PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Teddy Sheringham returned to his old stomping ground but couldn't prevent Spurs knocking out a youthful Manchester United side. Utd's defenders were no match to David Ginola and his third was a cracker."

MATCH REPORT

By Bill Pierce, PA Sport

Chris Armstrong struck twice in seven minutes at the start of the second half to send Tottenham through to the semi-finals of the Worthington Cup. The in-form striker scored with a pair of brilliant headers to sink Manchester United.

It is nearly two years since Spurs last beat United when Armstrong landed another double in a 4-1 Premiership romp on New Year's Day 1996. Since then United have racked up five consecutive victories over their north London rivals.

But although Teddy Sheringham, who also scored for Spurs in that previous success, pulled Alex Ferguson's patch-work team of youth and experience back into the match with another powerful header with 20 minutes left - a goal he celebrated with a defiant fist-clenching gesture to the Tottenham fans who had jeered his every touch - it was not enough to deny George Graham's team. And with four minutes to go the mercurial David Ginola struck a sweet left-foot 25-yarder past Raimond van der Gouw to clinch it.

Allan Nielsen had missed two decent first-half opportunities to turn the tie Spurs way but two minutes after the break he chipped into the box from out on the left. Ruel Fox, who had replaced Colin Calderwood in midfield, helped the ball on for Armstrong to head firmly past van der Gouw for his seventh goal of the season and third in consecutive games.

United had an immediate chance to equalise when Nicky Butt's pass found Phil Neville, whose shot was only a yard wide of the target with goalkeeper Ian Walker beaten. But in the 54th minute Armstrong came up trumps again with his head. This time Ginola teased and tormented Jon Greening out on the left and whipped the ball over waist-high for Armstrong to dive in front ahead of Ronny Johnsen and defeat van der Gouw again.

The contest looked over but it could have been different if Butt, put in by Greening, had not wasted a golden opportunity in the 65th minute, half-volleying wastefully over the bar. And Iversen spurned the chance to wrap it up completely for Spurs, stabbing wide from three yards after Ginola's cross took out Johnsen and Henning Berg.

Tottenham were briefly on the back foot when Sheringham converted Neville's left wing cross with a decisive 70th minute header but then Ginola came up with the finishing touch which boss Graham had demanded he add to his silky skills and Spurs were on their way to the last four. Spurs deserved their triumph but their ultimate success looked threatened when Danish midfielder Nielsen's finishing touch deserted him in a fast-moving but finally unproductive first half.

Twice Nielsen, the scorer of five goals this season, made intelligent runs into the United box to meet passes by Darren Anderton and Steffen Iversen but failed to control the ball with the goal beckoning in front of him. As is their custom in this competition which manager Alex Ferguson regards as a poor fourth priority behind the Champions' League, Premiership and FA Cup, United made eight changes from the line-up which started against Leeds on Sunday.

But Ryan Giggs, Sheringham and Johnsen made their comebacks from injury to supplement the youthful ranks of Ferguson's next generation of stars. They were soon tested by Ginola's exciting wing skills. In the eighth minute the Frenchman showed a supremely polished touch to leave both Greening and Michael Clegg in his wake before delivering a rapier-like low cross which had United's 35-year-old reserve keeper van der Gouw at full stretch to cut out.

Then Ginola motored past Butt two minutes later and it needed a crashing tackle by Greening to stop him threatening the United goal again. It produced a corner which United could only half clear and Johnsen was happy to block Darren Anderton's follow-up volley from just outside the area. United had been first to warm a bitterly cold north London night when Sheringham, whose every touch was jeered by his former Spurs fans, linked smartly with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to release Butt for a 20-yard shot which bounced awkwardly in front of Ian Walker. But the Spurs keeper, making his first start since August, confidently smothered it.

At the other end Neville made a vital interception to prevent Nielsen breaking forward into the box in pursuit of Iversen's chip forward that he looked favourite to reach first. United enjoyed a spell of supremacy with Butt, Neville and the impressive Greening getting a grip on midfield.

But they needed a brilliant tackle by left-back John Curtis to rescue them on the half hour when a slip by Johnsen gave Nielsen an opening. Curtis slid in to get the ball away and Calderwood should have done better when latching onto the loose ball and firing high over the top.

United's response was immediate, with Solskjaer driving a low, angled shot just beyond the far post after another set-up engineered by Butt and Greening. And they were beginning to restrict Ginola to only random threats, although just four minutes before the interval he cut in from the left and sent a wickedly curling shot whistling just over the bar.

Walker held another low drive by Solskjaer before the hard-working Nielsen penetrated the area again to meet Anderton's cross but again failed to take control and let Johnsen clear the danger. Nielsen never let his head drop, though, and with the second half in its infancy he gave Armstrong the opportunity to raise his own head and deliver the vital first goal.

A repeat performance to finish off from Ginola's mastery looked sure to settle it seven minutes later, but United refused to buckle and when Sheringham struck back they looked capable of forcing extra time. But Ginola's magic surfaced once more to kill them off - and keep boss Graham's hopes alive of repeating his performance with local rivals Arsenal, when he won the League Cup in his first season of management at Highbury 11 years ago.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson tipped Spurs to win the Worthington Cup after his side lost 3-1 in thrir quarter-final clash at White Hart Lane. Spurs booked an all-London semi-final and Ferguson said: "I wish George Graham the best and I think he can win the trophy now. I think we would have won it if we had gone through tonight.

"It was a nothing first half and the first goal just after half-time was very important. But we didn't make the most of our chances once we got a goal back. And their third one killed us off. I thought it was a straightforward shot by Ginola and we should have closed him down. But there was a great deal more skill attached to Tottenham's second goal when he made his cross for Armstrong's header.

Ferguson insisted he had no regrets at fielding a team liberally sprinkled with reserves.

He said: "We always put out a team to win matches and even your best team can't always do that. We are disappointed to lose this one."

But at least Ferguson had the lift of Ryan Giggs, Ronny Johnsen and Sheringham making comebacks from long-term injuries, three days before Saturday's top-of-the-Premiership tussle at Aston Villa and the must-win Champions' League battle with Bayern Munich the following Wednesday.

"They've all come through tired but unscathed," said Fergie. "That's the best news for us tonight."

TEAMS

Tottenham Hotspur: Walker, Calderwood, Campbell, Carr, Andersson, Anderton, Sinton, Nielsen, Ginola, Iversen, Armstrong.
Subs: Fox for Calderwood, Ferdinand for Armstrong
Scorers: Armstrong (48, 55), Ginola (85)

Manchester United: Van Der Gouw, Clegg, Curtis, Johnsen, Berg, P Neville, Butt, Giggs, Greening, Sheringham, Solskjaer.
Subs: Notman for Butt, Blomqvist for Curtis, Beckham for Greening
Scorers: Sheringham (70)

Referee: P Jones