Euro 2008 Qualifiers: Andorra 0 England 3

Andorra - England | 0-2 Gerrard
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Two second-half Steven Gerrard goals and a poacher's effort from David Nugent were enough to win the game but Steve McClaren's job prospects now depend on the FA turning a deaf ear to the chants of mutinous England fans in Barcelona.

During a tepid, goalless opening period, the thousands of travelling supporters gave full vent to their emotions, abusing McClaren and his underperforming team by the minute, rounding off their repertoire with `You'll be sacked in the morning'.

At that stage, sacked in the evening might have been more appropriate.

But while Gerrard and Nugent at least kept stumbling England moving forward on the road to Euro 2008, the verdict from the stands was pretty unequivocal: 'Still want McClaren out.'

Whether they get their wish is a matter of debate but as the four minutes of first-half injury time ticked down, McClaren sat in the visitors' dugout certainly looking like a condemned man.

A decent bloke and, by all accounts a damned good coach. Yet there he sat, presiding over what was quite possibly the most embarrassing 45 minutes England's long-suffering fans have ever been unfortunate enough to witness.

At a rough estimate, the team McClaren sent out to play a country whose entire population fits into Old Trafford with plenty of seats to spare is worth in excess of £200million. Over-valued, over-hyped and definitely, definitely over-rated.

It was 20 minutes before the England supporters turned on their team. They were lucky to get that long.

The high tempo McClaren speaks so often about was missing. Instead, it appeared as though the England team were engaging in an extended session of keep-ball.

Any break in the exhibition of meaningless passing came through Andorra's desire to tug and pull and grab an opponent, particularly Wayne Rooney, at any opportunity.

Rooney's frustration threatened to boil over. England got mad. But really, what is the international footballing equivalent of the Dog and Gun supposed to do in the face of such supposedly mighty opposition.

Starting in his preferred central midfield role alongside Owen Hargreaves, Gerrard belatedly tried to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

The Liverpool skipper forced a good save out of Andorran keeper Koldo with a swerving shot and Stewart Downing, preferred to Kieron Dyer in a team lacking injured Chelsea star Frank Lampard, did the same.

But they were sporadic efforts among a series of over-hit free-kicks, mis-placed passes and disappointing shots that sailed wide. Little wonder the thousands who travelled to one of football's citadels chanted long and loud for David Beckham.

And that was one of the least vicious taunts to roll down from the stands of a stadium that will forever be part of British sporting folklore because of the Olympic champions it crowned in Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell.

This was an altogether different kind of sporting spectacle and as McClaren turned to head for the tunnel, mercifully close his touchline berth, he was greeted by a sea of angry faces eager to tell him exactly what they thought.

Thankfully, England started the second period with markedly more energy than they had done the first.

Within five minutes Hargreaves had fired just wide, Rooney drilled an effort across goal and Koldo needed to scramble to smother Downing's low shot at the second attempt.

The opening goal was coming and duly arrived when Ashley Cole nodded Lennon's far post cross to Rooney, who flicked it neatly sidewards for Gerrard to launch a 20-yard volley into the bottom corner.

Having shown the positive side of his game minutes earlier, Rooney then got himself booked for his latest spat with Oscar Sonejee, a yellow card that will rule him out of the June 6 trip to Estonia.

Rooney was still moaning when Micah Richards was caught accidentally by Marc Pujol. The Manchester City man exited on a stretcher, Rooney left as well, replaced by Jermain Defoe as McClaren made a double change that also involved the arrival of Dyer.

The Newcastle man's direct running certainly injected some life into what had been a pretty pedestrian midfield, although his woeful attempt to turn home Lennon's cutback hardly helped England's cause.

Still, for a while the visiting fans enjoyed themselves, ignoring the rain sweeping over a stadium with inadequate cover at one side and none at the other.

Why, McClaren even managed to get to the touchline to bark a few orders without being abused.

The atmosphere was just beginning to change again when Gerrard charged through, as he does so often for his club, took Defoe's return pass, then produced a neat finish.

David Nugent's arrival 12 minutes from time gave Preston their first England international to cheer since Sir Tom Finney almost 50 years ago. He scored too, running in to belt home Defoe's shot which was about to slither over the line.

It was a notable day for the Championship club. But if the fans get their way, it will be a momentous evening for something else entirely.

Euro 2008 Qualifier: Israel 0 England 0

Disgruntled England fans turned on coach Steve McClaren as their Euro 2008 qualification hopes took another downturn.

A 4,000-strong travelling army chanted 'What a load of rubbish' and 'You don't know what you're doing' as England drew their fourth blank in five games against a determined, but limited Israel outfit.

