Tottenham Hotspur faced South China in the third/fourth playoff match in the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong with both sides desperate not to finish with the wooden spoon.
The two teams clashed after Spurs lost 3-1 to Sunderland, before Manchester City ousted the Far East outfit 1-0 on Wednesday.
However, Spurs blitzed past the hosts and scored six goals on the way to finishing third.
Read how the action unfolded in the live commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Hong Kong, where South China host Tottenham Hotspur.
This match will determine which team finish third and which side get the wooden spoon in the Barclays Asia Trophy after both lost their semi-final matches on Wednesday.
The first clash earlier this week saw Spurs beaten 3-1 by Sunderland, before Manchester City advanced to the final by seeing off South China 1-0.
There were big concerns from Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas about the pitch coming into the match. More on that shortly but first to the team news and the main talking point is that Gareth Bale is once again out of the squad. Injury's the official word.
TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Caulker, Rose, Dembele, Parker, Sigurdsson, Lennon, Dempsey, Defoe
So AVB makes three changes to his side that lost to Sunderland earlier this week as Heurelho Gomes, Tom Huddlestone and Emmanuel Adebayor all drop out of the starting lineup, whereas Hugo Lloris, Mousa Dembele and Jermain Defoe all come in.
So it looks as if AVB will be deploying a 4-3-3 formation today, the back four is pretty customary, but the midfield three will see Scott Parker and Mousa Dembele sitting behind the advanced Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Up top, Jermain Defoe will lead the line and will be flanked by Lennon on the right and Dempsey on the left.
TOTTENHAM SUBS: Gomes, Friedel, Huddlestone, Naughton, Livermore, Assou-Ekotto, Fryers, Townsend, Carroll
So that is the Tottenham bench and there are two big absentees that you will notice. The first is Gareth Bale who is supposedly still injured, whereas the second is Jan Vertonghen.
The Belgian international is out for 2-3 weeks after landing awkwardly against Sunderland the other day. AVB has been highly critical of the pitch in Hong Kong.
Villas-Boas: "The conditions are extremely poor, we have lost one player through injury. Not just because of the conditions, but it is a factor and I would ideally like to avoid circumstances like this."
SOUTH CHINA XI: Zhang, Tse, Bertoti Padilha, Sealy, Ticao, Mesquita, Kwok, Luk, Wai, Barry, Martins
The players are in the tunnel...
And out they come to a big ovation in the Hong Kong stadium.
While Spurs are the favourite for the match, don't write off South China. They only lost by a single goal against Manchester City on Wednesday, and they actually beat Tottenham the last time the two sides meet back in 2009.
The pitch looks very beach like in parts, but the players couldn't have hoped for better conditions really in comparison to the other day. Blue skies, with not too much humidity, and most importantly, no rain!
Spurs are wearing their white shirts with navy shorts and socks, South China are in the red tops, white shorts and red socks.
SPURS KICK OFF PROCEEDINGS!
Early offside flag against Defoe as he looked to flick it on to Dempsey. Spurs are playing from left to right in this first half, South China the opposite.
Spurs have made the brighter start here. They've have all the ball and look very lively down the right with the pace of Walker, Lennon and Defoe. They've just combined to win a corner.
Sigurdsson to take.
Nearly a chance for Spurs as the ball evades everyone and is hooked back in by Dawson on the far side. It falls to Sigurdsson who gets a half-volley away, but it is blocked and then cleared.
The home fans start to get excited as South China make their way over the halfway line, but they overrun the ball on the right touchline as it goes out for a throw.
Brilliant ball into the box from Danny Rose, who was midway into the South China half, it bounces just in front of Defore on the edge of the six-yard box, but he can't get a touch on it. Wicked delivery.
CHANCE! Lloris wasn't really test by this, but South China throw an attack down the right and Sealy whips in a cross to far post towards the huge Barry. However, Walker just does enough to put off the big man, and the ball bounces wide for a goal kick.
It's a pretty open game so far, both sides are keen to keep the ball on the deck and play some tidy football. Spurs came forward just a second ago, but South China weathered the storm and broke away.
GOAL! South China 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Danny Rose)
Well they all count I guess, and Spurs won't care. Dembele slides in Dempsey down the left of the box, who backheels it to Rose. He hits a first-time cross which takes a deflection and ends up in the bottom corner. Spurs lead.
South China now having to hold their lines here as Spurs look to try to double their lead with a succession of corners.
Have a feeling the Spurs goal may have gone down as an own goal, will update you if that is the case.
CHANCE! Huge last-ditch challenge from Bertoti. Sigurdsson threads a wonderful pass through to Defoe, who is one-on-one with the keeper, he is just about to strike for goal but Bertoti comes out of nowhere to make the challenge and concede the corner. Brilliant.
South China have started to come forward a bit more and have just seen a free kick into the box cleared away.
Martins was just flagged offside on the left when played into a promising position, the linesman got that horribly wrong.
Kyle Walker has a wry smile on his face as he believes that he should have just been awarded a penalty. He went shoulder to shoulder with Bertoti in the box and went down under the challenge. However, Walker did appear to pull his way across the defender and nothing was given.
CHANCE! Very nearly 2-0 after a lovely Spurs move. Walker somehow manages to cross a ball in from the byeline which sees a Dempsey volley blocked. He then plays a wonderful one-two with Sigurdsson, who then looks to pass across the face of goal to Defoe. However, the defender can hack it out for a corner.
