SPORTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014 Eriksen keeps Spurs in top four chase penalty area and found Ulloa, whose spec- make a last-ditch tackle. Kane heading Erik Lamela’s free kick frac- tacular volley was pushed over by Lloris. Leicester continued to threaten and tionally wide. Leicester 1 From the resulting Riyad Mahrez corner Schlupp’s shot deflected into the hands of Nugent had the first chance for the hosts Marcin Wasilewski headed over following Lloris before Ulloa drove wide after a well- after the break as he volleyed over follow- David Nugent’s flick-on. Tottenham went worked move involving Drinkwater. ing a long kick by Hamer. The hosts were close again when Eriksen forced Hamer into Mahrez saw his left-footed effort well level on 48 minutes as Danny Simpson’s Tottenham 2 a save while at the other end Danny saved by Lloris as the hosts started to turn deflected pass fell nicely to Mahrez who Drinkwater dragged a shot wide. the screw, and Ulloa then headed against beat Bentaleb before crossing for Ulloa The visitors should have made it 2-0 just the post from Mahrez’s inch-perfect cross. who flicked home his seventh goal of the LEICESTER: Tottenham claimed their third past the half hour with Bentaleb running Tottenham, though, could have scored a season. successive Premier League win as Christian through but Paul Konchesky raced back to second in first-half stoppage-time with Within moments Mahrez had struck the Eriksen’s free kick sealed a 2-1 success at bar with a 25-yard free kick as Leicester bottom-of-the-table Leicester yesterday. looked to have swung the game their way. Mauricio Pochettino’s side had goal- Leicester continued to press with keeper Hugo Lloris to thank for an out- Schlupp’s low cross well held by Lloris as standing performance as Leicester domi- the cold and wet conditions became more nated for long periods after Leonardo Ulloa treacherous. cancelled out Harry Kane’s first-minute Lloris came to Tottenham’s rescue again opener for Spurs. when he saved a powerful Schlupp drive The north Londoners’ gritty win means but Tottenham took the lead against the they are in sixth place and just two points run of play on 71 minutes. behind Southampton in the race to qualify Eriksen’s low free kick from 25 yards beat for the Champions League via a top four Hamer at his near post, finding the net via finish. the woodwork for his seventh of the sea- Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was son. serving a one-match touchline ban follow- Kane struck the side-netting shortly ing his recent confrontation with a support- afterwards with another long range effort er and he watched his out-of-form team, but Leicester continued to attack with now without a victory in 12 games, get off Drinkwater’s left-foot drive going just wide to the worst possible start. and Mahrez blazing over from Schlupp’s Nabir Chadi’s cross found Kane who cross. Substitute Jamie Vardy then headed coolly beat Wes Morgan before finishing Mahrez’s free kick just over and Wes well past Ben Hamer for his 14th goal of the Morgan was unable to scramble home season against the side he played for on another Mahrez cross. loan two seasons ago. Tottenham Lloris kept out another Morgan header appeared to be in total control when Nabol from Anthony Knockaert’s corner, but Bentaleb fired wide after a fine run. Leicester could not a force an equaliser LEICESTER: Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Harry Kane (right) is beaten to the ball by But Leicester were close to a leveller despite Hamer going up for two late cor- when Jeffrey Schlupp broke from his own Leicester City’s English goalkeeper Ben Hamer (floor) and Leicester City’s English defender Wes Morgan (left) during the English Premier League football match. — AFP ners. — AFP Hull out of drop zone Saints down Palace While Poyet made two changes, bring- stride and almost took the lead when ing in Billy Jones for Wes Brown and Alderweireld’s looping effort hit the crossbar. Sunderland 1 Ricardo Alvarez for the suspended Crystal Palace 1 The visitors continued to dominate the Connor Wickham, Bruce shuffled his pack. early stages and deservedly went ahead in In came five new faces, with Curtis the 17th minute when Mane raced onto Davies, Liam Rosenior, Stephen Quinn, Steven Davis’s pass and rounded Palace goal- Hull 3 Robbie Brady and Sone Aluko coming keeper Julian Speroni before slotting into the replacing Andy Robertson, the suspend- Southampton 3 empty net. ed Jake Livermore, Abel Hernandez and Fraser Forster preserved Southampton’s SUNDERLAND: Gaston Ramirez scored Jelavic. lead with saves from Mile Jedinak and Joel Southampton climbed back into Ward. Fraizer Campbell then hit the crossbar one goal and made another as Hull City It seemed to little avail as Johnson LONDON: struck after only 30 seconds, intercepting the Premier League’s top four with a 3-1 win from Jedinak’s header as Palace probed for an escaped the Premier League relegation against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park yester- equaliser, but the effort wouldn’t have count- zone by coming from behind to win 3-1 Davies’s under-hit back-pass and round- ing Allan McGregor before walking the day. ed as the flag had already gone up for offside. at Sunderland yesterday. Ronald Koeman’s side moved into the Koeman’s team could have added a sec- ball over the line. Adam Johnson had put Newcastle fourth and final Champions League place ond before the break when Bertrand’s United to the sword with a last-minute But Ramirez equalised 13 minutes with their second successive victory to main- deflected cross was only half cleared by winner last weekend and he gave before half-time, taking aim from 25 tain their revival after a run of five games Jedinak and James Ward-Prowse headed just Sunderland the edge against another of yards with a shot that skipped off a bob- without a win. over. their north-east rivals with a first-minute ble and left Sunderland goalkeeper Senegal winger Sadio Mane’s third goal for But they didn’t have to wait long to double opener at the Stadium of Light. Costel Pantilimon clutching thin air. Southampton, and his first since October, their lead as former Chelsea defender But on-loan Uruguayan playmaker Sunderland had a succession of strong opened the scoring in rain-lashed south Bertrand struck in the 48th minute. Mane was Ramirez equalised with a speculative penalty appeals waved away by Andre London and second half strikes from Ryan the provider this time as he skipped past 32nd-minute shot and then crossed for Marriner before half-time, with Alex Bruce Bertrand and Toby Alderweireld sealed the Ward and crossed for Graziano Pelle. The James Chester to head Hull in front and then Quinn appearing to handle the points. Palace have gone six matches without Italian missed his shot but Bertrand was on before substitute Nikica Jelavic added a ball inside the Hull box. a win since their shock victory over Liverpool hand to rifle a first-time effort into the top third in stoppage time. It gave Hull man- And six minutes into the second half, last month and Neil Warnock’s team slipped corner. Southampton’s third goal killed off ager Steve Bruce a much-needed victory Hull completed the turnaround when into the relegation zone after a dispiriting the contest in the 53rd minute when Belgian over his former club, after a run of 10 Chester met Ramirez’s corner with a pow- performance. defender Alderweireld powered a header past games without a win that had seen last erful near-post header. Romania defender Florin Gardos was Speroni for his first Saints goal. season’s beaten FA Cup finalists slide into With Sunderland pushing forward, handed his first Premier League start in place England right-back Nathaniel Clyne stung of suspended former Eagles defender Jose Speroni’s hands with a blistering effort as the drop zone. Gus Poyet’s Sunderland Jelavic killed the game off in the sixth minute of injury time, dropping his shoul- Fonte, while Mane and Morgan Schneiderlin Southampton almost added a fourth goal. remain 14th, four points above the bot- also came into the Saints line-up. Dann’s 86th minute header reduced the tom three. der and drilling a low shot past Pantilimon. — AFP Southampton, buoyed by their win against deficit but that was little consolation for well- Everton last time out, were quickly in their beaten Palace. — AFP.