Taken in isolation, a draw in the Ramat Gan Stadium, where the hosts have lost just once in seven years, is no disaster.

But, given England's superiority, it was a definite chance missed and coming on the back of the disastrous October double-header during which they dropped two points at home to Macedonia before losing in Croatia, has raised major question marks over McClaren's ability to take them to next year's Finals in Austria and Switzerland.

Certainly, the patience of the paying public is wearing exceptionally thin, with support in some quarters disappearing altogether as England stumble on to Barcelona and a meaningless meeting with Group E minnows Andorra.

There was precious little evidence of the 'stand and deliver' rallying cry McClaren used to send his team into battle and, with seven games of the campaign still remaining, England can barely afford another slip if they are not to miss their first major tournament since the 1994 World Cup.

Having apparently administered a few choice words to his senior players behind closed doors to accompany his bold public utterances, McClaren was presumably not expecting the hesitant start England produced.

With Phil Neville and Carragher deployed in the full-back roles as predicted, it was perhaps little wonder there was an element of uncertainty within England's rearguard.

Neville in particular looked ill at ease and the Everton skipper's nerves were not helped when Rio Ferdinand sold him short with a square ball that allowed Toto Tamuz to nip in and thrash a shot into the side-netting.

It was the start of an enterprising evening for the Nigerian-born teenager who, like his team, threatened outside the England box but rarely looked as though they would score once they got within sight of Paul Robinson's goal.

Tamuz was the man who got on the end of Amit Ben Shushan's cross after Carragher had been exposed down England's left. Inexplicably, given the lack of cover afforded to the Liverpool man, Tamuz was all alone in the box as he rose to meet the ball, only to glance his header narrowly wide.

Lennon might have shouldered the blame for his failure to track back, yet it would be harsh to pin too much responsibility on the Tottenham youngster given the danger his speed posed at the other end.

On three separate occasions, Lennon stormed past startled Israeli defenders. How much more damage he would have caused had he been on his favoured right side is anyone's guess but it seemed a waste to utilise his great pace so fitfully, especially as 24 hours before kick-off McClaren was emphasising how valuable it was.

Carragher too could be pleased with his efforts, as, largely, could Owen Hargreaves, an ever-present in England's three wins under McClaren but absent in their four victory-less outings since.

Unfortunately, there was only the occasional sense either Wayne Rooney or Andrew Johnson could inspire in attack and with Israel keeper Dudu Aouate looking solid, England needed someone to produce a bit of magic.

The closest they came in the goalless opening period was when Steven Gerrard spotted Frank Lampard's forward burst and slid a pass through to the Chelsea man which, for a second looked as though it would lead to a breakthrough.

Unfortunately, the ball got stuck under Lampard's feet and, with Yuval Shpungin applying pressure, the Chelsea man could only nudge it straight to the onrushing Aouate.

Having left his perch in the stand for a dug-out berth two minutes before the break, McClaren used the interval to inject a bit more life into his forwards.

Bolton's Tal Ben Haim managed to reach Neville's low cross before Johnson could pounce, then Rooney burst through, only to spoil his own industry by ignoring better-placed team-mates to blast a shot straight at an Israeli defender.

Rooney has enjoyed plenty of personal success against Ben Haim this season, scoring five times against Bolton.

But the pair came out even after engaging in a bit of afters when Aouate just beat the duo to the rebound after he had spilled Lampard's well-struck volley. Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo booked them both.

England were now dominating and after Lampard glanced Lennon's cross fractionally wide, Johnson did the same when Gerrard picked him out from the other flank.

When Carragher met Lampard's corner with a firm header that bounced off the top of the bar, McClaren must have sensed it was not going to be his night.

And Aouate's close-range block of substitute Jermaine Defoe's late effort merely confirmed it.

FA Cup Q-Final Replay: Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2

Stunning strikes from Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips kept Chelsea's quadruple dreams alive by sending Tottenham spinning out of the FA Cup.

Shevchenko and Wright-Phillips struck in the second half of the quarter-final replay at White Hart Lane to get Jose Mourinho within sight of the only trophy he has not won in the English game.

Robbie Keane pulled a goal back for the hosts with a penalty but he could not take his record of scoring in every round of this season's cup into the last four.

Spurs were ultimately undone by goals of genuine quality, Shevchenko's quite clearly his finest since arriving in London.

It was only his 12th strike since the Community Shield at the start of the campaign but offered a reminder of why Chelsea parted with more than £30million for his services.

The Ukraine striker has saved his best performances for the knockout competitions and his goal had the hallmarks of the kind of strikes he regularly executed at AC Milan.

