Spurs held as Jol’s gamble fails to pay off

Blackburn 0 Spurs 0

The Rovers defender clashed with Tottenham’s Andy Reid after 75 minutes in an off-the-ball incident which was missed by referee Dermot Gallagher and his assistants.

Replays appeared to show Todd aiming a butt at Reid, who was left sprawled on the ground - provoking a storm of protest from his team-mates who surrounded Gallagher. To make matters worse for Rovers, they had Lucas Neill red-carded moments later for a lunge on Edgar Davids.

Before the late drama, Rovers ought to have made Tottenham boss Martin Jol pay for his bizarre gamble on resting three star men with one eye on the weekend’s clash with Chelsea. Davids, Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick all started from the bench for Spurs.

Rovers threatened to punish their opponents with the better chances throughout against a visiting side who looked shapeless and unthreatening, with Robbie Keane ploughing a lonely furrow up front.

In contrast, Rovers’ sole striker Shefki Kuqi was full of running as the home side immediately sought to impose themselves on the proceedings.

Brett Emerton had a shot blocked in the box by Anthony Gardner and the in-form Morten Gamst Pedersen almost took advantage of a mistake by Paul Stalteri in the eighth minute, dispossessing the defender on the goal line only for his cross to skate across the face of goal.

Spurs got forward well in patches, with Reid judged to have taken the ball out of play before crossing for Keane, whose shot was blocked anyway by Brad Friedel in the 10th minute.

Pedersen came close to converting another classy effort in the 14th minute, firing a left-footed free-kick just wide of Paul Robinson.

The visitors were clearly lacking Defoe’s dynamism up front as Rovers continued to hold the upper-hand.

Spurs mustered their first shot moments later when Reid lofted a straightforward effort into Friedel’s arms. But Rovers continued to have the better chances and Kuqi should have done better after getting in behind Gardner on the half-hour to reach Pedersen’s ball.

Rovers came even closer in the 39th minute when Tugay’s free-kick from wide on the left was missed by both Ryan Nelsen and Andy Todd in front of goal with Robinson beaten.

Kuqi missed another fine chance in the 55th minute when he chested down a cross from Reid before poking his shot from 10 yards straight into Robinson’s midriff.

Furious Kuqi was denied a free-kick on the edge of the box in the 70th minute after apparently being hauled over by Dawson, then moments later Erik Edman also escaped for his challenge on Emerton in the box.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Todd (Mokoena 81), Nelsen, Matteo, Tugay, Emerton, Savage, Reid, Pedersen, Kuqi (Johnson 87).

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Stalteri, Dawson, Gardner, Edman, Tainio, Pedro Mendes (Defoe 81), Brown, Reid, Mido (Davids 53), Keane.

Referee: D Gallagher.