FRANCK QUEUDRUE struck the sudden-death penalty that handed Middlesbrough a Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal and denied Tottenham a showdown with their North London rivals.

Steve McClaren, who saw his Boro side cruelly beaten by the Gunners in the last four of the FA Cup in his first season in charge, is fuelled by a burning desire to become the first manager to lead the Teessiders to a major trophy.

And French full-back Queudrue kept the dream alive as Boro repeated their shoot-out success over Everton at the Riverside a fortnight ago.

Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who scored the winning spot-kick then, missed his chance to replicate the feat when Kasey Keller saved.

Gus Poyet had been the first to fail in the shoot-out when he was foiled by Mark Schwarzer.

And after Mauricio Taricco hit a post with his kick, Queudrue sealed it for a jubilant Boro.

Michael Ricketts returned to haunt Tottenham, who backed out of a move to sign him before Boro swooped, with a strike that brought to an end the Teessiders' goal famine.

Ricketts swept home only five minutes from the end of normal time after George Boateng's ball had eluded home defender Anthony Gardner.

It was the first goal by a Boro player in open play in nearly ten-and-a-half hours since Bolo Zenden scored in the 2-0 win at Aston Villa nearly six weeks ago.

Conversely, Boro's obdurate defending had ensured a marathon run of 11 hours and 15 minutes in open play without conceding a goal.

But their resolute rearguard cracked after just over a minute of last night's tie when Darren Anderton pounced to fire home from no more than 15 yards after right-back Stephen Carr - high on Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson's Christmas wish-list - delivered a centre which Colin Cooper only partially cleared.

Ricketts, the last Boro player to score when he converted a penalty against Villa, earned a recall at the expense of Szilard Nemeth as McClaren started with an adventurous diamond formation.

The introduction of Ricketts as a substitute in the shoot-out victory over Everton in the last round of this competition was greeted with groans from sections of a Riverside crowd yet to be convinced of his ability.

But McClaren's faith in the injury-prone striker he bought from Bolton for £2.5m at the start of the year has never wavered.

The presence of Juninho behind the front two following his recovery from a hamstring injury, and that of Gaizka Mendieta on the right of midfield after being doubtful with a toe problem, were major pre-match plusses for McClaren.

David Pleat, confirmed this week as Spurs' boss until the end of the season, paid Juninho the compliment of deploying Ledley King as a man-marker.

But after Massimo Maccarone had hooked over from a promising position, the home side won a right-wing corner and King showed his attacking intent when he met Anderton's flag-kick at the near post to force a stunning fingertip save from Mark Schwarzer.

Anderton pulled the strings for Spurs and when he released Robbie Keane in the 27th minute, the one-time Boro target forged forward to slip a neat ball inside for Rohan Ricketts, whose finish failed to match the quality of the move.

Clever interplay between Zenden and Queudrue down Boro's left produced a useful opening which was wasted when Mendieta's effort was blocked after Maccarone had set up a shooting chance.

Boro scorned an even better opportunity as half-time approached. Danny Mills threaded a ball through to Ricketts, who rounded keeper Keller but could only find the side-netting when it looked easier to score.

Mills then set off on a marauding run through the middle to feed Maccarone on the edge of the area.

But the first touch of the £8.15m club record buy was woeful and the chance was lost.

Spurs responded with Keane cutting in from the left to drill a shot to the near-post where Schwarzer was happy to parry the ball away.

McClaren threw on winger Stewart Downing, recalled last week from his loan with Sunderland, to replace Maccarone at the interval.

Ricketts, with Juninho pushed up front alongside him, climbed to meet Zenden's left-wing cross in the 50th minute, but his header was comfortably taken by Keller.

In Boro's next move, Juninho spun away from his man in trademark fashion and was heading for goal until Rohan Ricketts' cyncial trip stopped him in his tracks.

From the resultant free-kick, Juninho's effort was smothered by the defensive wall.

Boro's frustration mounted as Juninho was bundled over again by Ricketts.

But Spurs should have doubled their lead when Keane pulled the ball across from the left and Frederic Kanoute could only manage a tame toe-poke which Schwarzer claimed at his near upright.

McClaren went for broke and ordered a reshuffle ten minutes from the end when Nemeth came on for Cooper.

Keller had to perform a desperate block from Juninho eight minutes from time before Ricketts struck.

And Ricketts almost averted extra-time when his header, on the end of Zenden's corner, was turned over by Keller in spectacular style.

It was the third occasion this season that Boro had gone to extra-time in the competition and Downing was agonisingly close to making a name for himself in the first period last night when he met Ricketts' right-wing cross with an angled volley that flashed across goal.

Ricketts, and Boro's travelling fans, momentarily thought he had scored with a header before it dawned that the ball had gone behind.

And Downing then forced a magnificent save from Keller as penalties loomed.

Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1 Middlesbrough 1.

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