Kanoute believe it?

January 3 2004

Stephane Dalmat takes on Julian Gray

Spurs striker Frederic Kanoute gave Palace a lesson in finishing with a hat-trick as the Eagles crashed out of the FA Cup after losing 3-0.

Spurs showed the massive gulf between the two divisions by outclassing the overrawed Eagles as both sides were later reduced to 10 men.

Gus Poyet was sent off for Spurs in the 79th minute and Palace's Danny Butterfield was mistakenly shown red two minutes later after referee Andy D'Urso mixed him up with Jamie Smith.

D'Urso made his mark on the game early on, by booking Palace midfielders Ben Watson and Michael Hughes with the first two fouls of the game. Spurs controlled the midfield from then on.

Kanoute put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute with a low, angled shot from the right side, beating keeper Cedric Berthelin at his near post.

Six minutes later, the lead was doubled when Stephane Dalmat, who was showing fantastic pieces of skill throughout, danced past three defenders on the right and squared to Kanoute who side-footed home.

By conceding two early goals, Palace had a mountain to climb and some of the younger players wilted on the big occasion.

Berthelin denied Kanoute with a low save before Dalmat volleyed over the bar as Spurs looked to increase their lead.

Kanoute completed his hat-trick on 47 minutes thanks to a quality chip over the Palace defence by Ledley King and Kanoute volleyed past Berthelin.

Robbie Keane wasted a great opportunity to make it four-nil when he raced through with just Berthelin to beat but blazed over the bar.

Tempers flared in the 78th minute when Poyet, who was upset with a challenge by Palace second half sub Dougie Freedman twice headbutted the back of Scotsman's head.

Referee D'Urso missed it but the linesman informed him and gave Freedman a yellow card and Poyet red.

Moments later, a hard tackle by substitute Smith on Bobby Zamora caused a mellee between both sets of players. In the confusion, D'Urso sent off Butterfield for the challenge.

In the last minute Michael Hughes cleared Dalmat's effort off the line, while Tony Popovic wasted a great chance to score when he headed a Hughes corner straight at Keller much to the disappointment of more than 6,000 Palace fans.

Tottenham: Keller, Carr, Taricco, Doherty, Gardner, Poyet, Dalmat, Jackson, King, Keane, Kanoute.

Subs: Hirschfeld, Postiga, Zamora, Davies, Kelly.

Crystal Palace: Berthelin, Butterfield, Symons, Popovic, Borrowdale, Routledge, Watson, Hughes, Gray, Shipperley, Johnson.

Subs: Freedman, Black, Fleming, Granville, Smith.

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