Looking Forward

Hahnemann

Murty
Sonko
Ingimarsson
Hunt (Osanu 82)

Little
Sidwell
Harper
Convey (Hayes 85)

Doyle 
Lita 

Unused subs: 
Howell
Mullins
Castle
Cox
Boisfer
Hamer

Cerny (Burch 42)

Kelly
King (c)
Gardner
Ziegler (Bunjevcevic 82)

Routledge
Mendes
Tainio
Reid (El Hamdaoui 82)

Defoe
Mido

Unused subs: 
Marney
Jackson

None

Tottenham Hotspur

Mido 6
Defoe 45

Spurs had an easy task against a Reading side who were hit by injury and supply of shirts, which lead to them having to wear their away kit because of the late arrival of the shirts and the late announcement of their new sponsor.

Spurs started well, passing the ball sharply and Hahnemann had to be quick out of his goal to prevent Andy Reid going through in the opening minutes.  At the other end, American winger Bobby Convey was obviously determined to impress after failing to get a work permit to join Spurs and his cross in the 3rd minute almost got to new signing Leroy Lita, but Gardner got there first.

Five minutes in and Spurs were ahead.  Gardner picked off another attempted through ball and passed to Defoe in the centre circle.  Finding Wayne Routledge out on the right wing, Kelly's run outside him distracted the defender, allowing Wayne to bring the ball inside and slip a pass into the stride of Mido who finished left-footed as Hahnemann came out to meet him in the box.  Being on his good foot, Mido had taken the shot first time and buried it low into the opposite corner to give Spurs the lead.

Mido was denied a second as Sonko cleared a Routledge cross with the Egyptian waiting to pounce and then Mendes struck a cleared corner just wide with a curling shot from 18 yards.  Reading's first shot came in th2 25th minute, when Doyle shot from a half-cleared cross, but it was always going wide.  Four minutes later Sidwell tried his luck from 20 yards, but was wide and the ex-Gooner tried again after 34 minutes, when Convey touched a free-kick to him and his shot was straight at Cerny.

Straight away play changed to the other end, with Routledge leading the way and linking with Defoe to set up Mido, whose shot was deflected wide.  Five minutes later, Reading came close to equalising, when Convey's corner to the far post found Sidwell, who hit a volley that bounced back off the post.  Unfortunately, in the process, Cerny also struck the post, with his head, requiring treatment and after trying to carry on for a couple of minutes, he had to leave the field to be replaced by Rob Burch.

In the time added on for the injury, Defoe took a ball that was headed away from an Andy Reid pass and hit a shot that deflected off a Reading defender before passing Hahnemann on the way to the net for 2-0.

Rob Burch has not seen much first team action for a couple of years, but he showed that he is up to the job when three minutes into the second half Doyle's close-range header from another Convey cross saw Rob dive up to palm the ball out.  The Reading keeper was also worked when on 51 minutes, Routledge set up his fellow wing-man Reid to hit a drive from fully 30 yards and it thumped into the American goalie's body. 

As Spurs sat back a little, Reading had more opportunities to attack and Doyle missed an opening when Little played him in, but his shot from 12 yards failed to trouble Burch, as it went wide.  Defoe hit a 25-yarder straight at Hahnemann and Mendes another curler from the same distance that the keeper had to dive to keep out.  Reading thought they were back in it with 25 minutes left, when Sidwell raced in to head past Burch but the goal was ruled out for offside.  Spurs were happy to knock the ball about and keep possession and the chances came with Defoe curling one wide, then being denied by Hahnemann's legs as he came out to block and on 75 minutes, hitting one powerfully wide, after Ledley King had brought the ball forward.  Mido's through ball to Jermain again saw the Reading keeper rush out to stop his shot with his legs, before the Spurs woodwork kept Reading out again.  The post stopped Convey's curling free-kick as Burch dived full-length in the 83rd minute.  

Reading finished stronger, but in reality Spurs had taken their foot off the gas and Lita's acrobatic overhead kick went just wide with seven minutes left, but Tottenham could still have scored when Mendes fired over with a minute left and Defoe was one-on-one with the keeper and hit the target, but Hahnemann got a hand to it to keep it out.

With the Championship season a week away, Reading were obviously not going to put in too much effort, but they did enough to test Spurs and Ziegler looked uncomfortable in his left-back role in his first game back.  Convey looked lively and if he plays to this standard, he will be a handful in the league supplying Lita, who looks a good striker.  As for Tottenham, it was a comfortable work-out, with the players passing the ball for pleasure at some stages and having plenty of shots on goal and with better finishing, it could have been a much bigger winning margin, but a good day's work and with Edgar Davids in the side, it could be even better !!

MEHSTG TOP MAN : -  JERMAIN DEFOE