Peter Crouch's brace sent Blackburn to a rare home defeat as Tottenham kept up their top-four push with a dogged win.

Spurs took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Crouch rose highest to head in Niko Kranjcar's cross.

And they wrapped up a crucial three points late on when the frontman kept his calm to slot home one-on-one.

In between, Rovers twice hit the post through Benni McCarthy, who was also denied by Heurelho Gomes, but they could not break down a resolute Spurs.

It was a second clean sheet in a week for Tottenham, who in the absence of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate appear to have stumbled across a fine centre-half pairing in Michael Dawson and Sebastien Bassong.

But while Wednesday's 3-0 home defeat of Manchester City was an exercise in sweeping attacking play and guile, their win at Ewood Park was all about character and discipline.

It was the perfect response following the recent controversy over the players' Christmas party and serves further notice of the Londoners' top-four ambitions this campaign.

For Blackburn, though, it was only a third home defeat in a year under Sam Allardyce, and they will undoubtedly feel frustration following a match that for long periods looked like it could go either way.

Certainly the hosts enjoyed the better possession for much of the match, and provided a decent test of Tottenham's rearguard during a first half full of bluster from both sides, if low on quality in the final third in freezing conditions.

Franco di Santo, in particular, looked a handful, the young Chelsea loanee first forcing Spurs keeper Gomes to punch clear from his clipped shot and then bringing from the Brazilian a far smarter stop low down on the volley from McCarthy's cross.

And the visitors were also grateful to the woodwork when McCarthy's free-kick looped off one-man wall Aaron Lennon and onto the top of the bar, but it would have been the most fortunate of openers had it gone in.

Still, the best two chances of the half fell to Spurs - and the visitors made the second count.

Surprisingly, Jermain Defoe failed to make the most of a fine opportunity when he was set clear by Kranjcar only to lash wide on the angle, but Crouch made no such error two minutes into first half stoppage time.

Kranjcar, latching onto a Tom Huddlestone shot so wayward it had drifted towards the corner flag, floated over the cross for Crouch to get above the stationary Ryan Nelsen and head in off the underside of the bar.

Rovers were left looking at their watch - only a minute had been signalled by the fourth official - and their sense of frustration only deepened soon after the break when McCarthy was again denied a goal by the woodwork.

This time the striker collected the ball in the area unmarked and squeezed a shot goalwards from eight yards out, only for Spurs keeper Gomes to somehow deflect the ball on to the inside of the post, Bassong scrambling the rebound away with Di Santo poised.

From then on in, Blackburn prodded and probed in attack with increasing desperation, but a Tottenham rearguard that so often has looked fragile in recent years grew in confidence and stature as the game wore on.

On the rare occasion the back line was breached Rovers found Gomes in fine form, Di Santo and Junior Hoilett both seeing speculative efforts kept out by Tottenham's number one.

And with Blackburn committing increasing numbers forward, Spurs took advantage on the counter attack to put the match to bed.

Only minutes after he had seen a headed goal rightly ruled out for offside, Crouch wrapped up the victory when he was put clean through by Jermaine Jenas's pass, slotting past former Spur Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal with confident aplomb.

There was still time for Gomes to deny McCarthy one more time, pushing a low effort round the post on the stretch, but after that Blackburn's challenge understandably faltered and they will end the day just three points off the relegation zone in 13th place.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce: "It's very disappointing to suffer two straight losses, and it's something I didn't expect us to get from our last two games, I must say.

"Unfortunately we have come up against a Peter Crouch in top form in front of goal and we haven't got anything out of a game that perhaps we deserved to.

"We have made a very, very good Tottenham side struggle. Their first goal was in the second minute of added time in the first half when there should only have been one additional minute, and we think it was a blatant foul by Crouch on the centre-half Ryan Nelsen too.

"We responded well, though, pushed them on to the back foot and we've had a chance at 1-0 - Benni McCarthy's - that 99 times out of 100 he would score. Credit to the keeper, he has spread himself and it's deflected onto the post, and in the end in the latter stages we've been caught on the break.

"In the end, it's Crouch who has made the difference."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp: "It was not a pretty game but one Tottenham may have lost in the past. It was a great result for us. It was a tough match but we have collected three points and kept a clean sheet away from home. I have to be pleased with that.

"It was not free-flowing football like it was in midweek against Manchester City. However we were solid at the back and the goalkeeper did well for us.

"We have a good group of lads and I do not have any problems with them. Crouchy got two good goals and deserved to get on the scoresheet. He works hard for the team.

"I thought we were fortunate to be 1-0 up at half-time but Jenas gave us a lot of energy when he came on and Robbie also hand a hand in the second goal, so it was a good day for us."