Tottenham's domination of this first-leg tie was so great that the Zimbru Chisinau website might have been serious when they previewed the team's trip to "White Hard Lane".
The Premiership side created enough chances to have won this game by at least six goals, though three remains a handy enough cushion for the tough trip to Moldova.
They took the lead after 170 seconds with a goal made in Norway. Steffen Iversen, fouled 30 yards out from the Zimbru goal, took a quick free-kick to his fellow countryman Oyvind Leonhardsen and the former Liverpool midfielder waltzed past three defenders to fire a shot high past Denis Romanenco in the Zimbru goal.
The ease of Leonhardsen's passage into the penalty area and the speed of the goal tended to dispel pre-match fears that the unsung Moldovans were not a team to be taken lightly.
Moldova, a small republic of just over four million souls which lies between Romania and Ukraine, gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and FC Zimbru, from the capital Chisinau, have won the national championship in seven of the eight seasons since.
After Spurs' opening goal, Zimbru took advantage when the home side slackened off and, with a series of impressive passing movements almost scored, with Iruii Miterev, Rusian Ghilazev and Boris Tropanet all going close.
George Graham's steely-eyed descent from the stand to the bench soon sorted out that piece of nonsense and, after Iversen and Chris Perry both headed just over, the former Wimbledon defender stole in at the back post to head Leonhardsen's free-kick past the goalkeeper on the half-hour.
As Spurs' second goal demonstrated, the visitors' defence were not too happy under the high ball either. So when in the 54th minute Tim Sherwood hoisted in just such a missile from the left it was no surprise to see Chris Armstrong, making his first start of the season after a hernia operation, able to hold up the ball before teeing up Steffen Freund for a shot just wide.
A minute later another deadball kick brought Tottenham's third goal. David Ginola slalomed past three defenders before unleashing a shot which the 'keeper was happy to push a way for a corner. Ginola took it himself, firing a ball across the face of the goal to the far post where Perry's knock-back set up Sherwood's tap in.
Ian Walker was called on to make his first save to deny a shot from Vadim Boret, but in all other respects Spurs were cruising.
TOTTENHAM: Walker, Carr, Taricco (Edinburgh 83), Young, Perry, Leonhardsen, Sherwood, Freund, Ginola, Iversen, Armstrong (Dominguez 76). Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Fox, Nielsen, Clemence, King. Goals: Leonhardsen 3, Perry 32, Sherwood 56.
ZIMBRU: Romanenco, Telesnenco, Catinsus, Ghilazev, Kulyk, Oprea, Miterev (Gusila 83), Epureanu, Dodul (Fistican 46), Borets, Tropanet (Robu 46). Subs Not Used: Butelischi, Berco, Gavriliuc, Diaconu. Att: 32,660.
Referee: E Zammit (Malta).
