Crouch treble sees Spurs through

Peter Crouch's hat-trick and a controversial goal from Jermain Defoe helped Tottenham cruise into the lucrative group stages of the Champions League for the first time in their history with an emphatic 4-0 win over 10-man Young Boys in their play-off second leg at White Hart Lane.

Crouch levelled the tie on aggregate with a back post header after five minutes and it was 2-0 before half-time when Defoe - set to have a groin operation next week - clearly handled the ball before firing home.

Another header from Couch, whose goal helped secure a shot at the Champions League with victory at Manchester City last season, on the hour followed by a late penalty left Spurs fans dreaming of trips to Madrid, Barcelona and Milan ahead of Thursday's draw at the expense of the hapless vicitors, who had Senad Lulic sent off.

Harry Redknapp had ordered his side to hit Young Boys, who had a 3-2 first-leg lead going into the match, just as hard and fast as Spurs had been in Bern and they duly obliged.

After conceding inside four minutes last week, they were in front within five this evening. And it was not only the weather which was atrocious as the visitors failed to deal with Gareth Bale's corner, giving the in-form Welshman another chance to deliver a cross for the unmarked Crouch to nod home.

Spurs grabbed a second thanks to Defoe's sleight of hand, the striker's arm controlling Bale's ball before his left foot whipped it into the net.

The six pairs of officials' eyes on him somehow failed to spot the offence, with Young Boys defender Jemal's furious protests waved away.

Crouch made it 3-0 on the hour mark, again rising unchallenged to head in Bale's corner.

Bale came agonisingly close to the goal his performance deserved before being cut down in the area by Lulic, who saw yellow for a second time.

Up stepped Crouch to complete his hat-trick from the spot and - after Bale was replaced by Niko Kranjcar to a standing ovation - the striker was denied his fourth by a brilliant save from Marco Wolfli, however, it mattered little as Spurs advanced 6-3 on aggregate.