Crouch hat-trick sees Tottenham through

BERNE,  (Reuters) – Peter Crouch struck a hat-trick yesterday to  help Tottenham Hotspur complete a great comeback against Young  Boys and reach the Champions League for the first time while  Luis Suarez led Ajax Amsterdam back to the elite in a 2-1 win  over Dynamo Kiev.

Tottenham’s 4-0 win at White Hart Lane  took  them through 6-3 on aggregate — a prospect that had looked  highly unlikely when they trailed 3-0 after less than half an  hour of last week’s first match, which they eventually lost 3-2.

They were given a helping hand in a play-off second leg  played in pouring rain when Jermain Defoe clearly used his arm  to control the ball before firing a second goal that effectively  put the game out of the Swiss team’s reach.

Uruguay World Cup striker Suarez got the first goal as  four-times European champions Ajax overcame Dynamo 3-2 on  aggregate to reach the group stage for the first time since  2005-06 — the last occasion their Ukrainian opponents failed to  qualify.

Slovakian champions Zilina reached the group stage for the  first time, beating Sparta Prague 1-0 thanks to a spectacular  bicycle kick from Gambian Momodou Ceesay to complete a 3-0  aggregate win.

FC Copenhagen went through on away goals, beating Rosenborg  Trondheim 1-0 for a 2-2 aggregate draw, and Auxerre beat  nine-man Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 to qualify for the first time  since 2002-03 with a 2-1 aggregate win.

Tottenham, who last appeared in Europe’s top club  competition in 1962, were ahead in the tie for the first time by  the fifth minute as Crouch was left unmarked to head home.

The Defoe incident then killed off Young Boys as the England  striker clearly used his upper arm before turning to score with  a low shot off the post.

The officials’ failure to spot the offence will raise  questions over the effectiveness of the two extra linesmen  behind the goals who are being used in the Champions League this  season.

Crouch headed another from a corner just past the hour mark  and completed his hat-trick with a 78th minute penalty.

“I always felt it was possible to get Spurs into the  Champions League,” said Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. “The club  had underachieved for a long time.

“It was important we didn’t waste the opportunity. We nearly  did in Switzerland but we finished the job tonight.”

Young Boys coach Vladimir Petkovic said: “It was difficult  after the first goal and the second for me was the decisive  moment.”

In Amsterdam, Uruguay forward Suarez put the Dutch team  ahead in the 43rd minute, latching on to Jan Vertonghen’s  deflected free-kick and rounding Maxym Koval to score from a  narrow angle.

Morocco’s Mounir El Hamdaoui scored the second for Martin  Jol’s team in the 75th minute but there was a tense finish after  former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko pulled one  back with a penalty.

Zenit St Petersburg could not match a spirited challenge  from Auxerre and had two players sent off in the second half.

The team from Burgundy, who had lost the first leg 1-0,  scored early in each half, both from corners. The first was a  superb header by defender Cedric Hengbart and the second an  acrobatic volley by Poland striker Ireneusz Jelen.

Zenit, by far the wealthier club, had goalkeeper Vyacheslav  Malafeev sent off for handling the ball outside the area and  Tomas Hubocan for a second yellow card.