Then came Wright-Phillips' volley, giving Steve McClaren in the stands a glimpse of what England are missing without him in the squad.

As nervous before the game as the two sets of supporters was McClaren, who watched on as five of his squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers started and Jermain Defoe was on the bench.

But it was the foreign players who made an early impression in a frenetic start, Dimitar Berbatov showing his familiar neat touches which set up Keane to have a shot blocked.

At the other end, Chelsea were inches from taking the lead in the seventh minute. Ashley Cole, jeered by home supporters for being a former Arsenal player, hoisted the ball forward for Didier Drogba to chest down, but Michael Ballack's volley flew just wide.

It was two Englishmen not in McClaren's squad, however, who looked to set themselves apart from the ferocious pace of the game.

Michael Dawson cleared a host of Chelsea attacks with his head and Wright-Phillips, recalled to the starting XI for Arjen Robben, fizzed a shot over in the 17th minute.

As is the way with tense cup ties, strong challenges were committed by both teams, Ricardo Carvalho timing one to perfection when Keane had a sight of goal.

Lassana Diarra mis-timed one on Aaron Lennon and was booked, while Drogba earned a yellow card after his reaction to fouling Ricardo Rocha.

A player left out of McClaren's squad, Jermaine Jenas, was proving dangerous with his deliveries from dead-balls.

His corner had to be clawed around the post by Petr Cech midway through the half, and Dawson headed over the resulting set-piece.

Jenas then threatened from open play but Keane and Berbatov were just a yard off his fiercely-struck cross from the right.

Cole powered a shot at goal five minutes before the break but it deflected to safety off a team-mate, with the first half drawing to an end with neither goalkeeper making a significant save.

Cech, however, was called into action in the 49th minute when Jenas' corner found its way to the far post and Pascal Chimbonda volleyed on target but too close to Chelsea's goalkeeper.

Steed Malbranque forced a more urgent save two minutes later with a drilled effort from the edge of the area.

But Chelsea were ahead in the 55th minute through Shevchenko's stunning opener.

There appeared to be little danger when the Ukraine striker picked the ball up on the right flank but, with the angles getting tighter, he unleashed his left-footed rocket into the far top corner.

The lead was doubled just after the hour mark, Drogba trapping a long ball with his chest for Wright-Phillips to volley home first time.

The two goals were good enough to win any cup tie but Spurs set up a dramatic finale when Berbatov was fouled by Carvalho when closing in on goal.

The Portugal centre-back only got a yellow card, with Keane sending Cech the wrong way with the penalty.

After the final whistle a fan ran onto the pitch in the direction of Chelsea's Frank Lampard but was tackled by stewards before he got close to the player.

Tottenham 3 Watford 1 - Robinson Goal!!

Paul Robinson v Watford
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Paul Robinson scored an extraordinary goal from his own half to embarrass his England rival Ben Foster in Tottenham's Barclays Premiership 3-1 victory over Watford.

Robinson wheeled away in celebration after his free-kick bounced over Foster, the young goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United who has been putting pressure on his as England's first choice.

'That's why you're number one,' sang the fans after his goal, remarkably the second of his career after netting for Leeds before arriving at Spurs.

Ironically, he had little to do aside from score the second after Jermaine Jenas had given Spurs the lead just before the break.

Foster was the one called into action more often and, after his monumental mis-judgement, he pulled off a stunning save to bravely deny Mido when he spilled Tom Huddlestone's tame effort.

Hossam Ghaly, however, added a third with five minutes left that Foster could do little about, with Darius Henderson grabbing a late consolation.

The clash was always billed as England's present against England's future goalkeepers, yet they had little to do in the opening exchanges.

Robinson's trickiest moment in the first half was controlling a back pass from Mido when the Egypt striker decided to head back to his own goal from the halfway line.

Mido was one of the raft of changes made by Spurs boss Martin Jol, with Monday's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Chelsea clearly in mind.

Spurs may have the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup to compete in, but the victory also saw them continue their march towards the top six, with Jol now using his players sparingly.

Jenas and Robinson were the senior players returning from injury, thigh and groin respectively, while Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon were on the bench.

The trio of players Jol had in reserve had played significant roles in Spurs scoring 23 goals in the previous seven games, and without them the threat was less obvious.

Mido was given a little room in the first minute to collect a pass from Young-Pyo Lee, but his cross dipped over Foster and away from danger.

It was a rare moment of threat of an opening period characterised by stray passes and a lack of cohesion from both teams.

