Defoe hits five as Tottenham win 9-1

Nov 22, 2009 - 7:05 PM By JAMES PIERCY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Harry Redknapp hailed Jermain Defoe after the England striker became the first player in more than a decade to score five goals in a Premier League as Tottenham thrashed woeful Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Defoe is only the third player to notch the record-equalling haul after Andy Cole and Alan Shearer and his sensational display included a seven-minute hat-trick at the start of the second half.

Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar were also on the scoresheet with Chris Kirkland's own goal completing Wigan's humiliation.

Spurs boss Redknapp said: "For Jermain to go and get five goals was an outstanding performance. They were all great finishes.

"He looked sharp in training during the week and I felt if he could carry that into the game he would be a real handful.

"All of our strikers are on form. Robbie Keane got four goals earlier in the season, Crouchy got a hat-trick and now Jermain has topped them both.

"It is not often you score nine goals in the Premier League but the whole team was outstanding today."

Crouch took just nine minutes to open the scoring and set the tone for a miserable afternoon for Roberto Martinez's side.

Fit-again Aaron Lennon teased Wigan defender Erik Edman down the right before crossing for Crouch to head home from close range.

Redknapp's side dominated the first half and Defoe thought he had doubled their lead 12 minutes before half time, latching onto Kranjcar's pass before firing against the crossbar from a narrow angle.

Charles N'Zogbia almost equalised against the run of play in the 40th minute when his left foot pile-driver shaved Heurelho Gomes's post.

Wigan were fortunate to go in only one-nil down at the interval but Spurs ran riot after the break.

Defoe struck twice in four minutes with a pair of clinical finishes before Paul Scharner reduced the arrears, with the help of a handball that went unnoticed by the officials.

Wigan's hopes of staging an unlikely comeback were dashed as Defoe completed his quick-fire treble by rounding off the excellent Lennon's low cross.

Lennon got the goal his superb wing-play deserved on 64 minutes with a well-placed low right foot shot.

Defoe was in unstoppable form and two more expertly-taken strikes from through balls by Vedran Corluka and Kranjcar put the game out of Wigan's reach.

Latics goalkeeper Kirkland's misery was compounded two minutes from time when David Bentley's free kick hit the woodwork and rebounded into the net off the former England international.

There was still time for Croatian Kranjcar to get in on the act, smashing the ball into the top corner from midway inside the penalty area in the dying seconds.

Embarrassed Wigan boss Martinez said: "It was an extremely bad performance. The way we started in the first ten minutes and the way we started the second half was not up to standard at all.

"We showed moments of naivety and Tottenham took full advantage.

"The scoreline is very disappointing and there are certain things we were not good enough and we really got punished. With the goals we conceded we only have ourselves to blame."