Post by CmonYouSpurs on May 3, 2009 13:49:07 GMT -1
Jermaine Jenas netted the only goal of the game as we rode our luck at times to defeat bottom of the table West Brom at White Hart Lane.
The result keeps us in the hunt for seventh spot and a place in Europe for next season, and our sixth clean sheet in a row at home keeps our fantastic defensive record in front of our own fans in tact.
Going into our final home game of the campaign in a fortnight's time, we would still have only conceded nine goals at home this season.
This means Manchester City will have to score twice to deny our current defence of the best ever home defensive record in the Club's history.
There was just one change to the side defeated at Manchester United last weekend, with Roman Pavlyuchenko returning to the starting line-up in place of the injured Darren Bent.
West Brom, buoyed by their 3-0 win over Sunderland last time out, got out of the traps quickly.
Lone striker Marc-Antoine Fortune got the better of Ledley King down the right-hand side after just three minutes and pulled back for Borja Valero, who miss-kicked from six yards out.
But Heurelho Gomes was tested on 22 minutes when defender Jonas Olsson climbed highest to meet Chris Brunt's in-swinging corner, forcing the goalkeeper into a smart reaction save.
Our first chance came a couple of minutes later, when Scott Carson spilled a Jenas cross at the feet of Pavlyuchenko, and although Jonathan Greening got a vital foot in, the rebound fell to Aaron Lennon, who just couldn't open out his body enough to find the net with a left-foot volley.
We had been a touch sloppy in possession up until this point, but once we had woken up, we began to take control.
Luka Modric released Pavlyuchenko with a superb outside of the foot ball on 33 minutes, but the Russian could only blaze his shot over once he got into the box.
His strike partner, Robbie Keane, should also have done better on 39 minutes, when he could only muster an air shot from six yards out after Lennon's low cross.
Lennon himself was the first to properly test Carson a minute later, when he forced the visiting goalkeeper into a full stretch save with a well-hit shot from the edge of the box.
But as we pushed on looking to break the deadlock, we found ourselves a little thin on the ground at the back when West Brom went down the other end. Gianni Zuiverloon stood a good ball up to the back post for Fortune to find a yard of space and volley over.
However, Tony Mowbray's men, for all their efforts, were not showing a great deal of cutting edge despite their fair share of possession, and we deservedly took the lead.
Vedran Corluka fed Jenas 25 yards out, and he curled his fourth goal of the season neatly into the bottom right-hand corner, well out of Carson's reach.
However, the goal certainly did not dampen West Brom's spirits, and their second half performance was one full of belief.
The first of some great second half chances came five minutes after the break, when Greening released Fortune, who got into the box only to shoot straight at Gomes.
But the striker was far more unfortunate just a minute later, when he latched onto a long ball Jonathan Woodgate had misjudged the bounce of, and hit a shot that was deflected onto the inside of Gomes' right-hand post before running to safety.
It did not seem inevitable that we would double our lead, although Lennon was once again in fine form and certainly our driving force.
On 56 minutes, he broke away after a spell of West Brom pressure and once again tested Carson with a shot on getting into the box.
Two minutes later, he left his full-back Paul Robinson flat-footed as he skipped past, and put in a teasing low cross just out of Keane's reach with the goal gaping.
But that was to be our best chance of the half as it was the visitors who came closest to scoring during the 45 minutes.
Defender Shelton Martis will not be sleeping easy tonight, thinking of the header he put over the bar unmarked from six yards out after Brunt's free-kick to the back post on 69 minutes.
But the Caribbean was unlucky two minutes later, when he this time rose to meet Brunt's corner and got his header on target, only for substitute Jermain Defoe, of all people to block on the line, before Gomes turned over.
Defoe had entered as a 65th minute substitute for Pavlyuchenko to a fantastic reception from our fans, after what has no doubt been a difficult week for him and his family.
Then, nine minutes from time, it was Gomes' turn for the heroics, when he showed incredible reflexes to turn away Robert Koren's deflected shot that appeared to be heading out of his reach and into the back of the net.
It was clear at this point that it was, thankfully, not to be West Brom's day, and their heads may have dropped a little in the closing stages.
Lennon was unfortunate not to double our lead a minute from time, when he stepped inside of his defender and hit shot against Carson's left-hand post from inside the box.
Jenas also tested Carson in stoppage time, but it is safe to say we will be happy with the 1-0 scoreline after a brave effort from the visitors.
