Spurs v Southend (FAC)

[kennethlindheim]

Southend can forget about their league travails for the weekend as they travel to Tottenham bidding to win a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The Shrimpers are rooted to the foot of the Championship and face a long battle against relegation.

Their cup form has been good, though, as they numbered Manchester United among their victims in their run to Carling Cup quarter-finals.

It was Spurs who ended their hopes in the Carling Cup, but Southend pushed Martin Jol's men all the way and a trip to White Hart Lane will hold no terrors for the Championship strugglers.

Shrimpers chief Steve Tilson was handed a pre-game boost as the club confirmed no fresh injuries and he will be able to take a full squad to North London.

The cups have dominated Spurs' agenda in recent days, as they drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday and were handed a bye into the last 16 of the Uefa Cup following Feyenoord's expulsion from the competition.

Jol will hand a late fitness test to striker Dimitar Berbatov who damaged a groin in the act of scoring against Arsenal.

Should Berbatov miss out, either Mido or Robbie Keane will likely partner Jermain Defoe in attack.

Jermaine Jenas is ready to hand Jol a boost as he has declared himself fully recovered from his ankle injury and is looking to make his first appearance since early December.

Sky Sports - The Best Sport Coverage From Around The World

[bandini]

Definitely NOT a game to take lightly. They will be out for revenge too. Looks like Rocha may be making his debut here for us.

[kennethlindheim]

I expect a win for Spurs and I expect you will get one!

[Trim]

First half has ended.
It's 1-0 for Spurs, with the goal scored in the 12th minute by Keane.

[kennethlindheim]

Tottenham moved into the last 16 of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Southend.

At times Spurs' football was a joy to behold, with Aaron Lennon and the returning Jermaine Jenas tormenting the Championship side, but they failed to ever kill off the contest.

Goals at the start of each half from Robbie Keane and Jenas threatened to break Southend's spirit, but star striker Freddy Eastwood scored from the spot for the visitors and it took a Mido goal 20 minutes from time to settle the nerves in North London.

Mido was given the nod to partner Keane in attack, but he did little to endear himself to his manager in the early stages as he passed up a couple of chances. A sweet free-kick from Jenas handed the Egyptian a decent headed chance, but his effort flew over the bar and shortly afterwards he shot wide from all of 50 yards even though Keane was in space to his right.

Spurs carried the greater attacking threat and it took an excellent saving tackle from Steven Hammell to thwart Keane who looked set to collect Jenas' threaded ball into the box.

The weight of pressure eventually told on 12 minutes as Keane rifled home with the aid of a deflection, but much of the credit must go to Didier Zokora who broke up play on the edge of his own box before springing forward and laying the ball on a plate for the Irishman.

The Shrimpers fashioned a couple of chances after going behind, as debutant Ricardo Rocha had to be alert to hack clear with Eastwood lurking, while the latter teed up Mark Gower but his volley lacked the venom to worry Radek Cerny.

Keane took his goal with great confidence and he should really have added to his tally on 17 minutes, but having pulled into space to collect Hossam Ghaly's pass, he screwed his shot wide for a throw-in.

Daryl Flahavan had no chance with Keane's opener due to a deflection, but he proved his quality shortly before the interval with a stunning save to thwart the same player.

Spurs flashed forward at a rate of knots following a good tackle from Rocha and Keane looked certain to score after being picked out unmarked by Paul Stalteri, but he was left aghast as Flahavan somehow pushed his firm effort onto the top of the crossbar.

Spurs passed up a number of chances in the first half, but Jenas knocked the stuffing out of the visitors on 50 minutes when volleying home from close range after Lennon had cut Southend to ribbons down the left.

Flahavan made good saves from Mido and Jenas to keep the scoreline respectable, while Cerny proved his quality at the other end with an excellent stop from Kevin Maher.

Southend may be struggling in the Championship, but they have proved themselves determined cup battlers this term and they threatened to spoil Spurs' party when halving the deficit with 21 minutes remaining.

Ghaly was adjudged to have handled in the box and Eastwood snapped a nine-goal barren streak when clipping his penalty into the top corner.

The goal led to some raised tempers in the Spurs camp, Keane was booked for dissent by referee Rob Styles, but the tension was eased by a goal from Mido on 76 minutes.

Lennon, who had tormented Southend all afternoon, popped up on the right and delivered an excellent low cross which Mido rammed home to book Spurs' passage into the fifth round.

Southend battled to the end and Cerny and Michael Dawson provided a comedy moment in their own box when failing to clear their lines, but the keeper atoned with a decent save to deny Luke Guttridge and ensure there was no grandstand finish at White Hart Lane.

Sky Sports - The Best Sport Coverage From Around The World