Stunning Kranjcar steals show in win

Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjcar stole the show last night as a strong Spurs XI defeated a plucky MK Dons 5-3.

The Croatian had a hand in four of the five goals, setting up three and scoring a 35-yard unstoppable effort.

An unusually strong Spurs side, which consisted of Vedran Corluka, Kranjcar, David Bentley, Danny Rose, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko amongst a number of reserve and youth players, took the lead after just eight minutes as Kranjcar released Pavlyuchenko to slot into the top corner.

Spurs’ lead was doubled after 35 minutes with both players linking up well again as the Russian international smashed the ball into the MK Dons net from an actor angle.

The North London outfit took the two-goal advantage into half-time but the deficit was halved two minutes after the restart as former Manchester United trainee Luka Chadwick curled one past David Button from 25-yards out.

And the comeback was complete after 72 minutes as MK Dons substitute Ibehre tapped home from six-yards out.

However, Spurs restored their lead 7 minutes later as a low Kranjcar drive was parried into the path of the recently introduced Harry Kane who made no mistake to make the score 3-2.

The goal of the night came two minutes later as Kranjcar smashed home an impeccable 35-yard-dipping volley that Dons keeper McLoughlin could only watch fly into the top corner.

Straight from the restart, Ibehre went down the other end to add his second of the night calmly slotting past Button.

Any hopes of a tense finish were dashed however as Kane added his second, and Spurs fifth, of the night in the 89th minute to cooly place the ball past McLoughlin.

The game ended 5-3 to Spurs but it was Kranjcar who stole the show and will be hoping that manager Harry Redknapp would have been taking note after another impressive performanc.