Keane's hat-trick gives Wolves hang-dog look

Tottenham Hotspur 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers

They gave away one of those dinky little Smart cars at half-time - but most of the gifts were on the field from two teams who, with their defensive fragility, would probably prosper if they only played each other every week. The car comes with the slogan "More power, less cost" which is not something usually associated with either of these high-spending low achievers.

Still, in Frédéric Kanouté Spurs have a Rolls-Royce performer. In Robbie Keane they simply have a Ferrari. Pity the Frenchman keeps breaking down while the Irishman, in his strike partner's absence, often stalls through a lack of service from his team-mates. Harnessed together, however, they have a frightening power. Keane blossomed with a hat-trick against his former team, studded by a quite brilliant volley that earned Spurs' their 100th Premiership victory. For Wolves it was a miserable second visit to north London in a week - conceding five goals again - although they will feel they deserved more. "It saps you," a hang-dog Wolves' manager Dave Jones said afterwards of the misses and "stupid mistakes" which sent his team back to the bottom of the table with just two clean sheets.

For Spurs, David Pleat was not fooled by the result and the fireworks of the finishing, which provided a bit of a smokescreen. "I was going to go home after 38 minutes," he said. "I don't know what my caretaker contract says about that but I was ready to be off down Tottenham High Street." It was only half in jest. "We did not play well," he admitted before adding "We scored some good goals and, I'm told, Keane got a hat-trick." Pleat wasn't simply being contrary - even the fifth, thumped fiercely from distance by substitute Stéphane Dalmat, came as he was allowed a ridiculous passage to goal by the Wolves defence.

The visitors, now five matches without a win, played a high defensive line - and paid a high defensive price for it. Time and again they were easily by-passed. Keane's first, after 29 minutes, was the result of little more than a hopeful flick forward by Ledley King. And yet Keane was there, unmarked, to calmly steer the ball beyond Michael Oakes. But the lead lasted seconds. There was another defensive mistake. Spurs were caught out and Paul Ince latched on to Mark Kennedy's short pass to shoot low into the net from 18 yards. It was entertaining by default - because of the faults. Both sides were living dangerously.

Soon after half-time and there was another Spurs attack. Darren Anderton swung in a routine cross from the right and Kanouté, unmolested, rose to score his seventh goal in seven games - a run interrupted by his latest injury hiatus. It was a finish of culpable simplicity for the visitors' defence.

Enlivened, Kanouté struck a magnificent dipping 30-yard half-volley which was tipped over and, in the game's pivotal moment, Henri Camara perpetrated an astonishing miss at the other end when he somehow scooped the ball over from eight yards. Heads dropped and another Spurs substitute Paul Konchesky broke away. His centre was met by Keane who adjusted and volleyed high into the net. As with Kanouté, the technique was remarkable. Moments later and there was another cross. It was met by Anderton, whose header was parried into Keane's path to set up his hat-trick. Alex Rae bundled in what appeared to be a late consolation but that memory was rubbed out by Dalmat.

Tottenham Hotspur 5
Keane 29, 75, 83, Kanouté 50, Dalmat 90

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
Ince 30, Rae 84

Half-time: 1-1 Attendance: 34,825