Soccer-Kane helps tame Wolves to boost Spurs' European chances
By Christian Radnedge
LONDON (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Harry Kane scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season to help his side to a 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday which boosted their bid to secure European football for next season.
After Kane's late first-half strike, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg grabbed Spurs' second just past the hour to seal a victory which lifted Ryan Mason's team to sixth in the standings.
The performance was a vast improvement from Tottenham's defeat at Leeds United last week, including a promising afternoon from Dele Alli who showcased his attacking skills and tricks as well as getting stuck in with defensive duties.
"We are not happy with where we are, we should be higher and we only have ourselves to blame," Alli, who fell out of favour under previous manager Jose Mourinho, told Sky Sports.
"We are showing now what we can do but it is a bit too late. We just have to keep working hard and take it into the next season as well."
Spurs are in sixth place with 59 points, five adrift of London rivals Chelsea in fourth and four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 away on Sunday, with two matches left. Wolves remain in 12th spot.
Kane, the league's leading scorer, struck on the stroke of halftime, shortly after seeing Conor Coady block his header on the goal-line with the England defender then also clearing a goalbound follow-up shot from Giovani Lo Celso.
Hojbjerg spotted Kane with space in behind and played in the England captain who took the ball into the area and showed composure to hold off Coady and deliver a cool finish past a diving Rui Patricio.
Spurs should have had a second shortly after the break when Alli fed the ball in to Kane but the striker's low shot was tipped on to the right hand post by Patricio. The ball came back out to Alli who tried to place it but hit the other post.
The hosts finally doubled their lead when a low drive from Gareth Bale was parried into the path of Denmark midfielder Hojbjerg who ran into the six-yard box to tap the ball home.
Tottenham managed 24 shots while Wolves rarely threatened as the pacey Adama Traore's crosses often found empty space, with the visitors clearly still missing the presence of injured striker Raul Jimenez.
"Large parts of the game we played well and were organised, good possession. Couple of mistakes. But a tough game. We have to analyse but I'm disappointed with the manner we conceded, too easy," Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo said.
Although Spurs would need a sensational set of results to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, sixth place should be enough to make the Europa League next season following Leicester City's FA Cup win on Saturday.
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Ken Ferris)