It is just as well that Harry Redknapp has more faith in his players than the thousands of Tottenham Hotspur fans who booed their side off as the team trailed at half-time to a well-worked goal from Martin Paterson. Unlike the punters the manager refused to panic, assessed the evidence of a disappointing 45 minutes and made a substitution that brought two goals in the space of six minutes to take the doubting supporters closer to a second successive Carling Cup final.

Tottenham’s — and indeed Redknapp’s — return to Wembley was no longer in question after a second golden spell later in the half yielded two goals in the space of four minutes to render the second leg in a fortnight almost an irrelevance. As they prepare to book their tickets, Spurs fans should switch off Chas & Dave and listen to Bon Jovi, who constantly remind their own admirers to Keep the Faith. Managers cannot afford to be so fickle.

Redknapp has transformed the outlook — if not the league position — at White Hart Lane since he was appointed ten weeks ago, but last night’s half-time contribution must count amongst his best work. Tottenham had been outplayed and overrun by an attractive Burnley side that fully deserved their one-goal lead until Redknapp uttered a few home truths and made the change that altered the game, bringing on Jamie O’Hara for David Bentley. “I had to get into them big time,” was Redknapp’s version of an X-rated team talk that lasted the full 15 minutes. He was in some respects fortunate that Bentley excused himself with a stomach bug, although the England midfield player may have been removed anyway because he had been at his self-indulgent worst.

Not even Redknapp could have anticipated O’Hara’s contribution, however, as the former Arsenal trainee made the equaliser, scored the second himself with a stunning volley and created the fourth with a well-struck free kick that Michael Duff headed into his own net. In between these crucial contributions, Roman Pavlyuchenko effectively ended the contest with a crisp left-foot finish that should be enough to keep him in the side alongside Jermain Defoe when the club’s £15 million signing makes his second Spurs debut away to Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Whether Bentley will return is less clear, as Tottenham’s midfield looked far more balanced with O’Hara on the left during the second half. Redknapp is renowned for encouraging attacking football but even he is likely to acknowledge that a midfield four featuring Bentley, Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon is too cavalier, with Burnley exploiting the home side’s defensive vulnerability to the full in the opening 45 minutes.

O’Hara deserves to keep his place for his second-half exploits in any case, particularly after suffering the heartache of being left out of the squad for last season’s Carling Cup final win over Chelsea. The 22-year-old made an impact as soon as he appeared on the pitch, sending in the corner from which Michael Dawson headed an equaliser in the 47th minute and then putting them ahead with a left-foot volley from Pavlyuchenko’s cross.

The Russia striker would have scored an equaliser himself in the first half had it not been for a magnificent save from Brian Jensen, who was unable to repeat his heroics in earlier rounds against Chelsea and Arsenal in a second half that he will prefer to forget. The Danish goalkeeper allowed O’Hara’s shot to creep through his legs, was wrong-footed by Pavlyuchenko and looked on helplessly as Duff headed past him to compound Burnley’s misery.

A three-goal defeat was harsh on the visiting team, although they contributed to their own downfall with some shambolic defending. It had been a different story in the first half when Chris Eagles demonstrated why he was once one of the most highly rated youngsters at Manchester United, before going on to show in the second half why he now plays for Burnley.

With his headband, designer jewellery and flashy green boots, Eagles seems to style himself as the Cristiano Ronaldo of the lower leagues — either that or an off-duty hairdresser — but he soon lived up to the former billing by showing off skills similar to those of his former United team-mate to create Burnley’s goal in the fifteenth minute. Eagles ghosted past Bentley and then ran towards Gareth Bale in the penalty area, nutmegging the Wales international, and crossing for Paterson to tap in at the far post. Having created one goal with his right foot Eagles, went on to demonstrate that he is equally adept with his left, cutting in to cross from the right for Robbie Blake to head narrowly wide.

Unfortunately for Burnley, that was the last occasion on which they threatened as the home side dominated the second half, leaving tickets for the second leg at Turf Moor almost as worthless as Woolworths vouchers. Those for Tottenham’s second trip to Wembley in little over 12 months are likely to be snapped up, however, although even if they beat Manchester United in the final, the players will not be allowed to rest on their laurels as occurred under Juande Ramos last year.

For all his faith, Redknapp’s patience is not infinite.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): H Gomes - V Corluka, M Dawson, J Woodgate, G Bale - A Lennon, D Zokora, L Modric, D Bentley (sub: J O'Hara, 46min) - R Pavlyuchenko, F Campbell. Substitutes not used: B Alnwick, C Gunter, Giovani dos Santos, A Taarabt, K-P Boateng, R Rocha.

Burnley (4-4-2): B Jensen - G Alexander, M Duff, CCarlisle, S Jordan - C Eagles, J Gudjonsson (sub: K McDonald, 30), C McCann, W Elliott - R Blake (sub: J Rodriguez, 75), M Paterson (sub: A Akinbiyi, 86). Substitutes not used: D Penny, C Kalvenes, AMahon, A McDonald. Booked: Jordan, Duff.

Referee: M Atkinson.

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