Jermain Defoe scored twice to help give Andre Villas-Boas his first Premier League win with Tottenham in a 3-1 victory at Reading.
Defoe's goals ease some of the pressure on Villas-Boas
Jermain Defoe scored twice to help give Andre Villas-Boas his first Premier League win as Tottenham Hotspur head coach and ease some of the pressure after a 3-1 victory at Reading.
Sunday morning newspaper reports had suggested former Chelsea flop Villas-Boas had as little as three more games to save his Spurs job after a slow start this season having taken over in the summer.
And so England striker Defoe's double, which came either side of a Gareth Bale goal, were a welcome relief after the defeat at Newcastle United and draws with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City.
For Reading, who could only cheer Hal Robson-Kanu's late consolation, the Madejski Stadium loss was another setback as Brian McDermott's 2011/12 Championship winners remain without a victory since returning to the Premier League.
Mousa Dembele, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Defoe were all at the top of their game as Spurs put on the kind of performance that at times set pulses racing during the Harry Redknapp era.
They started well and although Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was making his first appearance in the Premier League, he showed no nerves to deny Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen with two fine reaction saves after three minutes.
Vertonghen then launched a ball over the top from deep but Bale's first touch was poor and the ball dribbled wide.
Reading thought they should have had a penalty in the 11th minute when the ball struck Kyle Walker's arm as he jumped for a Danny Guthrie free-kick, but Howard Webb ruled that Alex Pearce had fouled the right-back.
The penalty call aside, Reading were struggling to make an impression on the game.
Gift
The seemingly inevitable opener came after 18 minutes when Sigurdsson sliced open the Reading defence to find Aaron Lennon who squared for Defoe to rifle home from 15 yards.
McCarthy then had to be at his best to deny Sandro from long range as Tottenham looked for a quick second.
Defoe brilliantly took down a long raking pass from the excellent Kyle Naughton and slipped past two defenders but his toe-poke went wide.
McCarthy then almost gifted the visitors a second when he dallied on the ball on the edge of his box. Defoe pinched it off the 22-year-old and squared to Sigurdsson but Pearce rushed back to clear the ball off the line.
Another mix-up at the back gave Tottenham one more chance nine minutes before the break but Defoe over-hit a pass for Lennon.
Reading started to get in to the game more but Spurs keeper Brad Friedel was largely a spectator, with Jobi McAnuff's wayward shot the Royals' only attempt at goal towards the end of the first half.
McDermott looked to Adam Le Fondre for inspiration, the former Rotherham striker coming on for midfielder Jem Karacan at the break. The change had little immediate effect, as Tottenham continued to dominate.
Dembele's deflected shot fell at Defoe's feet in Tottenham's first chance of the second half, but the England striker spooned his shot high and wide.
Kaspars Gorkss then put in a superb last-ditch tackle to cut out Lennon's cross as Bale lurked in the centre of the box.
Scuff
Just after the hour Bale turned on the after-burners to sprint down the left and cross for Defoe, but the 29-year-old shot two yards wide.
Spurs moved 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go through Bale. Walker skilfully slipped past two defenders and pulled back for the Welshman, whose scuffed shot looped over McCarthy in to the net.
Any hopes Reading had of a comeback were extinguished two minutes later when a brilliant solo goal from Defoe killed off the match.
The England striker robbed Gorkss on the half way line, stormed past four Reading players on a 40-yard run before slipping past McCarthy.
The away fans, who so vocally booed Villas-Boas at White Hart Lane two weeks ago, chanted the Portuguese's name after the goal went in, clearly delighted at having put the game to bed.
Defoe should have had a hat-trick in the dying minutes when he was picked out by Andros Townsend, but he volleyed way over.
Reading were determined to score before the final whistle, however, and they almost grabbed one when Le Fondre's shot was cleared off the line by William Gallas.
And they did get themselves on the scoreboard in the dying seconds when Le Fondre clipped a wonderful ball to the back post where substitute Robson-Kanu tapped home from close range.
| Reading |
Team Statistics |
Tottenham Hotspur |
| 1 |
Goals |
3 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 2 |
Shots on Target |
8 |
| 3 |
Shots off Target |
12 |
| 2 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 7 |
Corners |
4 |
| 5 |
Fouls |
12 |
| 1 |
Offsides |
1 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 74.2 |
Passing Success |
84.8 |
| 18 |
Tackles |
21 |
| 72.2 |
Tackles Success |
66.7 |
| 42.3 |
Possession |
57.7 |
| 52.2 |
Territorial Advantage |
47.8 |
| 314 |
Total Passes |
479 |
| 35 |
Total Crosses |
16 |
| 180 |
Lost Balls |
149 |
| 44 |
Recoveries |
45 |
| 34 |
1st Half Poss. |
66 |
| 45.2 |
2nd Half Poss. |
54.8 |
|
