Doyle helps Wolves earn their Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur’s bid for a top four finish suffered a major blow when Kevin Doyle’s third minute goal claimed an unexpected 1-0 win for struggling Wolves at White Hart Lane here on Saturday.

Victory moved Mick McCarthy’s side out of the English Premier League’s bottom three while casting serious doubt over Spurs’ ability to maintain a sustained challenge at the head of the table.

Harry Redknapp’s side were lacking in ideas and their afternoon ended on a sour note when left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was involved in an ugly clash with a home supporter as he left the field at the final whistle.

The defender appeared to react to taunts from the crowd and had to be restrained and led down the players? tunnel.

This was the latest blow in a frustrating week for Redknapp that began with a draw at Everton that saw Tottenham throw away a two-goal lead.

The Spurs manager knows dropped points could prove crucial at the end of the season when the battle for a Champions League place reaches its climax.

And with Arsenal facing a trip to Liverpool on Sunday, this was an opportunity for Redknapp’s side to leapfrog their north London rivals and move into the top three.

Their chances of doing that were boosted by the return of Luka Modric to the squad for the first time since the Croatia midfielder broke his leg in August.

But there was no place for David Bentley following the midfielder’s midweek row with Redknapp after a friendly with non-league Grays Athletic.

Redknapp criticised the midfielder’s lack of effort and while the manager insisted before the game the matter is now closed, Bentley’s absence from the bench did nothing to counter the growing belief he could be on his way out of the club next month.

It quickly became clear how important Modric’s return could be for Spurs’ ambitions as they laboured against McCarthy’s strugglers after falling behind to an early goal.

Nenad Milijas has struggled to make an impression at Molineux following his pre-season move from Crvena Zvezda but he showed signs he is finally settling into life in the Premier League with his goal-scoring display in the victory over Bolton last weekend.

And the Serbian again showed his qualities with an excellent inswinging free-kick that presented Doyle with the opportunity to head the opening goal in just the third minute.

The Republic of Ireland forward out-jumped his marker and glanced the ball past Heurelho Gomes.

Immediately it became clear this would be a test of Tottenham’s character and, alarmingly for Redknapp, they showed few signs of being capable of rising to the task.

Redknapp had opted to pair Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane but the forwards looked off the pace and struggled to form an effective partnership.

They weren’t helped by the poor quality of service directed their way with Aaron Lennon uncharacteristically ineffective on the right hand flank.

Keane was presented with a half-chance when Vedran Corluka’s through ball sent him clear on the edge of the box but Jody Craddock’s recovering challenge helped snuff out the danger.

And Defoe was guilty of an even worse miss when he connected with Corluka’s cross, only to steer a close-range shot straight at Wolves goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

Spurs were clearly in need of fresh ideas and Modric was finally introduced early in the second half. The Croatian was unable to inspire much of a change, though, and Wolves defended bravely to claim the points.