Tottenham Hotspur 0–0 Blackburn Rovers on 15 May 2005

Tottenham's slim hopes of clinching the Premiership's final Uefa Cup spot were ended in a lively but goalless draw.
Spurs needed to score at least three times and hope results elsewhere went their way but did not have the edge to get past the Blackburn defence.

In fact, Rovers had the better of the first half, with Andy Todd's drive well blocked by Spurs keeper Radek Cerny.

Spurs' best chances came when Robbie Keane curled just wide and Noureddine Naybet hooked over from close range.

Tottenham were the only team with anything to play for in the game but it was Blackburn who played with more urgency in the first half.

Rovers had five corners in the first 20 minutes and from one of them, the ball came through to skipper Todd, unmarked at the far post - but his close-range drive was well-blocked by Cerny.

And Tottenham were lucky to escape when Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner flashed across the goal with no Blackburn player able to get a crucial touch.

But Spurs also had chances with Keane - who started with Jermain Defoe on the bench - Simon Davies and Sean Davis all testing Brad Friedel from long-range.

Fredi Kanoute was also a constant danger to the Blackburn defence, most notably with a clever turn and shot from just inside the box, but Friedel was able to gather.

Tottenham began the second half with more purpose and Naybet, back after an ankle injury, had the first chance.

The Moroccan defender sneaked behind the Blackburn defence to meet an Andy Reid free-kick but used his foot rather than his head and hooked the ball over the bar.

Keane then curled the ball just wide with his left foot after cleverly turning his man.

The Tottenham front two became three as head coach Martin Jol threw on Defoe halfway through the second half, knowing that Spurs needed a hatful of goals to have a chance of claiming the final Uefa Cup spot.

But the home team soon ran out of ideas and the game became niggley with referee Alan Wiley forced to dish out several yellow cards as tempers began to fray.

And as the late afternoon clouds arrived to blot out the early sunshine at White Hart Lane so the match petered out to end in a stalemate with Spurs now relying on the calculations of the Fair Play panel to earn a place in the Uefa Cup next season.