Tottenham 3-1 Blackburn - Match preview

Tottenham Hotspur strengthened their grip on fourth spot in the Premier League after an important 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers.



A goal from Jermain Defoe in first half added time and two Roman Pavlyuchenko strike's in the second helped consolidate their position in the fourth remaining Champions League place.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp named in-form Pavlyuchenko alongside Defoe in attack, with Peter Crouch left on the bench and the two combined well to earn all three points.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto started at left back with Gareth Bale playing further forward in midfield.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce was taking charge of his 50th Premier League game as Rovers boss.

David Dunn was brought back into the team starting only his second game since November in the league.

It was the away side who started brightly forcing a few corners and winning a couple of free-kicks in promising positions, which came to nothing.

The first real chance of the game though fell to Pavlyuchenko after fifteen minutes after good work down the left by Assou-Ekotto, but the Russian scuffed his shot into the ground and it bounced harmlessly over the bar.

Five minutes later Pavlyuchenko went close again. Bale beat the aging Michel Salgado easily for pace down the left and cut the ball back to the Spurs striker who again missed the target with his effort hitting it wide of the near post.

As the half progressed Spurs started to take control of the game with Wilson Palacios and Luka Modric beginning to dominate the midfield.

Blackburn weren't helped by an injury to goalkeeper Paul Robinson after 25 minutes who had to leave the field with a leg injury and was replaced by the inexperienced Jason Brown.

The former Spurs keeper received a great ovation from the White Hart Lane faithful though, as he hobbled off the pitch.

The home side were looking increasingly dangerous down the left-flank with the pace of Bale and Assou-Ekotto causing Salgado all kinds of problems.

With Redknapp's men continuing to push forward Brown was forced into making a great save after Assou-Ekotto whipped in a menacing cross, which was deflected by Gael Givet, but the Welsh keeper managed to turn the ball around the post.

Brown was forced into action again minutes later, diving down to his left to stop a Defoe strike from the edge of the box.

On the stroke of half time Tottenham finally made the breakthrough. Niko Kranjcar whipped a corner in from the left, which was flicked on by Vedran Corluka for Defoe to tap in at the far post for the most simple of finishes.

Ten minutes after the break Spurs doubled their lead with a swift counter-attack. Defoe laid the ball off to Pavlyuchenko on the right hand side of the box, who drilled his shot past Brown for his seventh goal in his last six games.

Pavlyuchenko's strike took the wind out of Blackburn's sails and the home side began to look more comfortable with their two-goal cushion.

Palacios threaded a delightful ball through to Modric on the left hand side of the penalty area but the Croatian's effort went wide at the near post.

With just over 20 minutes remaining Bale had a great claim for a penalty that was astonishingly turned down by referee Howard Webb.

The Welsh international burst into the box but was blatantly taken down by Salgado only for Webb to point for a goal kick and leave Redknapp fuming on the touchline.

Webb's decision not to award a penalty could have proved costly for Spurs when Blackburn pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining.

A corner from the right was headed in by Rovers center-back Christopher Samba who rose at the far post, towering above everyone and heading into the net to make it a nervy last 10 minutes for the home side.

Just when it looked like Blackburn could salvage a point from the game Pavlyuchenko grabbed his second goal of the afternoon with five minutes remaining and helped settle the nerves at White Hart Lane.

Bale played a teasing ball from the left across the face of the goal for the Russian to tap into an empty net.

Pavlyuchenko almost completed his hat-trick lobbing the ball over Samba, with the keeper stranded but the big defender got back to deny the in-form striker the match ball.