Yakubu breaches meanest defence

FA Premiership: Aiyegbeni Yakubu trumped Tottenham with a 62nd-minute header last night for his fifth goal of the season to take away Jacques Santini's side's tag of meanest away side in the English Premiership.

The Nigerian's header was only the second against Spurs on their travels this season and it came after Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp gambled on fielding three strikers at Fratton Park.

He moved Lomana LuaLua out to the right wing to accommodate substitute Ricardo Fuller as Yakubu's sidekick in the middle. And the former Newcastle player's cross paved the way for the goal with Yakubu out-jumping the big Spurs defenders.

Tottenham would have climbed to fourth in the table with a win, but their functional style did not provide enough scoring chances until the closing minutes when they tossed Freddie Kanoute and Michael Carrick into the mix.

For Pompey, it was their third win of the campaign, having taken just one point from the previous three games, and their greater sense of adventure merited victory. Even a goal to the good, boss Redknapp brought on a fourth striker in record-signing Diomansy Kamara for the last phase of the game.

Spurs were calmly in control early on when the lively Pedro Mendes shot over from 20 yards after setting up Simon Davies to strike a low shot that Shaka Hislop comfortably saved. Then Davies made a clever run to meet a Mendes chip forward and headed not far over the bar under pressure, but it was Portsmouth who carved out the best chances before the break.

England goalkeeper Paul Robinson made a brave save to deny Yakubu after Patrik Berger's pass put the Nigerian through in the 11th minute, although the striker should have done better with his shot. Robinson pushed it far enough away to make a follow-up chance difficult and Eyal Berkovic blazed it over the top.

Berger, who scored twice when Spurs last visited Fratton Park in December, and Berkovic were the main creative forces for Pompey. And though Spurs continued to have the edge in possession, there was yet another opening on 24 minutes for the home side when Yakubu pulled the ball back from the left and Berger, with little space to work in, fired a cracker from 10 yards.

Television replays showed Robinson got an important touch that turned it over the bar but he was also indebted to some full-stretch defending which kept out LuaLua and Nigel Quashie before the break.

It was not until a minute before the break that Spurs created a real chance when England striker Jermain Defoe took a fresh-air shot at Robbie Keane's pass eight yards out.

The irony for Santini's side was that they came unstuck after upping the tempo in the second half. In the 62nd minute LuaLua, despite his admitted dislike for a wide role, provided the perfect cross for Yakubu to out-jump the Tottenham defenders and head home his fifth goal of the season.

PORTSMOUTH: Hislop, Griffin, Primus, Stefanovic, Unsworth, Faye (Cisse 85), Quashie, Berger, Berkovic (Fuller 55), Yakubu (Kamara 75), LuaLua. Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Taylor. Goals: Yakubu 63.

Tottenham: Robinson, Pamarot, Naybet, King, Gardner (Kanoute 72), Davies, Brown (Carrick 72), Pedro Mendes, Atouba (Jackson 80), Keane, Defoe. Subs Not Used: Keller, Ziegler.

Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).