(FA Cup Third round replay) Tottenham 4 Cardiff 0:Martin Jol had wanted a reaction after Tottenham's home defeat by Newcastle and he got one against an obliging Cardiff last night.
Whereas Sunday's match kept spectators enthralled to the finish, this one was effectively over before half-time with Tottenham scoring three times in 15 minutes to take a three-goal lead they never looked like surrendering.
After breaking the deadlock through Aaron Lennon, as several Cardiff players froze expecting an offside flag against Robbie Keane that never came, Spurs did not look back. Keane, fully recovered from a knee injury, marked his first start since early last month by getting the second, before Steed Malbranque got a goal his lively first-half contribution merited.
This was a more clinical Spurs than at the weekend, with Lennon also lively when it mattered and Tom Huddlestone passing well.
Cardiff's improved ball retention in the second half was irrelevant as their opponents cruised before adding a fourth when Neil Alexander spilled a Hossam Ghaly shot and Jermain Defoe scored from the loose ball.
The reward for Jol's side is a fourth-round tie at home to Southend, who are struggling in the Championship but took Spurs to extra-time in the League Cup last month.
Spurs had been hampered by the absence of Calum Davenport. The defender was not even in the squad because he was at West Ham for a medical with a view to a £3 million move.
Anthony Gardner came into the team but there was little to trouble him or his fellow defenders before Tottenham scored twice in quick succession just before the half-hour to help them towards a 3-0 lead at half-time.
After a bright start a sterile period ensued and Cardiff were Tottenham's equals for quarter of an hour. Stephen McPhail looked capable of causing problems but, as in the initial game, Cardiff never looked like scoring.
Cardiff, to their credit, continued to compete. They began to enjoy a growing share of possession as the urgency drained from their hosts, but Spurs were comfortable, with Paul Robinson largely a spectator as Tottenham cruised into the fourth round, with Defoe adding a late fourth.
TOTTENHAM:Robinson, Chimbonda, Gardner, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Malbranque (Ghaly 65), Huddlestone, Zokora (Tainio 75), Lennon, Berbatov (Defoe 70), Keane. Subs not used: Cerny, Young-Pyo Lee. Goals: Lennon 27, Keane 30, Malbranque 41, Defoe 81.
CARDIFF:Alexander, Gilbert, Purse, Loovens, McNaughton, Flood (Cooper 56), McPhail, Scimeca, Ledley, Chopra (Ferretti 75), Thompson. Subs not used: Forde, Johnson, Campbell. Booked: Thompson.
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).
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