Ricardo Rocha, also returning to the side, needed to visit the dressing room for four stitches under his eye and to change his blood-stained shirt after a challenge with Tommy Smith, but the centre-back was able to continue.

Steed Malbranque fashioned the first chance in the 17th minute, when he got to by-line and cut a cross back, but Mido sliced his effort over.

Foster was called into action in the 24th minute after Jenas' reverse ball found Jermain Defoe in the penalty area. The England striker shot on the turn, but Foster was down smartly to save.

At the other end, Watford were gifted their first chance to break the deadlock when Pascal Chimbonda's pass went straight to Tamas Priskin, but the Hungarian's shot was blocked for a corner.

Chimbonda, however, helped Spurs grab the lead in the 41st minute.

The full-back's deep cross from the right was met by Jenas, who squeezed between Adrian Mariappa and Gareth Williams to steer his header beyond Foster.

Defoe should have doubled the lead just before the break when he twisted his way past Lloyd Doyley and poked just wide, while Mido was inches from getting on the end of a Ghaly cross.

With 11 minutes gone in the second period Boothroyd replaced Priskin with Henderson in an attempt to put more pressure on Robinson's goal.

But it was Foster who was called into action, in the 57th minute, when he had to claw a Jenas corner away from danger. Malbranque then had a shot from 20 yards but Foster saved easily.

Huddlestone's free-kick was met by Mido but Foster was down smartly to save again.

But his good work was undone in the 63rd minute after Malbranque was fouled by Hameur Bouazza. Taking the free-kick well into his own half, Robinson's set-piece bounced over Foster and in.

Robinson had been embarrassed by Gary Neville's back-pass while playing for England earlier in the season, but this time it was Foster who was left with a red face.

Still, he showed why his reputation is so high with his brave save from Mido and also tipping over Huddlestone's swerving effort.

Ghaly added the third with five minutes remaining with a cool finish from 12 yards out, while Henderson grabbed a consolation when he tapped in from close range.

Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson promised not to gloat about his amazing strike against Watford when he joins up with Ben Foster for England duty.

Robinson embarrassed Foster, his deputy at international level, by scoring direct from a free-kick inside his own half in the 63rd minute at White Hart Lane in Spurs' 3-1 win.

However, after conceding an infamous goal himself against Croatia last year, Robinson is not going to remind Foster when they meet up later in the week for England's Euro 2008 double-header against Israel and Andorra.

'I will try not to mention it,' Robinson insisted. 'I know what it's like and it's not nice.

'It was a bit of a freak. If it goes wide I would probably have got a telling off from the strikers - it's just one of those things in football.'

Robinson's goal was actually the second of his career after scoring for Leeds in a League Cup tie in 2003.

Spurs boss Martin Jol said: 'I said to him 'now you know what it feels like to score' but he said he had already done it.

'It's always good when they score from all angles. Paul has a terrific kick, one of the best in England, so that can happen.

'You feel for the other goalkeeper but it happened to Paul in Croatia. It can happen to anyone.'

A week after his man-of-the-match display at Plymouth in the FA Cup, there was nearly more embarrassment for Foster when he spilled a tame Tom Huddlestone shot but he bravely spread himself to deny Mido.

'If you're playing in the big clubs it's more difficult, at Watford he has eight or nine chances to show his class and he did that,' added Jol.

Spurs were already a goal ahead by the time Robinson struck, Jermaine Jenas heading the hosts ahead before the break.

Hossam Ghaly added a third before Darius Henderson grabbed a late consolation.

The victory took Spurs back into the top six of the Barclays Premiership, although their progress was totally overshadowed by Robinson's goal.

Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd tipped Foster earlier this month to become the finest goalkeeper in the world, and he believes the 23-year-old will bounce back from his error.

'It's funny how things get thrown up, England number one and future number one,' said Boothroyd. 'He just got it completely wrong.

'He came straight to the dressing room and apologised to everyone which is the mark of the man he is.

'It's how you bounce back from adversity - Ben is a terrific goalkeeper and will go on to better things.

'You have to be able to respond to that and I'm sure he will.'

Ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final replay against Chelsea on Monday, Jol was able to rest Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, while Aaron Lennon came off the bench.

Jol added: 'If the players come in and do well then there is no problem.'

UEFA Cup 2nd Leg: Tottenham 3 Braga 2

Spurs V Braga 14.03.07 Highlights
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Dimitar Berbatov's remarkable run of form continued as he helped ease Tottenham into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup at the expense of SC Braga with a 3-2 win on the night - 6-4 on aggregate.

The Portuguese side had levelled the scores on aggregate with the opener in the second leg of the last-16 clash before Berbatov notched his 18th and 19th goals of the season before the break, both strikes of the highest quality.

