Kane keeps Spurs on silverware scent
Harry Kane’s hat-trick turned Tottenham Hotspur’s potentially tricky FA Cup fifth-round tie at Fulham into a Sunday stroll by the River Thames.
England striker Kane struck early and added two more goals in the second half to earn Spurs a routine 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage in west London.
It was Kane’s second treble in seven games and took his tally to 19 for the season. He has 20 goals in 22 London derbies.
Kane should get a chance to add to that derby tally when Spurs host south Londoners Millwall in the quarterfinals after the third-tier Lions shocked Premier League champion Leicester City on Saturday.
Wary of becoming another weekend Cup upset, and stung by consecutive defeats by Liverpool in the Premier League and Gent in the Europa League, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino picked a strong starting XI and was rewarded.
“After the two defeats, many players wanted to play today, it was a great opportunity to show we are alive,” Pochettino said.
“This was a big boost in confidence. We had meetings after Gent and the reaction was very good.”
With central defender Jan Vertonghen back from a fivematch injury absence and Kane having shaken off an injury picked up in the loss in Belgium on Thursday, Spurs pinned Fulham back in its own area and broke the deadlock in the 16th minute.
Rightback Kieran Trippier, in for the rested Kyle Walker, released Christian Eriksen with a long throw and the Dane crossed low for Kane to volley home at full stretch. a hat-trick on Sunday.
He doubled the lead in the 51stminute,againglancingin from a pinpoint Eriksen assist, and finished off Fulham in the 73rd minute when he ran on to Dele Alli’s clever pass and tucked a low rightfoot shot past goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Fulham, still with an outside chance of making the Championship playoffs, had its moments.
Floyd Ayite come agonizingly close to getting a touch to Scott Malone’s low cross just before halftime while substitute Scott Parker, a former Tottenham player, headed straight at Michel Vorm late on as the Cottagers sought some consolation.
Pochettino is yet to win any silverware with Tottenham, and clearly hopes the FA Cup and/or the Europa League can end that drought.
“Maybe 3-0 looks easy but that was because we showed full respect to Fulham and we played how we need to play in every game,” the Argentine said.
“We’re happy to be in the next round. Now we have a massive game on Thursday,” he added, referring to the Gent tie, which Spurs trail 1-0 from the first leg. “We need to put all our energy into that.”