Berbatov seals win for Spurs

Portsmouth 0 Tottenham 1

Dimitar Berbatov notched an 81st-minute winner to claim Tottenham’s first away league win of the season and leave Portsmouth cursing their inability to score at home.

This was Pompey’s first home league defeat since March and the end of their 11-match unbeaten run as they failed to take the opportunity to climb into the top four with a lack of punch in front of goal.

Manager Harry Redknapp switched tactics in the second half and brought on £6million substitute David Nugent for the last 20 minutes in place of last week’s two-goal hero Sulley Muntari.

But Berbatov had already spurned at least one good chance to give Spurs the lead and they just about deserved their second league win in a row for new manager Juande Ramos.

Pompey had failed to score in three previous home games – all goalless draws - and despite six successive away wins their nervousness in front of the Fratton faithful showed in John Utaka’s tame finish after only five minutes.

Pedro Mendes looked to have set up the lead when, ignoring Pompey fans’ familiar appeal to “shoot”, he clipped a delightful ball through to give Utaka a much better opportunity which the Nigerian scuffed rather lamely at keeper Paul Robinson.

Pompey were without Kanu who had returned home to attend his father’s funeral and they looked short of fire-power even against a patched-up Tottenham defence in which Didier Zokora filled in at centre back for Michael Dawson.

Errors at the back by Younes Kaboul and Jermaine Jenas encouraged Portsmouth but the home side were also sloppy in defence when Tottenham forced a corner and Berbatov was left with a free header which he could not direct on target.

It took Niko Kranjcar and Noe Pamarot to stop a marauding run by Berbatov down the right after Spurs were beginning to look dangerous.

When Steed Malbranque concluded a sharp passing move with an inviting pass for Darren Bent – again preferred in the starting line-up to Jermain Defoe – he curled his 20 yards shot just over.

Kaboul did well to clear up when Muntari sparked a useful Pompey raid on the right and within seconds Aaron Lennon was away providing a cross to Kevin-Prince Boateng whose clear shot produced an instinctive parry by David James. Malbranque followed up to net the loose ball but was clearly offside.

Pompey were lucky to escape but just minutes later Johnson’s curving cross from the right needed only a touch by Kranjcar to score a goal – but the ball flew straight through to nestle in Robinson’s arms.

And when Muntari’s purposeful run set up a shot for Diop a crucial deflection off a defender carried it just over the Spurs crossbar.

Pompey piled on the pressure and Robinson was grateful to grab a free kick from Muntari which fizzed straight through the wall.

Bent and Berbatov – still without the suspended Robbie Keane – were guilty of over-elaborating up front for Spurs.

But Spurs did enough to prompt Pompey boss Redknapp to make a significant change for the second half, sending on Sean Davis for the already-booked Mendes and switching from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2.

Lennon’s lightning pace on the right, allied to a splendid cross, gave Bent a glimpse early in the second half but James was off his line to palm the ball away.

And Pompey even gave rarely-employed Nugent a run but his best effort was a header over the bar from a corner and a clatter on Robinson which earned a rebuke from referee Martin Atkinson.

Berbatov might have won it for Spurs in the 69th minute when, after being slipped in from the left, he went past the advancing James but could not control his second touch.

However, he made no mistake nine minutes from the end.

Again Lennon’s pace and vision was key – a perfect ball clipped over Sol Campbell’s head for the Bulgarian to stroke home unopposed at the far post.

Pompey battled manfully to pull it back but sub Defoe almost made it two with a shot against the outside of a post.