The Bulgaria striker, 26, has been playing with a nagging groin problem and there were suggestions boss Martin Jol wanted to rest his #10.9million summer signing in Spurs' hectic schedule.

But the former Bayer Leverkusen player showed no signs of fatigue or suggestions he was struggling, showing familiar class with most of his touches.

Andrade's powerful free-kick in the second half gave Braga hope of forcing extra-time, but Berbatov then set up Steed Malbranque to seal the win and maintain Tottenham's 100% record in the competition this season.

Spurs paraded Tony Parks at half-time, their goalkeeping hero when they won the trophy in 1984, and Spurs fans are looking for another European saviour in Berbatov.

He scored in all of the group games and his goals, ultimately, were the difference in a thrilling last-16 tie.

Spurs' congested fixture list has offered Berbatov a chance to shine but also means the Dutchman is juggling his squad.

Berbatov is not the only concern, but the side selected against Jorge Costa's men suggested protecting their 3-2 lead from Portugal was not a task he was taking lightly.

It was the Dutchman's strongest side possible, with his threadbare defence containing three natural full-backs.

With Ricardo Rocha cup-tied, and Ledley King and Anthony Gardner sidelined, Pascal Chimbonda was at the heart of the defence partnering Michael Dawson.

The makeshift back-four did not look under much early pressure, and Spurs even thought they should have a penalty in the 14th minute when Robbie Keane cut inside and his shot crashed off Paulo Jorge.

But the visitors, in their fluorescent shirts, snatched the lead on the night in the 24th minute in fortuitous circumstances.

Paul Stalteri fouled Wender on the left flank to earn a free-kick, which was swung in by Andrade and flew in past Radek Cerny off Tom Huddlestone's head.

Spurs were still ahead on away goals but took the outright lead again in the 28th minute through Berbatov.

Keane had blazed a shot over a minute earlier but was more considered in his approach this time, holding the ball up and slipping Berbatov through to steer his finish home with the outside of his boot.

The Bulgarian striker then took centre stage, picking up a booking just after the half-hour mark before almost pulling off an impish piece of skill in rounding Paulo Santos - the goalkeeper managing to scramble clear.

Berbatov grabbed his second with three minutes left in the half. He cushioned a Huddlestone free-kick with his chest when he was left unmarked and behind the Braga defence before lashing into the roof of the net.

Chimbonda had gone close with a header and, after Malbranque had already gone close with a backheel in the first half, Spurs were made to rue their missed chances as Braga gave themselves hope.

Andrade had already gone close with a free-kick before he pulled a goal back with a powerful set-piece from 30 yards out on the hour.

Another Braga goal would force extra-time - but Malbranque sealed the win, latching onto Berbatov's delightful flick before volleying past Santos.

Berbatov was not even given a rest after his fine first-half work, with Jermain Defoe coming on for Keane instead of the Bulgarian.

Tottenham boss Martin Jol has tipped Dimitar Berbatov to maintain his form for the rest of the season after the striker helped knock SC Braga out of the UEFA Cup.

'He did that in Germany when he scored 18 goals after Christmas,' said Jol. 'When you're as good as him, next year he will score 25 goals probably.'

Jol considered resting Berbatov, but added: 'I was happy that I played him again.'

'I wish I could rest him but it's the same with players like Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon.'

Lennon took a knock to his knee and will require assessment, while Berbatov played the 90 minutes.

The £10.9million signing struck twice before half-time after Tom Huddlestone's own goal had levelled the scores on aggregate in the 24th minute.

Robbie Keane set up the first, sliding the ball through the Braga defence for Berbatov to steer into the far corner.

For his second, Berbatov was found unmarked by Huddlestone and the Bulgaria striker lashed in a volley after trapping the ball on his chest.

'He's always moving into the space and only needs one or two seconds to lose his opponent,' added Jol. 'There was a suspicion of offside but it was a great finish.'

'It's probably the story of the season - exciting,' said Jol.

'I don't think they created many chances - it was a own goal and a free-kick through the wall, we should have had a couple penalties so it could have been a bit more with a bit of help.'

The victory could have been tarnished if the referee had seen Pascal Chimbonda kick out at an opponent, but no action was taken.

Braga boss Jorge Costa admitted the difference was Berbatov.

'He's definitely a player that inspires confidence and, in terms of European football, is one of the best players at the moment,' he said.

Costa, who won the UEFA Cup playing for Jose Mourinho at Porto, feels Spurs could win the competition this season.

'They can win the competition, they are one of the strongest teams left,' he said. 'They are strong physically and are a team that makes football look easy.'

