Burnley staged a rousing second-half comeback to record a superb Worthington Cup triumph over last season's losing finalists Tottenham.

Gus Poyet had given Spurs a deserved first-half lead, but Burnley responded after the interval with goals from Robbie Blake and Steve Davis.

Robbie Keane wasted three glorious chances to haul Spurs back into the tie and was denied at the death by a brilliant save by Burnley goalkeeper Marlon Beresford.

But the evening belonged to substitute Glenn Little who drove his side to a famous victory with a high-octane midfield display.

Key incidents

4 mins: Iversen's header almost squirms under Beresford 17 mins: Poyet gives Spurs the lead 57 mins:Blake equalises for Burnley 61 mins: Davis heads Burnley into the lead 63 mins: Blake hits the post

For the first half an hour, Burnley were barely in the game.

Tottenham's Matthew Etherington impressed on the left and proved a constant problem to the Clarets' defence.

Indeed, he produced the first telling cross of the match which Steffen Iversen headed goalwards.

The ball seemed to cross the goal-line after squirming under Beresford, but the keeper somehow kept it out with his legs.

However, there was no need for television replays to confirm the validity of Spurs' opener.

Poyet rose unmarked to head past Beresford from Stephen Carr's corner on the right.

Little then came on for Mark McGregor and the whole complexion of the game changed.

He gave Burnley some much-needed bite in midfield and his urgency rubbed off on team-mates Gareth Taylor and Blake in attack.

Sensing that there was a way back into the match, Burnley upped the tempo after the interval.

Poyet could not lead Spurs to victory despite scoring

And it paid handsome dividends.

Little picked out Blake in the Spurs area and his fierce right-foot shot deflected off Anthony Gardner to beat Kasey Keller.

Within seconds of the restart, Keane could have restored Spurs' advantage.

But, having outstripped the Burnley defence, the Irishman chipped well wide with only Beresford to beat.

Spurs would be made to pay for such profligacy when Burnley produced a carbon copy of Spurs' opener to take the lead.

Davis outjumped the Spurs defence to meet Little's corner to send the Turf Moor crowd into raptures.

Blake almost scored a second but was denied by the upright, while Keane wasted another gilt-edged opportunity, again failing to chip Beresford when clean through on goal.

Burnley defended heroically in the closing stages and hung on to claim a famous victory with Beresford producing a stunning save to deny Keane with seconds to go.

Burnley: Beresford, West, Gnohere, McGregor, Branch, Weller, Stephen Davis, Grant, Briscoe, Blake, Taylor. Subs: Little, Cook, Ian Moore, Alan Moore, Papadopoulos.

Tottenham: Keller, Perry, Bunjevcevic, Gardner, Carr, Poyet, Clemence, Davies, Etherington, Iversen, Ferdinand. Subs: Hirschfeld, Anderton, Doherty, Keane, Acimovic.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).