CHANCE! That should have been 2-0 as Parker pings a lovely ball down the middle which puts Dempsey through on goal. He brings the ball down well and goes for a delicate chip, but he gets it wrong and puts it over the bar.
SAVE! All Spurs at the moment and a busy penalty sees Defoe prod a shot towards goal from a few yards out, but somehow the keeper Zhang can stick out a foot to make the save.
OFF THE POST! My word, how have Spurs not doubled their lead yet?! A free kick is whipped in from deep on the left into the far post where Dawson and Caulker both lurk. The ball takes a touch of one of them and drops to Defoe, who flicks the ball towards the near post only to see it come back off the frame of the goal.
Somehow, it is still just 1-0. South China are living very dangerously.
South China have a chance of their own from a free kick on the right. It's crossed it but hammered away by Rose.
CHANCE! Spurs hit the opposition on the break with Walker, and his play ends up seeing the ball ricochet into the centre. It sits up nicely for Dempsey from about 30 yards out and he smashes it low but it curls just wide of the near post.
GOAL! South China 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Clint Dempsey)
Finally Spurs get the goal that they deserve. Defoe beats his man down the left and cuts the ball back inside the box to Dempsey, who simply sidefoots in the second goal of the match.
South China have yet another free kick out wide, and yet again they fail to create a chance.
Five minutes until the break and the game has started to go a bit quiet for the first time. Can South China nick a goal before the break and make a game of this?
If anything, it looks more likely that Spurs will add to their lead.
Interesting times here as Dembele plays in Dempsey who would have been away on goal, but he is wrestled to the ground by the defender, who is lucky that this is a pre-season game.
So Spurs have a free kick from a long way out now, and this will probably be the last chance of the half.
GOAL! South China 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur (Jermain Defoe)
Massive slice of luck for Spurs here as Walker belts the ball towards goal, it takes a deflection and falls perfectly into the path of Defoe who simply cannot miss from a few yards out.
HALF TIME: South China 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
So Defoe scored with practically the last kick before the break to bring an end to a fairly entertaining half.
South China threatened early on but it really has been all Spurs, and they deserve to lead. Rose, Dempsey and Defoe with the goal.
Just a reminder that Manchester City meet Sunderland in the final of this tournament once this match has finished.
The players are coming back out onto the field now.
Spurs look unchanged.
Saying that, Carroll and Fryers look to be getting ready for the Premier League side.
My bad, Naughton is the man who is getting ready to come on.
SPURS SUBSTITUTIONS Kyle Walker and Dempsey have made way for Kyle Naughton and Tom Carroll.
SOUTH CHINA KICK OFF THE SECOND HALF!
Really quiet start to this second half.
Spurs have had all the possession so far and are well in control of this match.
GOAL! South China 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur (Jermain Defoe)
Dear oh dear Zhang, what a terrible piece on defending. The keeper runs out of his box to try to clear the danger away but he tries to be too clever and passes it straight to Defoe, who simply taps it in to the back of the net.
CHANCE! Defore nearly completes his hattrick. Danny Rose puts another great cross into the box, and Defoe nips in between the keeper and defender but can only touch his effort straight to the man between the sticks.
Spurs are still well on top and Defoe looks ever so keen to get his hattrick.
Spurs squander a good chance as Defoe runs on to a ball over the top. Instead of shooting, he opts to pass it inside, but Dembele and Sigurdsson both leave it for one another and the opportunity is gone.
CHANCE! South China hit Spurs on the breathest of counter-attacks but they come close to finding the back of the net. Martins gets the ball on the right, but he drags his shot wide of the far post.
Changes coming up for Spurs here.
SPURS SUBS Zaki Fryers, Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Andros Townsend all come on, while Scott Parker, Mousa Dembele, Danny Rose and Aaron Lennon are the men to give way.
SAVE! Defoe is still waiting for his hattrick. He is threaded into the left of the box by Sigurdsson and he takes a touch before trying to blast it across goal. However, Zhang is equal to it and can save.
The rain have really started to lash it down now, so it's umbrellas galore in the crowd.
Spurs are playing some lovely stuff at times, as Tom Carroll plays a lovely give and go with Livermore which nearly results in the former having a chance on goal. The opportunity goes but it was encouraging stuff nonetheless, in a game that is very dull at the moment.
GOAL! South China 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur (Jermain Defoe)
What was I saying? Haha, lovely ball from Sigurdsson to put Defoe through and he opens up his body and slots the ball past the keeper at the near post. He has the matchball.
CHANCE! Very nearly an own goal from Sealy. Townsend goes down the right and puts a cross in and it comes off the thigh of Sealy and heads just wide of the post.
Spurs have a free kick right on the edge of the box here.
GOAL! South China 0-6 Tottenham Hotspur (Andros Townsend)
It's six for Spurs and Townsend gets in on the act. He sidefoots the free kick from the right corner of the box into the far bottom corner.
SAVE! What a stop from Hugo Lloris. He has had practically nothing to do for the whole match, and he is put to test there when Martins hits a ball from the edge of the box. Lloris flings himself to the right and tips it over the bar.
CHANCE! They just aren't going to score today are they? Martins is played through and he bares down on goal. Out comes Lloris, and Martins tries to push it into the far corner. But it goes wide of the target.
FULL TIME: South China 0-6 Tottenham Hotspur
So that's it, Spurs secured third in the tournament with a six-goal win.
A hattrick for Jermain Defoe, while Rose, Dempsey and Townsend all get on the scoresheet.
Stick around though, as Sports Mole has the final of this tournament covered.
But that's all from me today. I hope you enjoyed the match. See you next time.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