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FA Cup Q-Final : Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3

Chelsea produced a sensational second-half fightback to keep their FA Cup dreams alive in a remarkable six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea had looked down and out at half-time after they trailed 3-1 to a vibrant Tottenham side.

But second-half goals from Frank Lampard and substitute Salomon Kalou earned them a 3-3 draw and a replay at White Hart Lane against the odds.

Tottenham were on the brink of becoming only the second side to beat Chelsea in normal time at Stamford Bridge since February 2004 thanks to a first-half display that stunned the Barclays Premiership champions.

Dimitar Berbatov shocked Chelsea by putting Spurs in front in the fifth minute but that was cancelled out by Lampard 17 minutes later.

But an own goal by Michael Essien in the 28th minute restored Tottenham's advantage and Spurs cemented a terrific opening 45 minutes with a third goal through Hossam Ghaly eight minutes later.

The Blues were given a wake-up call within five minutes when Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon linked up on the edge of the penalty area.

The England winger slipped the ball to Dimitar Berbatov and the Spurs striker hammered a volley beyond Petr Cech for the opener.

While Chelsea threatened to get back into the game, it was Spurs who remained more of a threat.

They almost bagged a second when Paul Stalteri robbed Arjen Robben and set up Berbatov. However, the Bulgarian chose to cross for Defoe instead of shooting himself and the chance went begging.

Spurs paid for the failure to take that opportunity when England midfielder Lampard equalised in the 22nd minute.

Tottenham were, for the first time in the game, caught out by a neat move from the English champions.

Didier Drogba's cross was chested down by Andriy Shevchenko and when Michael Ballack sent the ball back towards the six-yard box, Lampard pounced to turn it past Radek Cerny.

But Spurs shocked Chelsea with a second goal a minute later when the unfortunately Essien turned a cross from Lennon past Cech and into his own net.

The goal was completely against the run of play but it put the north London side back in control.

The game was turning into a classic FA Cup tie and Stalteri had to clear off the line in the 32nd minute to prevent Chelsea from equalising for a second time.

Chelsea were clearly intent on hauling themselves back into the game and Lampard was unlucky in the 47th minute when his shot was saved by Cerny.

In the 49th minute, Stalteri was booked for bringing down Robben in full flight on the edge of the penalty area but the champions failed to make the most of the free-kick opportunity.

But Spurs were denied a fourth in the 51st minute when Cech saved superbly from Lennon and then Defoe within a matter of seconds.

The Blues were clearly rattled and in the 56th minute Diarra was replaced by Khalid Boulahrouz. Chelsea continued with a three-man defence but his arrival allowed Essien to return to his normal midfield role.

It was going to take a comeback of spectacular proportions for Chelsea to rescue themselves from the brink of FA Cup elimination.

Salomon Kalou was Mourinho's last throw of the dice and he replaced Cole in the 63rd minute.

Chelsea required a goal if they were going to give themselves any hope of recovering the situation and stand-in captain Lampard duly provided them with a lifeline in the 71st minute.

Spurs failed to deal with a Chelsea corner and when Drogba lost control of the ball inside the six-yard box, it fell kindly for Lampard to drill home.

The goal set up a frantic climax to a thrilling cup tie and Essien was inches away from an equaliser when he sent a 25-yard shot just past Cerny's right-hand upright in the 80th minute.

But substitute Kalou capped their fightback in style when he volleyed the equaliser in the 85th minute.

Yet Spurs could have won it three minutes later when Defoe burst clear of the Chelsea defence but the England striker smashed his effort against the bar to leave a stirring cup-tie all square

UEFA Cup - First Leg Braga 2 Tottenham 3

Robbie Keane grabbed an injury-time winner for Tottenham in the first leg of their UEFA Cup last-16 clash against SC Braga in Portugal.

Keane had opened the scoring earlier before Steed Malbranque doubled the lead, although Paulo Jorge and Ze Carlos cancelled out Spurs' advantage.

Just as they did in the Premiership against West Ham on Sunday, Spurs left it late, with Keane keeping his cool this time to put his side in the driving seat to reach the quarter-finals, continuing his rich vein of form in knockout competitions after scoring every round of the FA Cup.

Spurs have not beaten their local rivals Arsenal in nearly eight years but were dramatic victors over the club known as `Arsenal do Minho', nicknamed after they changed their colours in the 1930s to that of the Gunners.

Estadio Municipal de Braga, which was used at Euro 2004, was not full but fans created a carnival atmosphere on either side of the pitch, with the famous cliff and grass verge behind each goal.

