Source: Daily_Mail
Tottenham 2 Portsmouth 0: Crouch and Kranjcar pile on the pain for Pompey
Even back in August, Portsmouth's then manager Paul Hart was warning that this would be a long, hard season for the club. It now threatens to be a long, hard end to the season, as injuries mount and morale plummets.[LNB]They do have a Wembley FA Cup semi-final to look forward to in a fortnight but relegation could well be confirmed by then. And that semi-final is against Tottenham who will, on this evidence, be the hottest of favourites.[LNB]Goals by Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar both bought for Spurs by Harry Redknapp from his previous club confirmed his side as favourites for the fourth Champions League place, which would be their highest finish for 20 years.[LNB] Tall order: Peter Crouch opened the scoring to strengthen Spurs' Champions League chances[LNB] [LNB]They made harder work of it than they should have but the manager was satisfied. Despite demanding fixtures against Arsenal, Chelsea and leaders Manchester United to come, Spurs have a five-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester City, who entertain Wigan tomorrow night.[LNB]'We had to make (full) use of the game today with the games we have coming up,' said Redknapp, who could find little sympathy for the club he led into the Premier League. 'They were gone anyway before today,' he said.[LNB]Poor Portsmouth. Their makeshift plight was summed up by Nwankwo Kanu, forced into a full game up front. The veteran Nigerian retains his guile and vision but sad was the sight of him struggling to walk, let alone run, his shoulders stooped and his worn knees betraying him.[LNB]Rock-bottom Pompey remain 14 points adrift of safety, having been docked nine points for going into administration and to the host of injuries that meant that Avram Grant could name only six subs, half of them untried youngsters, were added more.[LNB] Agony: Hermann Hreidarsson adds to Pompey's injury woes[LNB][LNB]Hermann Hreidarsson now facing relegation with a fifth club was thought to have snapped an Achilles tendon and David James suffered a late calf strain that meant that Pompey finished with 10 men. 'We are trying to do everything to keep fighting,' said Grant. 'We're trying to be professional and play with pride.'[LNB]Even if Portsmouth had taken the game's first real chance and Anthony Vanden Borre done better than shoot too close to keeper Heurelho Gomes after being sent through by Frederic Piquionne, you sensed that Spurs would still have won comfortably, so much did they have in reserve, so many players do they have to compensate for a long injury list of their own.[LNB] [LNB] Two easy: Niko Kranjcar doubles Spurs' lead[LNB]It was nearly 2-0 when Dawson flashed a header wide after he connected with another. Indeed, Tottenham could afford to stroll through the game conserving energy for more testing times. The only surprise was how long it took them to fashion a lead. It came the first time they made the most of their assets. Gareth Bale raced down the left and sent in a cross that Crouch met at the near post with a firm downward header to leave James unable to paw it clear.[LNB]Tom Huddlestone hit the bar with a 25-yard left-footed piledriver. Crouch saw avolley deflected on to a post. The second soon arrived.[LNB]Kyle Walker, making his first start after signing from Sheffield United last summer, surged forward from right-back and got in a cross that was met by Luka Modric with a low shot, Hayden Mullins blocking it only for Kranjcar to flick home against the club he left last summer.[LNB]Pompey had a chance to reduce the arrears before half-time, when Kanu headed down to Michael Brown but he delayed too long and Gomes saved at his feet. Hreidarsson's injury early in the second half might have been the signal for Spurs to put a wounded beast out of its misery but they relaxed.[LNB]Sebastian Bassong's downward header forced one good save in James but he was not troubled as often as he should have been. Crouch dragged wide a shot with only goalkeeper replacement Jamie Ashdown to beat.[LNB]James is likely to be fit for the semi, which both managers expect to be a different encounter altogether.[LNB]Grant added: 'Today Tottenham played for something. In the semi, everybody will be playing for something.'[LNB] Harry Redknapp claims Portsmouth star Kanu is 49 but still 'King' Tottenham chase former Arsenal and Chelsea man Lassana DiarraTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC
