League one Carlisle United will have nothing to lose in this League Cup meeting on their own turf, with Spurs likely to field a side that is a shadow of that which has played the last two matches.  We can expect some of the fringe players to get a run out and that includes Michael Dawson and Hugo Lloris these days.  Some younger players will get their chance to get some first team experience too.

Among the Carlisle ranks are former Everton striker Danny Cadamateri, Sheffield Wednesdays former midfielder John Paul McGovern and an ex-Gooner in Frankie Simic, the full back, who also played with the Owls.  The rest of the side are made up of former higher level club drop-outs or lower league signings, but as a side, manager Greg Abbot has got them playing as an efficient unit, not having lost this season so far.

With two wins and three draws, confidence will be high, but whether they will be able to live with the passing and pace of a Premier League side might provide them with their toughest test so far this campaign.

For Spurs, it has been claimed that they are taking every competition seriously, but with the bulk of the team having had two hard games in four days, this will be a chance to rotate personnel.  Whoever turns out for Tottenham should have enough to progress to the next round, but the home side will put up a good fight.

TV
League Cup Show (BBC 1) - Wednesday 23.15 - 00.15 (highlights)  Also available online.

For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM (London area only), Digital Radio (London area only) &  Sky Channel 0152  (live coverage)
Commentary may be found on
>   BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW
>  TalkSport (DAB or 1089 MW)
>  Absolute Radio  (1215 AM/MW)

If available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 1500 matches
Australia (Sydney)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Sunday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
BBC London - http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/10/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.

  2  Frankie SIMEK
  3  Matthew ROBSON
  5  Danny LIVESEY
  6  Peter MURPHY

  4  John Paul McGOVERN (19  David SYMINGTON 61)
12  Paul THIRWELL ( 8  Liam NOBLE 61)
21  James BERRETT
24  Chris CHANTLER

27  Kallum HIGGINBOTHAM (17  Mark BECK 60)
11  Danny CADAMATERI

Unused subs: 
  1  Adam COLLIN
15  Mike EDWARDS
16  Brad POTTS
10  Patrick MADDEN

39  Adam SMITH
33  Steven CAULKER
20  Michael DAWSON
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN    (28  Kyle WALKER 65)

  2  Clint DEMPSEY  (45  Jon OBIKA 85)
  6  Tom HUDDLESTONE

31  Andros TOWNSEND 
22  Gylfi SIGURDSSON 
27  Iago FALQUE

38  Ryan MASON  (46  Tom CARROLL 70)

Unused subs: 
  1  Heurelho GOMES
  7  Aaron LENNON
30  SANDRO
18  Jermain DEFOE

With nearly 1,500 Spurs fans in amongst the 12,600 at Brunton Park, the long journey for some proved well  worth it with a 3-0 win that perhaps doesn't tell the whole story of the game.  Carlisle United came at Spurs hard early on, with the effort almost surprising Tottenham at the start of the match.

It was a much changed Spurs side, but one that almost looked familiar with Huddlestone and Dawson returning to the starting line-up and with a strong bench, just in case things went wrong.

Danny Cadamateri rolled back the clock to give Spurs a worrying opening to the match.  Winning a corner, United swung the ball to the far post and Kallum Higginbotham, on loan from Huddersfield Town, had a good shooting chance as the ball dropped for him, but he rushed his effort that flew well wide in the fourth minute.

It was the speed in Tottenham's side that caught Carlisle out more often than not.  Sigurdsson set up Falque, who was just on the edge of the area, placed centrally, with the Spaniard firing in a good shot, but one that was straight at young goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, who was to have a night to remember.  Andros Townsend's pace was a major factor in the victory and the breaks he made from defensive situations, rapidly turned defence into attack.  He was joined by Jan Vertonghen's willingness to break forward from the back and when he released Iago Falque in the ninth minute, the keeper once more did well to push his shot over the top.  On the other flank, Adam Smith was joining in the attacks, with a shot that was too high, after Townsend had done well to set him up with the opportunity.

Carlisle were still closing Spurs down in an attempt to stop us playing, but the crisp passing on a crisp night was enough to take the ball around the blue shirts and towards the home goal.  Some passes were a little off the mark and a few got picked off, but generally, the quality of passing was notable as a difference between the two teams.  When Ryan Mason was put through on goal, Gillespie came out to block him, but the ball went loose and Mason squared to Clint Dempsey, who had a shot from the edge of the box and Carlisle were thankful that Danny Livesey had got back on the line to keep the ball out.  That was after 20 minutes, but Spurs were almost opened up at the other end, when Cadamateri almost controlled a ball behind he defence, but he couldn't kill it and the chance went.

In the 37th minute, Spurs were awarded a free-kick on the right, about 30 yards from goal.  Too far out to shoot from, Gylfi Sigurdsson curled in a pacy delivery that Jan Vertonghen rose to head to the keeper's right from a central position about eight yards out.  It was something that Spurs have needed for a while, someone who can move forward from defence to threaten at set-pieces.

But then Tottenham almost allowed Carlisle back into the match, when a corner fell to Robson in space and with time, but his touch wasn't sure and that allowed Spurs to close him down and stop him getting a shot away.  Just before half time, a sloppy pass across the middle of the pitch by Townsend was intercepted by Cadamateri and he played Higginbotham in behind Steven Caulker, producing a great shooting chance, but once more the striker was not composed and fired the ball well wide of the goal.

Equally, three minutes into the second half, Carlisle opened up the Tottenham defence, after Smith had played a pass to the former Everton forward, who this time ignored Higginbotham's run into space and shot himself.  From 20 yards out, it went wide and his partner was not happy, but then he hadn't done much better with his efforts.

With 57 minutes on the clock, Andros Townsend received the bal on the right wing, just inside his own half.  Turning an opponent, he moved forward and infield, running towards the Carlisle box and when he got within ten yards of it, he let go a shot that was low to the keeper's left and the surprise element caught him out, giving Spurs a two goal lead with a fine goal.

It was almost three in the 64th and 70th minutes, when Ryan Mason went close with two headers, but both were well stopped by Gillespie, who also got up to deny Gylfi a goal from a rebound on the second chance.  With 75 minutes gone, Cadamateri shot straight at Cudicini from just outside the area and three minutes from the end of normal time, substitute Mark Beck got on the end of a corner, but his header was straight at Carlo.  As Spurs moved the ball forward, Townsend played the ball left inside the full back for Kyle Walker, who had come on for Vertonghen.  Beating his man to the ball, he lifted a cross to the far post, where Sigurdsson headed home easily to make it 3-0.

In the end it was a comfortable victory for Spurs, but not without a few worrying moments, but they never put the result in jeopardy.  it was a salutary lesson for AVB about what cup competitions are about and enhanced the role he has been asked to introduce for the youngsters, who all took their chance tonight, with none more so than Andros Townsend, who ran (quite literally) the show and ran Carlisle ragged.

The draw pitched Spurs away at Norwich City in the Fourth Round, so another meeting with Chris Hughton, who might come across some of his young charges who were with him in the development side at White Hart Lane.  But there's a lot of water to flow under the bridge before then, as there was on the way home from Cumbria.

Gary Sampson