Spurs boost European hopes

LONDON – Tottenham kept their bid for Champions League football next season alive as Blackburn’s push for European football got snarled up in Portsmouth’s fight for Premiership survival.

Meanwhile Birmingham bolstered their hopes of staying in the top flight next season with a battling draw away to surprise package Wigan. Goals from Canadian defender Paul Stalteri and England midfielder Michael Carrick either side of half-time allowed fourth-placed Spurs to overcome Manchester City 2-1 and pull four points clear of Blackburn, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth.Greek striker Georgios Samaras gave City hope of a point at White Hart Lane with a close-range volley three minutes after Carrick’s strike.But the visitors were unable to claim an equaliser and needed a string of top-quality saves from David James to prevent Spurs from adding to their score.It was a fifth consecutive defeat for City, who now look destined to end the season in the bottom half of the table.”It was a great result,” said Spurs boss Martin Jol after Saturday’s match at White Hart Lane.”We made it difficult for ourselves but if it was not for James we would have scored three, four or five goals.”Craig Bellamy twice put Blackburn ahead at Fratton Park.But Portsmouth, who had won their three previous matches, extended their unbeaten run thanks to equalisers from Lomana LuaLua and Svetoslav Todorov.The draw leaves Pompey one point behind Birmingham, who kept themselves clear of the drop zone with a 1-1 draw at Wigan.David Dunn came off the bench to equalise for Steve Bruce’s side after Swedish midfielder Andreas Johansson had given Wigan the lead shortly after the restart.”It’s been a good week,” said Bruce.”We’ve got a cracking result against Chelsea (0-0) and against Bolton (1-0) at home and we needed to get something away from home.”You’ll always settle for a point away from home but in the cold light of day we could have nicked it,” added Bruce, whose team will drop into the bottom three if West Brom beat Birmingham’s city rivals Aston Villa on Sunday.Wigan, the losing League Cup finalists who have exceeded all expectations this season after last term’s promotion, remained in eighth place.”We haven’t got that killer instinct,” said Paul Jewell, Wigan’s frustrated manager.”I’m fed up of throwing games away.”If Spurs can go on to clinch fourth place in the Premiership they will go into the final qualifying round for next season’s Champio ns League, unless Arsenal go on to win Europe’s elite club competition this season.In that case, Arsenal would go directly into the Champions League group stages, along with the two top sides in the Premiership and only the third-placed side would go into the final qualifier.Bottom side Sunderland’s match with Fulham was abandoned after 21 minutes because of a blizzard.The visitors, who have not won away all season, were leading 1-0 through Brian McBride’s ninth-minute strike when referee Mike Riley judged the conditions too dangerous to carry on.A defeat for Sunderland would have confirmed their relegation from the top flight and they will be certain to go down if West Brom beat Villa.Mid-table rivals Charlton and Everton fought out a goalless draw at The Valley in which the hosts appeared to have one eye on Wednesday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay at Middlesbrough.-Nampa-AFPGoals from Canadian defender Paul Stalteri and England midfielder Michael Carrick either side of half-time allowed fourth-placed Spurs to overcome Manchester City 2-1 and pull four points clear of Blackburn, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth.Greek striker Georgios Samaras gave City hope of a point at White Hart Lane with a close-range volley three minutes after Carrick’s strike.But the visitors were unable to claim an equaliser and needed a string of top-quality saves from David James to prevent Spurs from adding to their score.It was a fifth consecutive defeat for City, who now look destined to end the season in the bottom half of the table.”It was a great result,” said Spurs boss Martin Jol after Saturday’s match at White Hart Lane.”We made it difficult for ourselves but if it was not for James we would have scored three, four or five goals.”Craig Bellamy twice put Blackburn ahead at Fratton Park.But Portsmouth, who had won their three previous matches, extended their unbeaten run thanks to equalisers from Lomana LuaLua and Svetoslav Todorov.The draw leaves Pompey one point behind Birmingham, who kept themselves clear of the drop zone with a 1-1 draw at Wigan.David Dunn came off the bench to equalise for Steve Bruce’s side after Swedish midfielder Andreas Johansson had given Wigan the lead shortly after the restart.”It’s been a good week,” said Bruce.”We’ve got a cracking result against Chelsea (0-0) and against Bolton (1-0) at home and we needed to get something away from home.”You’ll always settle for a point away from home but in the cold light of day we could have nicked it,” added Bruce, whose team will drop into the bottom three if West Brom beat Birmingham’s city rivals Aston Villa on Sunday.Wigan, the losing League Cup finalists who have exceeded all expectations this season after last term’s promotion, remained in eighth place.”We haven’t got that killer instinct,” said Paul Jewell, Wigan’s frustrated manager.”I’m fed up of throwing games away.”If Spurs can go on to clinch fourth place in the Premiership they will go into the final qualifying round for next season’s Champio ns League, unless Arsenal go on to win Europe’s elite club competition this season.In that case, Arsenal would go directly into the Champions League group stages, along with the two top sides in the Premiership and only the third-placed side would go into the final qualifier.Bottom side Sunderland’s match with Fulham was abandoned after 21 minutes because of a blizzard.The visitors, who have not won away all season, were leading 1-0 through Brian McBride’s ninth-minute strike when referee Mike Riley judged the conditions too dangerous to carry on.A defeat for Sunderland would have confirmed their relegation from the top flight and they will be certain to go down if West Brom beat Villa.Mid-table rivals Charlton and Everton fought out a goalless draw at The Valley in which the hosts appeared to have one eye on Wednesday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay at Middlesbrough.-Nampa-AFP