Defoe sinks dogged Baggies

Jermain Defoe scored the only goal as Tottenham ground out a 1-0 win over a dogged West Brom that keeps alive their title ambitions.

Striker scores only goal to keep alive title ambitions

Jermain Defoe scored the only goal as Tottenham ground out a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over a dogged West Brom outfit that keeps alive their title ambitions. With a number of first-teamers unavailable, Baggies boss Roy Hodgson was forced to shuffle his pack and set out to try and frustrate Tottenham. That game plan worked for long spells with the hosts unable to penetrate the massed ranks of the visiting defence who worked hard to ensure chances remained very much at a premium. But just as frustration was beginning to grow amongst home supporters, Defoe swivelled on a low Gareth Bale cross just after the hour mark and fired home a low shot to break West Brom's resistance. Spurs then withstood a bit of late pressure from the visitors to clinch a win which moves them to within three points of second-placed Manchester United. Tottenham are now within striking distance of United and have a chance to confirm their status as contenders in their upcoming home games against Everton, Wolves and Wigan. One troubling note for Redknapp will be his ever-increasing injury list. Jake Livermore, William Gallas and Sandro all had to come off with injuries tonight and Spurs dearly missed the presence of Scott Parker and Ledley King, who were ruled out due to knee problems. After seeing their rivals stutter over the festive period, Spurs had a golden chance to establish their position as London's top team and make serious inroads in to the grip the two Manchester sides hold on the league. Injuries to Chris Brunt and Shane Long further boosted their hopes, but Parker's absence for the first time since he signed from West Ham left a gaping hole in Spurs' midfield. Defoe, who has hinted he could seek to leave this month, looked keen to make a good impression, testing Ben Foster twice in the opening five minutes on a chilly night in north London. Foster punched clear a teasing cross from Gareth Bale before Jerome Thomas hacked down the Welshman down to give Spurs a dangerous free-kick which Van der Vaart wasted by firing in to the wall. The Dutchman quickly made amends by sneaking in front of his marker to clip a delicate shot with the outside of his boot which Foster tipped over at full stretch. West Brom were forced in to a change when Gonzalo Jara came on for Thomas and Sandro then had to come off for Tottenham just before the half hour after pulling up with an injury. Livermore took his place.

Crucial block

Billy Jones put in a crucial block to deny Emmanuel Adebayor deep inside the Baggies' box after a one-two with Bale as Spurs continued to dominate. West Brom boss Roy Hodgson cut a worried figure on the edge of his technical area, barely taking his seat during the opening half. But despite their dominance, Spurs were failing to trouble Foster and organised defending from the visitors lead to an air of frustration inside the ground. Van der Vaart drilled a low shot towards goal but Foster saved and Redknapp shook his head in disappointment at the half-time whistle. Adebayor's clever backheel found Defoe inside the box just after the break but the striker shinned his effort way over. He then flicked a deflected backheel of his own from Van der Vaart's cross that dribbled just wide. Graham Dorrans and Jones went in to the book for two late challenges on Bale after failing to handle the winger's pace. Craig Dawson flashed a header just wide in a rare West Brom attack before Spurs came close with a curling Luka Modric free-kick that sailed just wide. Sloppy passing led to further frustration, but concerns the game was heading for a goalless draw ended in the 63rd minute when Defoe bagged his 10th of the season. The ball ricocheted off Van der Vaart from Benoit Assou-Ekotto's cross and fell to Bale, who squared for Defoe. The England striker held off the challenge of the Baggies defence before turning and firing home with a low drive. A full-hearted celebration followed at the relief of finally breaking the deadlock and the tension eased at White Hart Lane. Tottenham's injury worries deepened soon after when Gallas hobbled off and was replaced by Sebastien Bassong. Defoe, now full of confidence, had a goalbound shot deflected wide before Redknapp was forced in to another change. A clash of heads between Younes Kaboul and Livermore left blood pouring from both players' heads and Livermore had to come off for Niko Kranjcar. A poor tackle from the Croatian allowed Simon Cox some space on the edge of the box but the forward blazed over. Brad Friedel then palmed away a strong effort from substitute Somen Tchoyi and Van der Vaart cleared desperately in the six-yard box as West Brom applied the pressure in search of a third. The match almost ended on a sour note as Bale charged angrily towards Simon Cox after being fouled by the Baggies player, but he was held back and Cox entered the book.

Tottenham Hotspur	Team Statistics	West Bromwich Albion
1	Goals	0
0	1st Half Goals	0
5	Shots on Target	1
5	Shots off Target	4
10	Blocked Shots	3
14	Corners	7
4	Fouls	15
6	Offsides	3
0	Yellow Cards	5
0	Red Cards	0
87.5	Passing Success	71.6
14	Tackles	20
78.6	Tackles Success	75
68.2	Possession	31.8
55.1	Territorial Advantage	44.9
632	Total Passes	296
35	Total Crosses	9
147	Lost Balls	149
69	Recoveries	58
73.8	1st Half Poss.	26.2
61.8	2nd Half Poss.	38.2