3-2 v Blackburn Rovers - 5 March 2006 - Home

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 3

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers

2

  • Sinama-Pongolle
    44'
  • Bellamy
    67'
Details
Match Number

6556

Opposition
Blackburn rovers

Blackburn Rovers

Competition
Premier League

Premier League

Season

2005/06

Date

5th March 2006

Kick Off

16:00

Venue

White Hart Lane

Attendance

36,080

Referee

Howard Webb

League Position

4th

Opposition League Position

6th

Opposition Form

WWLLWD

Weather at Kick Off

6.6° - Partly Cloudy

Facts & Milestones
  • 6523rd overall match (3082 wins, 1432 draws, 1996 losses)

  • 5015th competitive match (2225 wins, 1177 draws, 1613 losses)

  • team

    98th match vs Blackburn Rovers (43 wins, 20 draws, 35 losses)

  • competition

    534th Premier League match (190 wins, 142 draws, 202 losses)

  • 6008th match in England (2791 wins, 1353 draws, 1851 losses)

  • 2674th match at White Hart Lane (1558 wins, 578 draws, 538 losses)

Report

Spurs tightened their grip on fourth place after securing a thrilling win. Robbie Keane scored twice in the opening half, first with a superb effort after a contentious throw-in and then with a close-range finish.

Blackburn argued Keane's second should have been disallowed for handball but on 43 minutes Florent Sinama Pongolle's header reduced the deficit to 2-1.

On 70 minutes Bellamy drilled home the ball to level the scores but then Mido turned in Aaron Lennon's cross.

The win moved Spurs five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal and six ahead of Blackburn, who are also chasing a European place.

Blackburn were probably unlucky not to claim at least a point, given the nature of Keane's goals and the visitors' domination of possession.

In the 90th minute Michael Gray hit the Spurs bar with a looping header as Blackburn desperately searched for that third goal to square the game.

Keane's first goal was a wonder to behold, even though it stemmed from a throw-in that should have been awarded to Blackburn.

Television replays clearly showed the ball touched Mido before it went out but instead the throw was given to Spurs.

The Eygptian quickly took the throw, picking out Keane, who - with his back to goal as well as being closely marked by Robbie Savage - still had plenty to do.

Despite that unpromising position, Keane nonchalantly flicked the ball over Savage, slipped inside Andy Todd with a second, sharp piece of skill, before hammering a shot past keeper Brad Friedel.

Having fallen behind to that goal, Blackburn mounted a spirited comeback, dominating possession, if struggling to create clear opportunities.

Just past the half-hour Blackburn did contrive to produce a gilt-edged chance only for Pongolle to miss badly.

With the goal at his mercy the on-loan Liverpool striker failed to prod home the ball following Ryan Nelsen's header.

Nelsen's next contribution proved rather less helpful when his deliberate handball gave away a free-kick on the edge of the Blackburn penalty area.

Mido guided his shot round the Blackburn wall with such power that Friedel was only able to touch the ball into Keane's path - or arm as the visitors claimed - and the Irishman made no mistake with a close-range finish.

While Keane was tying up Blackburn in knots, at the opposite end Spurs found Bellamy equally troublesome.

Two minutes after Keane's second, Bellamy scampered down the wing and sent in an inviting cross for Pongolle, whose diving header marked his first goal for Blackburn.

After the interval Blackburn continued to have the better of proceedings and Paul Robinson showed great agility to turn over David Bentley's rising shot.

Blackburn drew level when Pongolle latched on to Ledley King's poor header and crossed for Bellamy, who swept a half-volley past Robinson.

Having worked so hard to get back in the game Blackburn let their guard down three minutes later, allowing Lennon to cross for Mido, who touched the ball into the empty net.

Timeline
KO

Florent Sinama-Pongolle

44'
HT

Craig Bellamy

67'
FT
Location
League Table
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Chelsea
28 23 3 2 56 17 39 72
2
Liverpool
28 16 7 5 33 17 16 55
3
Manchester united
26 16 6 4 52 27 25 54
4
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
27 12 10 5 37 24 13 46
5
Arsenal
28 13 5 10 43 22 21 44
6
Blackburn rovers
27 13 4 10 34 31 3 43
7
Bolton wanderers
26 11 9 6 33 27 6 42
8
West ham united
27 12 6 9 41 36 5 42
9
Wigan athletic
27 12 4 11 32 34 -2 40
10
Newcastle united
28 11 6 11 29 30 -1 39
11
Manchester city
27 11 4 12 36 31 5 37
12
Everton
28 11 4 13 21 36 -15 37
13
Charlton athletic
28 10 6 12 32 37 -5 36
14
Aston villa
28 8 10 10 33 35 -2 34
15
Middlesbrough
27 9 7 11 36 44 -8 34
16
Fulham
28 9 5 14 37 43 -6 32
17
West bromwich albion
28 7 5 16 25 42 -17 26
18
Birmingham city
27 6 5 16 22 38 -16 23
19
Portsmouth
28 4 6 18 18 48 -30 18
20
Sunderland
27 2 4 21 18 49 -31 10
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Chelsea
28 23 3 2 56 17 39 72
2
Manchester united
27 17 6 4 54 28 26 57
3
Liverpool
28 16 7 5 33 17 16 55
4
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
28 13 10 5 40 26 14 49
5
Arsenal
28 13 5 10 43 22 21 44
6
Blackburn rovers
28 13 4 11 36 34 2 43
7
Bolton wanderers
26 11 9 6 33 27 6 42
8
West ham united
27 12 6 9 41 36 5 42
9
Manchester city
28 12 4 12 38 32 6 40
10
Wigan athletic
28 12 4 12 33 36 -3 40
11
Newcastle united
28 11 6 11 29 30 -1 39
12
Everton
28 11 4 13 21 36 -15 37
13
Charlton athletic
28 10 6 12 32 37 -5 36
14
Aston villa
28 8 10 10 33 35 -2 34
15
Middlesbrough
27 9 7 11 36 44 -8 34
16
Fulham
28 9 5 14 37 43 -6 32
17
West bromwich albion
28 7 5 16 25 42 -17 26
18
Birmingham city
27 6 5 16 22 38 -16 23
19
Portsmouth
28 4 6 18 18 48 -30 18
20
Sunderland
28 2 4 22 19 51 -32 10
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