sure next week he'll take it out on someone else."
Defoe had made a last-minute change of boots before his goalscoring frenzy after Spurs development coach Clive Allen, himself a prolific striker in his playing days, told Defoe to ditch his green footwear.
"I tried a pair of green boots on before the game, but Clive Allen said I couldn't wear them, so I changed them.
"They were pinkish silver ones in the end, and I go and score five."
Peter Crouch's early strike gave Harry Redknapp's men a half-time lead, with nothing at that stage suggesting Spurs would almost hit double figures. Robbie Keane, who was rested following his World Cup efforts for Republic of Ireland last week, told his team-mates in the dressing room at half-time that they needed a second goal to kill Wigan off.
Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar also netted, while David Bentley's free-kick went in off Chris Kirkland, who made a string of fine saves despite the scoreline.
Redknapp believes Defoe can finish top goalscorer in the league and cement himself in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad with England.
The Spurs boss said: "It's about time he scored 20 goals in a season. He's been so sharp in training. You could see this coming."
Martinez, seen left, said: "We finished the first half very strongly and looked like a team who were going to dictate things.
"But we have ourselves to blame for the goals we conceded and after that you are climbing a mountain."
The Latics' next Barclays Premier League match is next Saturday, when Sunderland are the visitors to the DW Stadium.
"We have to make sure we move on from this," Martinez added.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
