Keane's hat-trick shakes Spurs out of Cup hangover

Tottenham Hotspur 4 Everton 3

There is, as Spurs followers like to point out very loudly, only one Keano, and that was all it took yesterday to undermine the challenge of an Everton side who looked worthy of at least a point for most of this spectacularly fluctuating contest.

That the Merseysiders went away empty-handed owed almost everything to the opportunism of Robbie Keane, whose second-half hat-trick – his first in the Premiership – allowed the home side to finish a crucially important match with their noses in front.

The Spurs manager, Glenn Hoddle, was predictably fulsome in his praise afterwards for the forward who had brought a happy end to the club's run of three successive defeats. "It was a magnificent hat-trick from Robbie today," he said. "Pure quality.

"There have been a lot of stupid reports this week that there is something wrong with the spirit at this club," he continued, responding to the criticism that followed the abject display at Southampton in the FA Cup. "That is untrue. You can't perform like that and keep coming back and coming back in front of your own crowd if you haven't got team spirit.''

Everton's David Moyes was entitled to make a similar claim for his own players after a match which had begun with both teams requiring dramatic improvement following ignominious Cup defeats the previous weekend.

For much of the first half, however, it seemed that only Everton had paid heed to the harsh words that had been spoken during the week. Having been obliged by Moyes to sit through a recording of their 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury, the visitors began with suitable urgency and were rewarded with a goal inside 10 minutes.

It came through their debutant striker Brian McBride, whose goals helped the United States reach the World Cup quarter-finals last summer. Despite the fact that he had not played since October, the American – on a three-month loan from Columbus Crew – reacted expertly to a pass from Scott Gemmill that split the Spurs defence, steering the ball coolly inside Kasey Keller's left-hand post.

The travelling supporters took up a new chant: "U-S-A, U-S-A'' but their Uncle Sam moment was short-lived as Tottenham equalised four minutes later through their captain, Gus Poyet.

The goal stemmed from what was to be the first of two telling errors from the Everton centre-back Alan Stubbs, whose nervous backheader under no particular pressure caused the former Spurs keeper Espen Baardsen – drafted in after Richard Wright's injury during warm-up – to concede a corner. From Darren Anderton's kick, a defensive header was nodded back in by Simon Davies and redirected inside the post by the Uruguayan's fulsome brow.

It seemed a momentary aberration for Everton, whose enterprise dominated the rest of the half. But it was Spurs, who had received what Hoddle described as an "old-fashioned rollicking'' in the dressing room, who went ahead five minutes after half-time.

Keane, who had spent 45 minutes looking like Teddy Sheringham minus vision, was released by a through ball from Anderton which required the short, deadly burst of activity for which he is best suited.

It was an inspired piece of finishing, but Moyes was not the only one to suspect Keane had been off side. Afterwards, however, the Everton manager appeared satisfied that justice had been done.

Everton responded within six minutes as Steve Watson, who had marauded down the right to good effect all afternoon, was rewarded with a goal after Steffen Iversen failed to clear a Gemmill corner.

Ten minutes later Spurs regained the lead when Keane evaded a rare, rash challenge from Joseph Yobo before firing home a cross-shot. Everton drew level again with 17 minutes left as Tomasz Radzinski drilled home a shot following good work from Lie Tie and Watson.

But with just seven minutes remaining, a glaring misjudgement by Stubbs, who twice had to leave the field after having his nose cynically blooded by Poyet, allowed Keane in for the killing thrust. After the defender had completely misjudged the bounce of the ball, the Irishman seized upon it and rounded Yobo before driving a shot inside the far post.

Moyes accepted that this was his side's worst defensive performance of the season. "I would be worried if we were bottom of the league," he said. "But we are sixth from the top."

Nevertheless, there was great relief in the Spurs camp. "Thank you for coming,'' said Poyet with a wolfish grin as he handed the man-of-the-match champagne to Keane. He spoke for every Tottenham supporter.

Goals: McBride (10) 0-1; Poyet (14) 1-1; Keane (50) 2-1; Watson (58) 2-2; Keane (68) 3-2; Radzinski (74) 3-3; Keane (83) 4-3.

Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-2): Keller 6; Doherty 6, Perry 7, King 6; Carr 5, Anderton 7, Poyet 6, Bunjevcevic 5, Davies 5; Iversen 3(Acimovic, 80), Keane 8. Substitutes not used: Sullivan (gk), Taricco, Blondel, Gardner.

Everton (4-4-2): Baardsen 5; Pistone 5, Yobo 7 (Carsley, 86), Stubbs 5, Unsworth 6; Watson 8, Gemmill 7, Lie Tie 7 (Osman, 90), Naysmith 7; Radzinski 6, McBride 7. Substitutes not used: Alexandersson, Pembridge, Said.

Referee: S Dunn (Bristol) 8.

Bookings: Tottenham: Doherty. Everton: Gemmill.

Man of the match: Keane.

Attendance: 36,070.