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Five-star Defoe thumps Wigan
17:45, Nov 22 2009
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe scored five times to send his side back into the Champions League places as Harry Redknapp's hammered Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane.
Paul Scharner appeared to handle when he netted Wigan's goal but there was no handball controversy as Defoe was in such rampant form, with Aaron Lennon, Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar grabbing the other goals and Chris Kirkland recorded an unfortunate own-goal.
The clash was played on a Sunday following an agreement between the clubs so players could rest after the international break - and Defoe seemed the freshest of those on display as he scored all his goals after the interval.
Crouch got the scoring underway as early as the ninth minute when he headed home Lennon's cross at the back post.
Defoe struck the bar before the break, then burst into a scoring frenzy after the restart.
The first came from another Lennon cross, with Defoe getting in front of Titus Bramble and crashing his finish into the roof of the net. His second strike came after Wilson Palacios' ball forward was totally missed by Emmerson Boyce, with Defoe keeping his cool to slot his finish into the far corner.
Scharner pulled one back soon after when he appeared to handle before slamming home, but Defoe restored the three-goal cushion with his hat-trick straight away. Lennon crossed again and this time Defoe volleyed in at the near post.
England winger Lennon added the fifth himself after Crouch smuggled the ball out to his team-mate from a congested penalty area, with the winger angling his finish into the far post.
Defoe, in full flow now and demanding the ball, grabbed his fourth 21 minutes from the end by latching on to Vedran Corluka's ball and firing past Kirkland via the post.
His fifth came after a mistake by Erik Edman, with Defoe finishing through Kirkland's legs. David Bentley's free-kick accounted for the eighth goal, his effort going in off Kirkland after it had hit the bar. Kranjcar's goal, the ninth, also went in off the woodwork.
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