ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Blackburn Rovers 0 Tottenham 1:DEPLETED TOTTENHAM kept in touch with the top four with a businesslike win at Blackburn. They never looked back after an early Peter Crouch goal, although they lived dangerously at times and had Heurelho Gomes to thank for several important stops.
The home side gave a decent account of themselves in front of their Indian backers and deserved at least a share of the points but Gomes stood firm behind a reshaped defence.
Venkey’s were present at an Ewood game for the first time and a short message of encouragement from the new owners before kick-off produced a positive, if lukewarm, response.
Blackburn are comfortable in the top half of the table and were looking for their fourth home win in a row. Steve Kean seems to have quelled any thoughts of a player revolt too following Sam Allardyce’s departure.
On the morning of the match Chris Samba joined Ryan Nelsen, Michel Salgado and Jason Roberts in signing a new contract.
None of that counted for much, however, when Spurs strolled into the lead after three minutes. Notionally playing on the right wing in a reshuffle occasioned by the absence of Gareth Bale with a back injury and Luka Modric after an appendix operation, Rafael van der Vaart lofted a speculative diagonal ball towards Crouch in the area and hit the jackpot first time. Easily climbing above Samba, Crouch guided a header of no great power beyond the poorly-positioned Paul Robinson.
Crouch’s next involvement was clearing from his own line after Junior Hoilett threatened from a corner, before a frantically backpedalling Gomes just managed to claw away a shot from the same player as Blackburn searched for an equaliser.
Three more times Blackburn went close before the interval, David Dunn shaving the woodwork with a couple of shots and Nelsen just missing with a header from a corner.
William Gallas and Sebastien Bassong performed reliably enough in the Spurs defence, though the visitors named Jonathan Woodgate on the bench due to the unavailability of Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul.
They also named two reserve goalkeepers, though that was because Steven Pienaar dropped out late with concussion picked up in training and there was no remaining cover in the party who travelled.
Mame Biram Diouf brought a save from Gomes at the start of the second half. An astute pass by Jermaine Jones played him cleanly behind the Spurs back line. Jones’s next contribution was not quite so impressive, when he gave the ball away to Aaron Lennon on the edge of his own area and watched the winger race all the way upfield to set up the overlapping Jermain Defoe for a shot.
Robinson then came to the rescue for Rovers. Again the shot was from an angle, yet with even more time and space than Diouf, Defoe would normally have expected to score.
The Blackburn goalkeeper made an even better reaction save on the hour when Lennon cut inside Salgado and let fly. The shot took a slight deflection off Samba’s shoulder on the way through but Robinson tipped it over the bar.
Kean was booed for withdrawing Jones with half an hour left to play, then jeered even more loudly for replacing Dunn.
At least that allowed Morten Gamst Pedersen to take the free-kicks, and a rasping shot from the edge of the area after Vedran Corluka had fouled the excellent Hoilett brought the last of a series of notable stops by Gomes.
Just moments earlier the Spurs goalkeeper had denied Diouf at point-blank range when a goal seemed certain, though his best save of the evening was a diving stop to deny Hoilett from 25 yards out.
Guardian Service
BLACKBURN ROVERS:Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson, Andrews, Dunn (Pedersen 67), Jermaine Jones (Nzonzi 64), Hoilett, Roberts, Diouf (Mwaruwari 81). Subs not used: Bunn, Kalinic, Grella, Hanley. Booked: Jermaine Jones, Nzonzi.
TOTTENHAM:Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Van der Vaart, Jenas, Palacios, Lennon, Crouch, Defoe (Sandro 76). Subs not used: Cudicini, Pavlyuchenko, Kranjcar, Khumalo, Woodgate, Pletikosa. Booked: Corluka.
Referee:Andre Marriner (W Midlands).
Crouch 3
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