A spectacular effort from Robbie Keane 10 minutes from time helped Spurs overcome a determined Brighton side. Prior to Keane's goal, it looked like Richard Carpenter's free-kick early in the second half would be enough to earn the Championship club a replay after Ledley King's headed opener just before the break.

Egged on by a vocal travelling support the Seagulls settled quickly and with quarter of an hour gone Carpenter's shot smacked back off the bar with Robinson struggling. A combination of poor finishing from Spurs and good defending by Brighton followed as the home side never really got going. Keane came closest to opening the scoring for Spurs when his dink hit the bar.

King's goal came from a well worked short corner as Brown fed Ziegler who crossed and King looped a header over Kuipers in the Brighton goal.

Carpenter's goal was a well struck 25 yard curling free kick and probably just what Brighton deserved as Leon Knight gave the Spurs defence, Gardner and Kelly in particular a torrid afternoon.

Only a great save from Robinson 20 minutes into the 2nd half kept the scores level as he tipped Hart's angled header wide. Spurs frustration at being unable to break down the opposition defence became evident as they resorted to long range efforts with Gardner off target and Ziegler's effort being flicked wide by Kuipers.

After Keane's goal we had a small cameo performance by substitute Mark Yeates who worked himself into some good positions and looked very comfortable on the ball but his failure to get a shot away or pass to a teammate on any of these occasions was disappointing.

A somewhat fortunate win as it was starting to look as if Spurs did not have the creativity to work a winner. The defence looked too uncertain too often against a forward line that shouldn't have caused so many problems.

MOTM:- Keane. The Irish striker always looked like being the Spurs player most likely to snatch a winner and his winner was a real gem.