The hosts were coached by Jorge Costa, who had a spell at Charlton as a player before being part of the successful Porto team that won the UEFA Cup and Champions League under current Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Costa, who had beaten Spurs as a player at The Valley, used the 4-3-3 formation Mourinho had success with at Stamford Bridge, yet it was the visitors who were the first to threaten.

Dimitar Berbatov took only six minutes to create his first chance, dancing around veteran playmaker Joao Pinto before deceiving Jorge in the penalty area and poking wide with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Much of the first-half action centred around Berbatov, the Bulgaria striker next to see an effort blocked by Rodriguez.

However, Berbatov was wasteful with his best sight of goal, dragging his one-on-one effort wide after Malbranque slid the ball through to him.

Later in the half, he forced goalkeeper Paulo Santos to save on his line after side-footing a Young-Pyo Lee cross on target, but the former Bayer Leverkusen striker also created Spurs' other chances.

He weighted a ball through to Teemu Tainio but the Finland midfielder had his effort saved and, 10 minutes before the break, he provided the pass for Keane, who saw his fierce near-post shot fly over the bar off Santos' forearm.

It was not all one-way traffic, though. Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson was required to parry Gama's long-range attempt early on, and Wender could not create anything with the rebound.

Castanheira had also tried his luck from the edge of the area, before Rodriguez's cross from the right found its way to the back post and Gama forced another save.

It was an unusually open first-leg clash but Aaron Lennon was not having much joy early on the left flank after being given an opportunity to run at his opposing full-back.

He did have a tame penalty appeal turned down in the 39th minute, with Luis Filipe accusing the England winger of going to ground too easily.

However, Lennon appeared to benefit from the half-time break and he created Keane's 57th-minute opener with an impish piece of skill.

He squeezed through Rodriguez and Andrade as they closed in then scooped the ball to Keane, who chested it before lashing in his volley over Santos.

Keane should have doubled the lead just after the hour mark with a free header that was off-target, but Malbranque did get Spurs' second with 18 minutes remaining.

Lennon was the provider again, although his tame shot should have been held by Santos before Malbranque forced in the rebound. Substitute Diego was fouled in the area by Anthony Gardner in the 75th minute, with Jorge scoring after Robinson had saved his spot-kick.

Ze Carlos levelled matter with nine minutes remaining, heading in for the hosts from a free-kick on the right to cancel out Spurs' earlier good work.

Keane grabbed a winner deep into injury-time when Zokora played him through and he finished past Santos.

Embarrassing to get 'just' 4As

In a school where 4As is average, some are devasted to fall below that

HER dark face matched the stormy weather on Friday.
She was one of more than 1,200 students who were collecting their A-level results at Raffles Junior College (RJC) that day.

This girl was seen crying hysterically after getting 3As 1C. Pictures: MOHD ISHAK
And one would have thought she had failed the national examination.

Far from it actually.

The frowning student, who declined to give her name, had a clean sweep of As: 4As, A1 for her general paper (GP), two distinctions and one merit for her special (S) papers.

Yet, her results, which would possibly make students from some other junior colleges scream with joy, left her sulking.

Why?

'I wasn't up on stage. I should have been up there, if not for the merit I scored in my S paper,' she said.

She was referring to the 13 top students from the college who made the news over the weekend for a perfect score of 4As, an A1 for GP and three distinctions for their S papers.

She needed one more distinction in her S papers - instead of a merit - to be a 'perfect scorer'.

So why was she making such a big deal of such a tiny 'blemish' on her results slip?

'It's hard here (at RJC), you know. There is so much pressure to get these perfect grades. Yes, I admit I am a bit upset because of this,' she said.

She was not alone.

There were a number of students in the hall who reacted to similar 'blemishes' on their results slip.

One student, who scored 4As and an A2 for GP, but had an 'ungraded' for one of two S papers, hung his head in shame when he received his results.

The New Paper initially thought he had failed badly when we approached.

But he said: 'It's embarrassing when you have one black mark and every one else around you has perfect scores.'

Another unhappy student was a girl who scored 3As and a C for physics.

A girl being comforted by her teacher after getting 'less than perfect' results.
She was crying and her friends had to console her. It perhaps ended her aspirations of getting a scholarship.

She was so upset that she declined to speak to The New Paper.

There was another kind of strange reaction among the RJC students - nonchalance.

At least 15 students The New Paper spoke to bore no expression of happiness or sadness; they just looked bored.

They too, had almost 'perfect' scores - 4As, A1 for GP and even a distinction or two for their S papers.

Yet, it all seemed so meaningless.

There was a group who scored 4As, but took out a pack of cards and started playing. They looked neither overjoyed nor relieved.

