Kane scores hat-trick as Spurs thrash Bournemouth

LONDON (Reuters) – Harry Kane scored a hat-trick for Tottenham Hotspur, who moved into the top six of the Premier League with a resounding 5-1 victory away to Bournemouth in the first league meeting between the clubs on Sunday.

The home side, playing their first season in the top-flight, took the lead in the first minute through Matt Ritchie, but England striker Kane equalised from a penalty eight minutes later.

Mousa Dembele and Erik Lamela had Spurs 3-1 ahead by half-time and Kane completed his hat-trick with two more goals in seven minutes.

Bournemouth, badly hit by long-term injuries, have won only one of their last seven games and this third defeat in four matches left them fourth from bottom, two points above the relegation places.

“We started a bit sloppily but we showed our character to get straight back into the game and I think that was the turning point,” Kane told Sky Sports news.

“If we’d let them keep the lead for too long it would have been tough for us.

“We knew it was a tough place to come and they play good football so we had to be on top of our game and other than the start it’s one of the best performances we’ve had all season.”

(Reporting by Steve Tongue; editing by Clare Lovell)