UEFA Cup for Spurs,Everton,Bolton
Tottenham Hotspur's Fifth in the Premiership Earns European Football
The three clubs holding UEFA Cup places at the start of the day ensured their European qualification for next season. Tottenham Hotspur win while Everton and Bolton draw.
This afternoon’s results ensured UEFA Cup qualification for Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Bolton Wanderers. The three teams in prime position going into the final games did enough to hold their position and can look forward to European competition next season.
Tottenham Hotspur - 5th place:
Tottenham Hotspur moved above Everton with a 2-1 win over Manchester City at White Hart Lane. Having taken a two goal lead in the first half with goals from Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgarian international’s twenty third goal of the season, Spurs allowed City back into the game and they scored before half-time through Emile Mpenza, heading in from a Ditmar Hamann cross. In the second half City made Spurs fight all the way and Paul Robinson, the England international goalkeeper had to make two important saves for Spurs. With minutes remaining, substitute Jermain Defoe had a chance to make Spurs’ win secure but he saw his penalty saved and blasted the rebound over the bar.
Everton 6th place:
Spurs moved up to fifth place ahead of Everton who earned a point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. After a scoreless first half, Everton took the lead when their young striker, James Vaughan scored on the counter attack from a Leon Osman cross. Chelsea equalised through Didier Drogba’s twentieth Premiership goal of the season from a Shaun Wright-Phillips’ cross. Everton had a goal disallowed for offside but Chelsea maintained their unbeaten home run which now stretches to 63 games, equalling Liverpool’s record.
Bolton Wanderers 7th place:
Bolton Wanderers earned a point in their home game with Aston Villa. They took the lead twice through Gary Speed and Kevin Davies but Villa pulled them back on both occasions with goals by Craig Gardner and Luke Moore.
Reading and Portsmouth miss out:
The other two clubs chasing the UEFA Cup places, more in hope than with any certainty, were disappointed that those above them didn’t slip up but then again they didn’t do enough to put themselves into contention. Needing to win to put the teams above them under pressure, Reading and Portsmouth could only draw their respective matches.
Reading shared six goals with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, coming from behind on three occasions. Blackburn went ahead through Benni McCarthy, Reading equalised with a headed goal by Seol Ki-Hyeon from a corner. David Bentley restored Blackburn’s lead only for Kevin Doyle to equalise. Matt Derbyshire gave the home side the lead for the third time but Reading levelled for a point through defender Brynjar Gunnarsson. Reading had a late goal disallowed and such are the narrow margins between success and failure that if that goal had counted Reading would have moved above Bolton into a UEFA Cup place. Reading finished eighth in their first season in the top division, while the two teams promoted with them last May, suffered relegation.
Portsmouth played out a scoreless draw with Arsenal at Fratton Park who saw a first-half Julio Baptista penalty saved by David James.
European qualification should help the three clubs retain their best players and attract more star names to their team before the start of next season.
