Peter Crouch's early goal proved decisive after a string of Heurelho Gomes
saves earned Spurs a win we badly needed but scarcely deserved.
After four games without a win, Harry was eager to banish the memory of the
embarrassing 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Fulham, but injuries were the main thing
on the fans' minds as we filed into Ewood Park.
Luka Modric and new-signing Steven Pienaar were late additions to a sick
list that also included Gareth Bale and Tom Huddlestone. Throw in the fact that
Steve Kean's Blackburn had won four home games in a row and it didn't make
for a comfortable build-up.
Our nerves were settled in the third minute when Rafa Van der Vaart,
switched to the right to fit into a more traditional 4-4-2, was given acres
of space to measure a ball into the box.
Crouch out-jumped man-mountain Christopher Samba to head back across
former-Spur Paul Robinson and into the corner of the net for just his second
Premier League goal of the season.
If that was the dream start we so desperately craved, we failed to build
upon it and further chances were few and far between.
Blackburn reacted well to falling behind and threw everything at us in two
sustained periods of pressure that saw Junior Hoilett and substitute Morten
Gamst Pedersen almost snatch the equaliser.
Gomes tipped a first-half Junior Hoilett effort wide and David Dunn's
goal-bound free-kick was only deflected wide by his own team-mate Ryan
Nelsen, attempting a bizarre back-header that he should really be leaving to
the forwards.
Spurs defended well as William Gallas, limping from the early stages, closed
down everything that came near and Jermaine Jenas threw himself into a
number of scrappy exchanges in our own box.
Sebastien Bassong, lacking in confidence, continually dawdled in possession,
leaving us vulnerable at the back as he was caught napping on two occasions,
and Aaron Lennon's unwillingness to tear down the left was a source of
constant frustration for the away end.
The pacey winger still looks like an 18 year old finding his feet down the
flank, too scared to push on and really terrorise his opposing number.
When Lennon did break forward, he was our main threat. A 60-yard dash during
a rare second-half counter-attack saw the Blackburn defence part in front of
him the fans screamed for him to shoot, only for him to slide the ball to
Jermain Defoe whose shot from an angle was well stopped by Robinson
From then on it was the Gomes show. Our Brazilian shot-stopper denied
Hoilett with a fingertip save from an 20-yard drive destined for the bottom
corner and again came to the rescue when Mame Biram Diouf found himself in
the clear 12 yards out.
Another smart Gomes block kept out Pedersen's rifled free-kick as the
introduction of Sandro signalled an end to Spurs' all-too-rare attacking
intent.
Shutting up shop seemed to work but Samba's injury-time header, somehow
deflected over by the battling Jenas, was a little too close for comfort.
Not a pretty three points - but important.
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