It certainly felt as if Burnley had tried to conquer Everest. When Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe scored in the final three minutes of extra time, they not only staved off a new level of embarrassment for Tottenham Hotspur as the Carling Cup holders belatedly booked their return to Wembley, they also put paid to one of the most remarkable comebacks witnessed in this competition.

Manchester United may be relieved not to be facing the Coca-Cola Championship side in the final on March 1 such is the heart Owen Coyle’s players have displayed in their epic cup run.

As if knocking Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal out en route to this semi-final was not enough, Burnley cancelled out Tottenham’s three-goal advantage from the first leg to move within moments of reaching their first final in this competition.

Jay Rodriguez, a substitute, volleyed home in the 87th minute to take the tie into extra time and put Tottenham’s season in danger of hitting a new low. And not even Mrs Redknapp could have done much about last night’s events.

Rodriguez, Burnley born and bred, had scored the winning goal against Fulham in the third round in September and he pounced when Ben Alnwick, on his Tottenham debut, dropped a free kick by Robbie Blake, who had scored the opening goal and made the second for Chris McCann. But as brilliant as Burnley were on an old-fashioned night of teeming rain and incessant tension, Tottenham should have had more than enough to protect a three-goal advantage.

With away goals due to count double after 120 minutes, Burnley were in the box seat to reach the final, but as the clock ticked down, Pavlyuchenko converted at the near post after a cross from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and then Defoe ran through the middle of the Burnley defence to score his second goal in three games since returning from Portsmouth for £15 million. “You can see why we’ve got problems,” Redknapp said. “But at least we’ve got a Carling Cup final to look forward to.”

The Spurs manager may have won the FA Cup with Portsmouth last May but he says he will not make that competition a priority when his present team visit Old Trafford for a fourth-round tie on Saturday. His stretched squad was further depleted by fresh injuries to Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson, Jamie O’Hara, Ledley King and Darren Bent, who was missing from last night’s squad. “We have just got to try and get a team out to play Stoke City \ next Tuesday,” he said.

On paper, even with all their recent upheavals, this may have looked a straightforward match for Tottenham. Until, that is, they stepped off the bus and took a look at the sodden Turf Moor pitch. Any player still uncertain of what footwear to don might have considered asking for galoshes.

Sandra Redknapp had not made Tottenham’s 18 but then neither had Bent. Harry Redknapp had suggested his wife could have scored with the header the £16.5 million striker had spurned late in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth on Sunday and the Spurs manager wanted strong characters to step forward last night.

Dawson came in for King, out again with a hamstring injury, as Redknapp made six changes. After losing the first leg 4-1, Coyle had suggested that the task facing his promotion-chasers was tantamount to climbing Everest. Their recent form had not been so hot, either, with only one win in their seven previous games.

Yet it was no surprise that Burnley took the lead. When Woodgate fouled Martin Paterson nearly 30 yards from goal 11 minutes before half-time, there appeared no immediate danger. But Blake, who scored with a spectacular free kick in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Preston North End, curled a sumptuous shot into the near corner of the goal. It was no more than the home team deserved. Playing with a lone forward, in Paterson, they matched Tottenham in a congested midfield, but Blake and Chris Eagles were not slow to support the attack.

Burnley played the ball on the ground whenever possible and, as the game became more stretched in such demanding conditions, there was a sense that the next goal could even decide the tie. Gareth Bale’s first act upon replacing O’Hara was to skew his angled shot wide and Brian Jensen had to be alert to save at the feet of Defoe.

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