Tottenham Hotspur 6 A Famagusta 1: Fiery Defoe breathes life into Jol's survival bid

Martin Jol has not become the first Premier League manager to lose his job this season. This straightforward Uefa Cup win will not necessarily impress those at Tottenham who remain unconvinced by his qualities, but he should stay in charge into October, something Jose Mourinho cannot now claim at Chelsea.

While his counterpart across the capital is contemplating his next move, Jol is still in place. After Spurs' overtures towards Juande Ramos of Seville, the Dutchman does not know for how long. With uncertainty hanging over his position, he was asking in the programme to be judged on where Spurs finish in May, rather than their current lowly league position, although that plea may fall on deaf ears. Yet at least he has created some space for himself, as this comprehensive first-round, first-leg win has all but guaranteed their progress to the group stages.

It was only the north Londoners' second victory of the season but it began to make amends for the home defeat last Saturday by Arsenal. They too won in Europe this week, but that was in the Champions League and that is where Jol's overlords would like him to take the club.

Jol had suggested beforehand that he needed his best players against the visitors from Cyprus, but he was far from true to his word. Anorthosis were nowhere near good enough to make him regret his choices and Tottenham were four up by half-time.

Younes Kaboul headed in from Tom Huddlestone's corner after five minutes. Despite constant pressure, the second only came five minutes before the interval when Michael Dawson netted from close range, but it presaged three goals in as many minutes. Robbie Keane volleyed the third and Darren Bent put Spurs four ahead at the break.

For all the Dutchman's changes, including leaving Dimitar Berbatov on the bench, the most eye-catching contribution was by Jermain Defoe, who came on just after the hour mark.

He had only been on the pitch for a minute when the ball fell to him and he deftly lobbed Arian Beqaj from 20 yards. Then, with the game in injury time, Defoe struck a hard, curling shot inside Beqaj's far post.

Jol said: "I could take lots of positives. Defoe is the best finisher in the league but all my strikers scored."

The only blot for the hosts came after 81 minutes when a brief lapse in concentration allowed Anton Zlogar to beat Radek Cerny from 12 yards, but it was scant consolation. By then, the game had gone far beyond the scope of Temuri Ketsbaia's visitors. The former Newcastle forward faces a damage-limitation exercise in the return, while Jol can look forward to a pleasant outing in the Meditarranean sun.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2) Cerny; Chimbonda, Dawson,Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto (Bale, 80); Lennon, Zokora, Huddlestone, Malbranque (Taarabt, 70); Keane (Defoe, 63), Bent. Substitutes not used: Robinson (gk), Jenas, Berbatov, Rocha.

Anorthosis Famagusta (3-5-2): Beqaj; Lambrou, Katsavakis, Loumpoutis; Poursaitides, Nicolaou (Panagi, 58), Zlogar (Denyov, 81), Skopelitis, Boaventura; Fabinho (Pahars, 65), Sosin. Substitutes not used: Nagy (gk), Tripsoteris, Frousos, Constantinou.

Referee: P Dondarini (Italy).