Just blase.

Student Ouyang Hong Yue, 18, summed it up.

He said: 'More than 50 per cent of students here obtained 4As today, so our grades have become average. It is no big deal.'

He is right, as 676 of the 1,239 RJC students (55 per cent) collecting their results, scored 4As and above.

He added philosophically: 'Being in this JC has warped our expectations of what is average.

'It's no big deal to get 4As in this school, because half of us have obtained this score. It's only when you are severely below average that you will stand out.'

But he added that he has managed to see the brighter side of things because he has friends from other JCs.

'I know they will get average scores, and as long as those scores get them into the university, that's enough for them.

'It's because of them that I'm able to distance myself from this mindset.'

So what do parents and teachers feel about this trend?

Mrs Kamala M, who has two teenage sons, said: 'This is why students try and get into these top schools, as they know they are likely to produce these results. It's like a factory.

'I feel sad for them. If you feel blase about such grades, then what is there to look forward to?

'Perhaps they should look into placing these super smart kids on a fast track to university and let them skip the A levels as they may no longer find it a challenge.'

A teacher in another JC who declined to be named, said: 'These students are over-achievers, they have been schooled for two years to expect 4As and nothing less.

'I think it is a problem, but to these students, not having the perfect scores means the end of obtaining prestigious scholarships.'

She added that she doesn't see this mindset changing anytime soon.

'Only if the entire system changes, then perhaps their attitudes will change,' she said.

West Ham 3 Spurs 4

West Ham 2 - 1 Tottenham - Defoe Goal
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West Ham 2 - 2 Tottenham - Tainio Goal
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West Ham 3 - 3 Tottenham - Berbatov Goal
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West Ham 3 - 4 Tottenham - Stalteri Goal
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Tottenham scored twice in a dramatic finish at Upton Park to hammer another nail into West Ham's relegation coffin with a 4-3 victory.

The Hammers, having sacrificed a two-goal lead, had been six minutes from three precious points after Bobby Zamora headed them into a 3-2 lead.

But Dimitar Berbatov curled in a late free-kick and Spurs then hit West Ham on the break with Paul Stalteri poking home the winner deep into injury-time.

It was heartbreaking stuff for the Hammers, who remain rooted to the bottom of the Premiership, 10 points from safety with nine games remaining.

And yet at half-time things had looked promising for Alan Curbishley's team, who played well before the break and led through goals from Mark Noble and Carlos Tevez - his first strike for the club.

Spurs hit back when Jermain Defoe converted a penalty against his old club and Teemu Tainio volleyed the equaliser - before the dramatic climax.

Noble, who spent most of this season on loan at Ipswich, fired West Ham into a 15th minute lead.

Tevez chested down Paul Konchesky's angled ball on the edge of the box and Noble rifled a first-time shot low into the corner.

The Hammers rarely look like keeping a clean sheet and Green needed to deny Berbatov after some calamitous defending.

Defoe then latched onto a through-ball from Berbatov and was closing in on Green when the linesman flagged - incorrectly according to television replays - for offside.

West Ham came close to scrambling a second when Paul Robinson failed to claim a vicious near-post cross from Tevez but with the Tottenham goalkeeper grounded Anton Ferdinand could not dig out a shot and Harewood skewed a left-footed effort wide.

Then came the moment Tevez and the West Ham supporters had been waiting for since August 31 - his first strike for the club.

The Argentinian was fouled by Michael Dawson on the edge of the Spurs box - and floated a delicate strike over the wall and just under the bar.

After waiting 20 matches for the moment, Tevez celebrated wildly, removing his shirt and jumping into the stand. He was booked by referee Mike Dean.

Within six minutes Defoe scored from the penalty spot after Lee Bowyer had brought Lennon down in the box.

Spurs had their tails up and Davenport was guilty of standing off Lennon, allowing him to exchange a clever one-two with Berbatov on the edge of the Hammers' box.

West Ham cleared but could not relieve the pressure and after 65 minutes Tevez lost possession in midfield and Spurs pounced to level the game.

Aaron Lennon met Berbatov's arcing cross and, with the outside of his boot, flicked the ball inside for Teemu Tainio to volley home.

West Ham brought on Zamora for Matthew Etherington - and the former Spurs striker made an immediate impact, rising above Tainio to head in.

But the hosts could not hold on. Tainio was fouled on the edge of the area and, from Berbatov curled in a late equaliser.

And worst was to follow for the hosts as they chased a late equaliser.

Defoe raced clear and although his shot was saved by Green, Stalteri was on hand to slot home four minutes into injury-time.