Tottenham 2-0 Brighton: Lamela & Kane help Spurs bounce back
Posted Thursday, October 30, 2014 by Goal.com
Mauricio Pochettino's side recovered from their Premier League defeat by reaching the League Cup quarter-finals, seeing off Championship opposition at White Hart Lane
Goals from Erik Lamela and Harry Kane were enough for Tottenham to see off Brighton 2-0 in the League Cup fourth round.
Spurs dominated proceedings against their Championship opposition but were unable to make it count in the first half.
Lamela, though, found the breakthrough 10 minutes after the break when he completed a one-two with Roberto Soldado to fire home.
Then Kane capitalised when Soldado's shot was parried into his path by Brighton goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Mauricio Pochettino made 10 changes to the Tottenham team who were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle on Sunday, with only Jan Vertonghen keeping his place in the side, and his fringe players did enough to see the London club into the last eight.
Sami Hyypia's Brighton side offered little going forward but will feel that they should have had a second-half penalty when Kazenga LuaLua went down under a challenge from Federico Fazio but referee Mark Clattenburg waved play on.
Clattenburg was taking charge of a game for the first time since it emerged that he will not officiate this weekend amid reports of two breaches of protocol.
Eighteen-year-old Walton was handed a senior debut for the visitors and LuaLua returned from suspension.
The start was delayed for 15 minutes due to traffic congestion and, when they belatedly got under way, it was one-way traffic as Brighton were forced onto the back foot.
Walton had a nervy moment when he flapped at a corner after nine minutes but got away with that mistake as Lewis Dunk cleared.
Dunk blazed wildly over the crossbar in a rare Brighton attack but that was a brief respite for the visiting defence and stand-in Tottenham skipper Aaron Lennon came close when he got on the end of a Soldado cross, only to see his effort loop wide of the far post.
Walton then made a confidence-boosting save with his feet to keep out Soldado's shot from a tight angle after Kane's initial effort had been blocked 10 minutes before the break.
Lamela replaced Lennon at half-time and took just nine minutes to make an impact, playing a one-two with Soldado before beating Walton with a right-footed finish.
The lively Kane flashed a shot just wide of the far post, then Soldado's drive struck the crossbar after a swift Tottenham break as Brighton struggled to get out of their own half.
Brighton thought they should have had a penalty when LuaLua went down under a challenge from Fazio but referee Clattenburg waved play on.
And Tottenham sealed the victory after 74 minutes when Kane was on hand to finish from close range after Soldado's effort was kept out following good work from Andros Townsend down the left.
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