Spurs edge Palace in dour derby

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Kane, 45)

Crystal Palace 0

61,093

Crystal Palace’s woeful record at Tottenham continued this afternoon as the Eagles were beaten 1-0 – their eighth consecutive reverse at Spurs.

Harry Kane’s header on the stroke of half-time, his 27th league goal of the season, was ultimately the difference.

The game had much of an end-of-season feel to it in the first period, Roy Hodgson having done enough to guide the Eagles clear of any relegation threat, Spurs destined for Europe’s second or, more likely, third competition next year.

The visitors were playing the ball around with renewed confidence in the opening 15 minutes, but Spurs had the first chance, the impressive Pedro Porro’s cross from the left headed firmly against the bar by Cristian Romero.

Soon after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired over after being played through by Kane.

Hodgson’s impressive total of 13 points from six games before this – taking the Eagles from a precarious 27-point tally to the safety of 40 – has left some wondering whether he will be given the job on a permanent basis once again.

But his side played rather like a team who knew their job was done in avoiding the drop, looking reasonably pretty on the ball while lacking any real conviction up front.

Michael Olise found himself through on the Spurs goal but was rushed into his shot which was easily saved by Fraser Forster, then Joachim Anderson poked an effort over the Spurs bar following a long ball from Olise.

But once again Kane was the man of the moment, giving Spurs the lead as the clock ticked down to half-time, Porro’s cross from the right headed home by the striker, who had lost his marker Joel Ward at the back post.

The game’s tempo improved slightly in the second period, helped by Palace having to find an equaliser. Eberechi Eze had Palace’s best chance thus far early after the break but fluffed his attempt when played through by Wilfried Zaha.

Eze was Palace’s best player on the day, and almost put Olise through on goal with a long-range pass after a nice piece of skill in his own half – Heung-Min Son’s outstretched leg just about cutting out the pass.

Palace were temporarily energised, Zaha tormenting Emerson Royal down the left, with Forster, in for the injured Hugo Lloris, saving an effort from Cheick Doucoure following the resulting corner.

Porro then saw a shot beaten away by Sam Johnstone in the Palace goal before the right-back fired a free-kick across the face of the visitors' goal – any touch on which would have made it 2-0.

Son should have made the game safe for Spurs on 75 minutes. He controlled a long ball from the back but didn’t quite make the angle acute enough as he went round Johnstone, allowing the goalkeeper to save.

There was still time for Palace to create panic in the Spurs defence, Kane clearing an Anderson effort off the line with five minutes remaining.

But the game rather petered out into its inevitable conclusion, Spurs moving up to sixth, at least temporarily, Palace safe in the knowledge their job, for this year, is already done.

Teams: Spurs: Forster, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Son (Danjuma, 89), Richarlison (Kulusevski, 79), Kane, Royal, Romero, Porro, Davies, Lenglet (Dier, 89).

Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Mitchell, Guehi, Olise, Ayew (Edouard, 84), Eze, Zaha, Schlupp (Hughes, 74), Andersen, Doucoure,

Referee: Darren England