Van der Vaart hits Spurs winner

Harry Redknapp was made to endure a nervy night on his return to the Tottenham dugout as his team edged in to the fifth round of the FA Cup, Rafael van der Vaart's first-half strike clinching a 1-0 win at Watford.

Redknapp, back on the touchline after spending his week answering two charges of cheating the public purse at Southwark Crown Court, watched his team put on a poor display until Van der Vaart put the Premier League title chasers ahead with a 30-yard drive just before the break.

The Hornets, 35 places below Spurs in the league ladder, rattled the Tottenham woodwork on two occasions and Carlo Cudicini performed well to keep out lively striker Marvin Sordell in the second half as Spurs were made to work hard for their place in the next round.

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.