Cross-channel soccer round-up:Jermain Defoe kept Tottenham on course for Wembley and brought the curtains down on the Leeds fairytale with a hat-trick in a high octane fourth-round FA Cup replay at Elland Road. Portsmouth's miserable season continued as they lost 1-0 away to Fulham in the Premier League while Rangers are into the Scottish League Cup final.
Defoe’s mishit opener in the 37th minute was cancelled out by Luciano Becchio’s equaliser at the end of the first half, but the England striker poached a second half winner and then a late third to book the Londoners a fifth-round tie at Bolton on the weekend after next.
Leeds had put themselves back on the national stage with their third-round upset at Manchester United and won more new friends with an inspired late fightback 11 days ago in the initial tie at White Hart Lane.
But ultimately Simon Grayson’s League One upstarts ran out of legs against polished Champions League contenders, who will now have one eye at least fixed on the FA Cup.
Defoe missed a hatful of first-half chances to put the tie to bed, just as he had done against Leeds in London, and Grayson’s side harried and chased to keep most in an Elland Road crowd of 37,704 full of expectation until the visitors’ decisive second goal.
Leeds pair Bradley Johnson and Andrew Hughes returned to the starting line-up in place of ineligible loanees Gary McSheffrey and Shane Lowry.
Tottenham recalled Sebastien Bassong for Ledley King, while Niko Kranjcar and Jermaine Jenas also returned, with Wilson Palacios and Luca Modric making way.
Defoe fluffed a golden chance to give the visitors a first-minute lead when pouncing on a blunder by Hughes, only to scuff his shot and Bassong volleyed an early corner over the crossbar.
Peter Crouch then chested down for Defoe to fire a shot inches wide as Spurs burst out of their blocks, just as they had done at White Hart Lane 11 days ago.
Defoe squandered another chance when one-on-one with Casper Ankergren in the 25th minute as the striker’s low shot came back off the Danish goalkeeper’s legs.
Defoe’s searing pace then caught Leeds flat-footed again when chasing a long ball over the top, but Lubo Michalik’s desperate lunge went unpunished by referee Andre Marriner.
Ankergren thwarted Defoe again 10 minutes before the break, this time after Tom Huddlestone’s lay-off, but the pint-sized forward broke the deadlock in the 37th minute, ironically from a mishit effort after David Bentley had cleverly slipped his marker, Hughes, down the right.
Defoe controlled Bentley’s cross and miscued to send the ball arcing lazily over Ankergren into the top corner.
Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes then saved briliantly to keep out Michalik’s header from Howson’s free-kick as Leeds launched an immediate response.
But there was no denying Becchio in first half stoppage-time. Beckford’s shot on the turn was parried by Gomes, but the Argentinian forward rammed home the rebound to level the scores.
Ankergren kept out Dawson’s 59th-minute header which appeared destined for the top corner and was equal to Bentley’s fierce drive soon after as Tottenham probed — but Leeds refused to buckle.
Defoe sidefooted home Kranjcar’s cross in the 68th minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The League One side were not to be spared in the 73rd minute however. This time Bentley’s low cross eluded the Leeds rearguard and Defoe nipped in to turn the ball home from six yards.
Leeds never stopped running and pressed for another unlikely equaliser, but with time running out Defoe latched on to another ball over the top to round Ankergren and roll home his third in time added on.
PORTSMOUTH'Smisery continued as Jonathan Greening's first goal for Fulham condemned the financially-stricken club to another defeat in tonight's Premier League clash at Craven Cottage.
Pompey, adrift at the foot of the table, have lurched from one crisis to another this season, with players and staff again being paid late.
Manager Avram Grant has, though, vowed to stick with the beleaguered Fratton Park club.
Indeed, Pompey had shown an improvement following the return of their African Nations Cup trio, and Kevin Prince Boateng had a couple of chances in the first half.
However, after a terrible miss from Fulham’s on-loan Italian striker Stefano Okaka, making his debut, Fulham eventually got the breakthrough with 16 minutes left as Greening netted at the far post.
For Pompey, things are likely to get worse before they get better, as Grant must now rally his beleaguered troops for a trip to Manchester United on Saturday.
IN THE CHAMPIONSHIPWest Brom won 3-2 at Blackpool.
NORTH OF THE BORDERRangers cruised into their third successive Scottish League Cup final as St Johnstone froze at snowy Hampden.
First-half goals from the outstanding Steven Davis - his third in as many games - and Lee McCulloch were enough to keep the Ibrox club's treble bid on track.
Steven Naismith also missed a penalty after the break, while only some last-gasp defending spared Saints a heavier semi-final beating.
Selected Cross-channel Results
Premier League
Fulham 1 Portsmouth 0
FA Cup Fourth Round replay
Leeds 1 Tottenham 3
Championship
Blackpool 2 West Brom 3
Scottish League Cup Semi-final
Rangers 2 St Johnstone 0