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Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur v Peterborough United

White Hart Lane, London N17 - The World Famous Home of the Spurs

Saturday 2nd January 2010, Kick Off 15:00

FA Cup, Third Round

Tottenham Hotspur: 4th in Premier League, 37 points from 60

Peterborough United: 24th in Football League Championship, 18 points from 72

Referee:

Assistant referees:

Fourth official:

COMMENT:

Tottenham Hotspur host Championship team Peterborough United in the FA Cup Third Round fixture at White Hart Lane on Saturday 2nd January 2010. Spurs and Posh have never met in a League match but this will be the 4th meeting in Domestic Cup competitions.

The first meeting came in the 4th Round of the League Cup in 1968 at White Hart Lane with Spurs winning 1-0 thanks to a Jimmy Greaves goal.

The teams were drawn together in the FA Cup 3rd Round in 1994 with Peterborough at home at London Road where they secured a 1-1 draw with Spurs and Jason Dozzell scored for Tottenham. The replay at White Hart Lane also finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time with Nick Barmby scoring for Spurs. Tottenham won the subsequent penalty shoot-out 5-4. The transfer of two of Peterborough's players - Simon Davies and Matt Etherington - has been the strongest connection between the two clubs, along with the more recent transfer of Spurs Academy graduate Charlie Lee who moved to Posh in the summer of 2007.

Peterborough United hosted Spurs in a pre-season friendly in July 2009 (match report below) with Spurs winning 4-0 and their goals coming from Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Luka Modric and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Peterborough United's best showing in the FA Cup came in season 1964-65 when they reached the Sixth Round (last 8) for the only time in their history, losing away to Chelsea 5-1 on 6th March 1965. Tottenham Hotspur have won the FA Cup on eight occasions (1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982 & 1991).

Spurs start their FA Cup campaign fresh from a 2-0 win over West Ham United at White Hart Lane with goals from Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe and an outstanding performance from Aaron Lennon. The win lifted Spurs back up to 4th in the Premier League table.

Mark Cooper's Peterborough United shared 8 goals in a thrilling home match against Cardiff City last time out after being 4 down at halftime. Their comeback goals were scored by Josh Simpson, Charlie Lee, George Boyd and Simpson again deep into injury time.

TEAM NEWS:

Harry Redknapp reports that Aaron Lennon and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are out of the frame for our FA Cup third round tie against Peterborough on Saturday. Flying winger Aaron picked up a groin injury in Monday's 2-0 win against West Ham while full-back Benoit was substituted late in that game with a hip problem. Speaking after training on Thursday, Harry hinted that he'll make a few changes for the encounter at the Lane. "The FA Cup is very important for us, it's another big game and we want to keep winning," he said.

"I'll give one or two of the lads who haven't played as much recently a game because they've all worked hard and they will be ready to play. Hopefully we'll turn in another terrific performance." Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Carlo Cudicini (pelvis, wrist) continue their rehabilitation.

MATCH FACTS:

To follow later.

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS:

Tottenham Hotspur (2-0 West Ham United, H):

Gomes, Corluka, King, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto (87 Bale), Lennon (89 Jenas), Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric (83 Kranjcar), Defoe, Crouch.

Substitutes: Alnwick, Hutton, Bassong, Keane.

Goals: Modric 11, Defoe 81

Yellow cards: Corluka, Defoe

Peterborough United (4-4 Cardiff City, H):

Lewis (McKeown 62), Morgan, Griffith, Geohaghan (Simpson 46), Lee, Coutts, Boyd, Whelpdale, Batt, Mclean (Frecklington 46), Mackail-Smith.

Substitutes: Rowe, Diagouraga, Green, Korentang

Goals: Simpson 51, 90+2, Lee 68, Boyd 89.

Yellow Cards: Morgan, Batt

MARK LAWRENSON'S PREDICTION (BBC):

As they've shown throughout the season, Harry Redknapp's team have attacking talent all over the pitch and they are going to give Peterborough a serious examination.

You can barely begin to imagine how confident Peterborough feel after coming from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Cardiff on Saturday, it was a comeback of Lazarus proportions. But let's not forget they're still bottom of the Championship and will probably be rolled over.

Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Peterborough United

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

Saturday's match will be the 4th meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Peterborough United.

Here are the results of the previous 3 matches with Spurs' score shown first:

16-Oct-68

Lge Cup 4

28,378

Peterborough United

1-0

Greaves

08-Jan-94

FA CUP 3

19,169

Peterborough United

1-1

Dozzell

19-Jan-94

FA CUP 3 Replay

24,893

Peterborough United

1-1

AET Barmby (Spurs won on 5-4 Penalties)

LAST TIME WE MET...

PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Pre-Season Friendly, Tuesday 21st July 2009, London Road, Peterborough

Harry Redknapp's side made it three wins in three games for this pre-season so far with a convincing 4-0 victory at Championship side Peterborough United. Darren Bent's 35th minute opener was added to in the second half by Jermain Defoe, Luka Modric, and Roman Pavlyuchenko, as we stepped up our preparations for the coming campaign.

We now prepare to face Barcelona and Celtic in this weekend's Wembley Cup competition with our first league game of the season now less than a month away. The first half at London Road was pretty much one-way traffic towards the home goal as we retained possession superbly and always looked to probe.

We first got in behind the Posh defence on five minutes when a one-two with Wilson Palacios released captain Jermaine Jenas clean through on goal, only for the midfielder to be upended on the edge of the box by defender Craig Morgan. Had this not been a pre-season friendly, recriminations could have been in the offing for the defender, but as it was, both he and his side escaped punishment on this occasion.

Three minutes later, such punishment should have been served out by Pavlyuchenko, who was picked out at the back post by Jamie O'Hara. But the Russian put his free header wide of the post from six yards. His strike-partner Bent was also looking to get in on the act, and it was Pavlyuchenko who nearly found him with a neat back heel in the box on 18 minutes, that was just out of the reach of last season's top scorer. Bent did force home goalkeeper Joe Lewis into action four minutes later with a curling shot from the edge of the box, that the England Under-21 stopper was equal to.

The home side's only opening of the half in fact resulted in a disallowed goal, after a neat move involving ex-Spur Charlie Lee, Ben Wright and skipper George Boyd, who released Lee Frecklington to finish after he was flagged for offside. But our dominance soon resumed a minute later when Aaron Lennon picked out Pavlyuchenko at the back post, who hit a sweet left-foot volley straight at Lewis.

‘Pav' was still looking for his first goal of the summer, and he let fly again on the half-hour mark with a 30-yard effort that whistled just wide. He then turned provider for Jenas on 33 minutes to hit a low shot from the edge of the box that again was not far off. But 10 minutes from half-time, it was Bent who made no mistake after being released over the top of the defence by Jenas' neat chip to slot coolly low to Lewis' left.

Jenas forced the keeper into another stop before the break with Darren Ferguson's men lucky to still be in the game. Harry Redknapp made another host of half-time substitutions. One of them, Defoe, broke five minutes after the break and played in Palacios, who picked out Pavlyuchenko with a slide-rule pass. But the striker couldn't get his shot on target on the stretch and could only find the side-netting.

Carlo Cudicini was then forced into his first save of the night as Boyd burst into our box on 62 minutes but hit a tame shot straight at the Italian. And Posh were punished minutes later when another of our subs, Modric, who had taken over the captain's armband from Jenas, sent Defoe clean through, and although Lewis stopped the first effort, the striker tapped the rebound home for his second goal of pre-season. Modric himself then put us 3-0 ahead on 68 minutes after Pascal Chimbonda's cross from the right found its way to him at the back post.

Cudicini made another save from Shaun Batt on 72 minutes, but the inevitable Spurs victory was made even more convincing by Pavlyuchenko 15 minutes from time. It was certainly the goal of the game, as Lennon cut in from the right and found the striker 25 yards out. The curling shot inside Lewis' far post was sublime and deserved reward for Roman's impressive contribution on the night.

Defoe could have added to the tally further six minutes from time but blazed Benoit Assou-Ekotto's excellent cross over from point-blank range. Substitute Jake Livermore also forced Lewis into a stoppage time save with a curling shot, but the 4-0 scoreline was satisfying enough.

Spurs (4-4-2):

Cudicini (Jansson, 83); Chimbonda, Corluka (Huddlestone, 46), Dervite, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas (Boateng, 46, (Livermore, 66)), O'Hara (Modric, 46); Bent (Defoe, 46), Pavlyuchenko

Posh (4-4-2):

Lewis; Lee (Day, 67), Morgan, Pearce, Williams (Martin, 46); Frecklington (Batt, 46), Coutts (Crook, 83), Diagouraga, Boyd (Torres, 83); Wright (Rowe, 46), Mclean (Green, 61)

Attn: 7,688

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FA CUP RECORDS 1894-95 to 2009-10