Spurs (4-4-2): Gomes; Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric; Pavlyuchenko (Defoe, 65), Keane
Subs not used: Cudicini, A Hutton Bale, Zokora, Huddlestone, Bentley
The result keeps us in the hunt for seventh spot and a place in Europe for next season, and our sixth clean sheet in a row at home keeps our fantastic defensive record in front of our own fans in tact.
Going into our final home game of the campaign in a fortnight's time, we would still have only conceded nine goals at home this season.
This means Manchester City will have to score twice to deny our current defence of the best ever home defensive record in the Club's history.
There was just one change to the side defeated at Manchester United last weekend, with Roman Pavlyuchenko returning to the starting line-up in place of the injured Darren Bent.
West Brom, buoyed by their 3-0 win over Sunderland last time out, got out of the traps quickly.
Lone striker Marc-Antoine Fortune got the better of Ledley King down the right-hand side after just three minutes and pulled back for Borja Valero, who miss-kicked from six yards out.
But Heurelho Gomes was tested on 22 minutes when defender Jonas Olsson climbed highest to meet Chris Brunt's in-swinging corner, forcing the goalkeeper into a smart reaction save.
Our first chance came a couple of minutes later, when Scott Carson spilled a Jenas cross at the feet of Pavlyuchenko, and although Jonathan Greening got a vital foot in, the rebound fell to Aaron Lennon, who just couldn't open out his body enough to find the net with a left-foot volley.
We had been a touch sloppy in possession up until this point, but once we had woken up, we began to take control.
Luka Modric released Pavlyuchenko with a superb outside of the foot ball on 33 minutes, but the Russian could only blaze his shot over once he got into the box.
His strike partner, Robbie Keane, should also have done better on 39 minutes, when he could only muster an air shot from six yards out after Lennon's low cross.
Lennon himself was the first to properly test Carson a minute later, when he forced the visiting goalkeeper into a full stretch save with a well-hit shot from the edge of the box.
But as we pushed on looking to break the deadlock, we found ourselves a little thin on the ground at the back when West Brom went down the other end. Gianni Zuiverloon stood a good ball up to the back post for Fortune to find a yard of space and volley over.
However, Tony Mowbray's men, for all their efforts, were not showing a great deal of cutting edge despite their fair share of possession, and we deservedly took the lead.
Vedran Corluka fed Jenas 25 yards out, and he curled his fourth goal of the season neatly into the bottom right-hand corner, well out of Carson's reach.
However, the goal certainly did not dampen West Brom's spirits, and their second half performance was one full of belief.
The first of some great second half chances came five minutes after the break, when Greening released Fortune, who got into the box only to shoot straight at Gomes.
But the striker was far more unfortunate just a minute later, when he latched onto a long ball Jonathan Woodgate had misjudged the bounce of, and hit a shot that was deflected onto the inside of Gomes' right-hand post before running to safety.
It did not seem inevitable that we would double our lead, although Lennon was once again in fine form and certainly our driving force.
On 56 minutes, he broke away after a spell of West Brom pressure and once again tested Carson with a shot on getting into the box.
Two minutes later, he left his full-back Paul Robinson flat-footed as he skipped past, and put in a teasing low cross just out of Keane's reach with the goal gaping.
But that was to be our best chance of the half as it was the visitors who came closest to scoring during the 45 minutes.
Defender Shelton Martis will not be sleeping easy tonight, thinking of the header he put over the bar unmarked from six yards out after Brunt's free-kick to the back post on 69 minutes.
But the Caribbean was unlucky two minutes later, when he this time rose to meet Brunt's corner and got his header on target, only for substitute Jermain Defoe, of all people to block on the line, before Gomes turned over.
Defoe had entered as a 65th minute substitute for Pavlyuchenko to a fantastic reception from our fans, after what has no doubt been a difficult week for him and his family.
Then, nine minutes from time, it was Gomes' turn for the heroics, when he showed incredible reflexes to turn away Robert Koren's deflected shot that appeared to be heading out of his reach and into the back of the net.
It was clear at this point that it was, thankfully, not to be West Brom's day, and their heads may have dropped a little in the closing stages.
Lennon was unfortunate not to double our lead a minute from time, when he stepped inside of his defender and hit shot against Carson's left-hand post from inside the box.
Jenas also tested Carson in stoppage time, but it is safe to say we will be happy with the 1-0 scoreline after a brave effort from the visitors.
Spurs (4-4-2): Gomes; Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric; Pavlyuchenko (Defoe, 65), Keane
Subs not used: Cudicini, A Hutton Bale, Zokora, Huddlestone, Bentley