UEFA cup, Braga 2-3 Tottenham

Keane's timely double puts Spurs in control

Tottenham have one foot in the Uefa Cup quarter-finals after a 3-2 win away to Sporting Braga, but the Premiership side will be frustrated that they hadn't wrapped up the tie further.

Aaron Lennon fed Keane to smash Spurs in front from the edge of the area and Steed Malbranque followed up another Lennon shot to make it 2-0. Paulo Jorge pulled one back after Paul Robinson saved his penalty and Ze Carlos headed home a late leveller.

But Keane had the final word, running clear to score an injury-time winner.

Tottenham Spurs outclassed Braga and probably should have been a few goals up in the first half, but had to wait until after the break before taking the lead through Robbie Keane.

Berbatov poked the ball just wide in the 16th minute, and then tested Santos thrice more in a first half that was all Tootenham. Robbie Keane joined in on the act, forcing another save out of Santos as the game went into the break. However, the game burst into a flurry of goals after the break, as Robbie Keane opened the floodgates by smashing in a delightful Aaron Lennon chip.

Spurs doubled their lead in the 72nd minute, when Lennon produced more magic to force a save out of Santos, but Steed Malbranque was at hand to crash in the reboun.

Braga were given hope when Diego went down under a challenge from Anthony Gardner in the area four minutes later. Paulo Jorge's penalty was pushed away by Robinson but the same player turned in the loose ball. Then, on 81 minutes, Braga grabbed an unlikely equaliser as Zé Carlos headed in Castanheira's free-kick. Yet there was still more drama as Didier Zokora's pass to Keane split the Braga defence two minutes into added time and the striker rolled a shot under Santos for the decider.

Braga: Paulo Santos, Luis Filipe, Paulo Jorge, Rodriguez, Carlos Fernandes, Joao Amaral, Joao Pinto (Maciel 80), Castanheira, Bruno Gama (Cesinha 69), Ze Carlos, Wender (Diego 69).
Subs Not Used: Dani Mallo, Nem, Paito, Ricardo Chaves.

Goals: Paulo Jorge 76, Ze Carlos 81.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Gardner, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon, Tainio (Huddlestone 74), Zokora, Malbranque, Berbatov, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Stalteri, Ghaly, Defoe, Taarabt, Charlie Lee.

Booked: Berbatov, Chimbonda.

Goals: Keane 57, Malbranque 72, Keane 90.

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