More misery for Birmingham

Tottenham 2 Birmingham 0

Birmingham found no Christmas cheer at White Hart Lane as Tottenham ground out a Boxing Day victory that keeps the Blues rooted in relegation trouble.

Robbie Keane’s second-half penalty and a rifled effort from Jermain Defoe in stoppage time settled the points for Tottenham, whose Champions League charge remains on track.

To compound Birmingham’s misery, Muzzy Izzet was sent off for two bookable offences – the second a blatant dive in search of a penalty.

Birmingham will be looking forward to seeing the back of 2005. Steve Bruce’s men have garnered just 31 points from a possible 105 all year.

After eight defeats in 10 Premiership games they are in a perilous positions and it is difficult to see any respite for the Blues. Manchester United are next up, followed by Chelsea and then Wigan.

Tottenham, however, are enjoying their first Christmas above north London rivals Arsenal in 10 years and Jol had challenged his men is to maintain their impressive form.

They may have won, but there was little sign of it for long periods today.

The fare on offer was desperate and the atmosphere similarly muted. Tottenham’s creative edge, which has brought nine goals in their last three games, was dulled.

Bruce made five changes, including a recall for the fit-again Izzet, but the game had barely started when Birmingham gave a clear indication why they are in such trouble.

Matthew Upson scuffed an attempted back-pass after Paul Stalteri’s speculative ball forward and Aaron Lennon, recalled to the Spurs side, swooped on the loose ball 25 yards out.

Fortunately for Birmingham, the ball would not settle for the Spurs winger and Upson recovered to half-block his snatched shot.

Jarosik then forced the first of two excellent saves from Paul Robinson, when he stole in to get a touch at the near post and force the England keeper to turn the ball behind for a corner.

But there was otherwise very little subtlety from Birmingham and Bruce was left complaining on the sidelines when Izzet received his first booking for two fouls in quick succession.

Tottenham, unusually for them this season, lacked guile going forward and it required a classy turn from Michael Carrick to spark the best attacking move of the first half.

Carrick pushed a wonderfully exact pass through for Keane, who cut the ball back from the by-line only for it to remain just out of Lennon’s reach.

Emile Heskey squandered a golden chance from close range when his header from Jarosik’s cross slid harmlessly wide of the far post.

Maik Taylor then matched Robinson’s early effort with an excellent point-blank save from a thundering Ledley King drive after a Tottenham corner had fallen to the England centre-back at the far post.

Fortunately, things livened up considerably after the interval. Robinson pulled off another superb reflex stop to deny Julian Gray and Mido then deflected Matthew Upson’s powerful header over the bar.

Tottenham survived Birmingham’s quick start and then found their breakthrough. Predictably it did not come from open play. Upson was penalised for holding back Keane in the box and the Irishman stepped up to calmly side-foot his spot-kick past Taylor, who dived the wrong way.

Tottenham’s tails were up and after Jermain Defoe had replaced Lennon, Keane broke clear again but fired his shot straight at Taylor.

Birmingham were then reduced to 10 men when Izzet, in desperate search of a penalty, was booked for diving in the Tottenham area and given his marching orders.

Spurs lost Ledley King, who hobbled off injured, but had Michael Dawson to thank for blocking Upson’s shot from six yards out.

The ball rebounded clear and Defoe outpaced two Birmingham defenders, only for his shot across Taylor to slide past the far post.

Birmingham were throwing everything they had at Tottenham – which in truth was very little. Spurs dealt comfortably as Birmingham heaved balls into the box - and then hit them brutally on the counter-attack in injury time.

Jenas sent Defoe clear into the Birmingham half. He raced into the area and fired his shot past Taylor and into the roof of the net.