MATCH SPY: Pavlyuchenko leaves the bench to fire winner
From White Hart Lane tottenham h 1 Pavlyuchenko 65 west ham utd 0 Att: 35,969 ROMAN Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to score Tottenham s winner in Saturday s entertaining Lo
From White Hart Lane
tottenham h 1
Pavlyuchenko 65
west ham utd 0
Att: 35,969 ROMAN Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to score Tottenham's winner in Saturday's entertaining London derby at the Lane, writes Patrick Mooney.
The three points takes Spurs past the 40-point mark and all but guarantees their Premier League status.
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Harry Redknapp opted to start with Robbie Keane and Darren Bent up front and handed a rare league start to unsettled midfielder Tom Huddlestone in place of the suspended Wilson Palacios.
And the Lilywhites showed few signs of a hangover from last week's late collapse at Blackburn tao dominate the early exchanges.
Spurs had a strong penalty appeal turned down after Keane's volley bounced up and hit James Tomkins.
Huddlestone forced the first decent save of the game on the half hour but Hammers keeper Robert Green beat it away to safety.
Shortly afterwards, Keane tested Green with a half-volley, which the keeper pushed away for a corner.
Then, Bent spurned perhaps the best chance of the half, heading wide of goal from Luka Modric's cross.
West Ham finally tested Heurelho Gomes in the closing minutes when David di Michele's shot was blocked by the keeper.
Spurs, forced to replace the injured Jermaine Jenas with Didier Zokora at half time, again failed to find a way through the Hammers' well marshalled defence in the second half.
But the introduction of Russian international Pavlyuchenko - for Bent - just before the hour mark produced a quick reward.
Vedran Corluka released Modric in the penalty area and he found Pavlyuckenko with his back to goal. But the Russian turned James Collins superbly to fire a low shot past Green into the net.
Shortly afterwards, Aaron Lennon went close to doubling Spurs' lead with a loping long-range effort which Green pushed over the bar.
In the closing minutes Lennon was again foiled by Green in the box and Keane's shot from the rebound was cleared off the line by Collins.
SPURS MAN OF THE GAME Roman Pavlyuchenko. Had an instant impact and scored the winner.
Team: Gomes 7, Corluka 7, King 7, Woodgate 7, Assou-Ekotto 7, Huddlestone 6, Jenas 6 (Zokora 6 46), Modric 7, Lennon 6, Keane 6, Bent 6 (Pavlyuchenko 8 56). Not used: Cudicini, Bentley, Bale, Dawson, Chimbonda. Booked: Zokora.
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