Woodgate proves cut above Hull

Winning three points that may be critical to Tottenham’s Premier League survival did not ease manager Harry Redknapp’s irritation at being required to play a second-leg Uefa Cup tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday evening instead of focusing fully on Sunday’s Carling Cup final. Redknapp would hand the trophy to opponents Manchester United if it would guarantee dodging the drop, but after tasting cup success with Portsmouth last season part of him clearly craves more Wembley glory and his attack on the fixture list was delivered with feeling.

“It’s crazy,” Redknapp said. “Whoever heard of having to play on a Thursday night before a showpiece cup final? We should be taking the players away to a hotel so they can rest but we have to play another game. I’m thinking that it’s unfortunate that we are in the Uefa Cup and that’s crazy.

“I was criticised last week for resting players but tonight’s game was the important one, not Shakhtar Donetsk away. How many changes will I make for the second leg? About 11, probably.”

A definite absentee will be Jonathan Woodgate, whose 85th-minute header won last night’s critical encounter with sinking Hull City. The England defender had to leave the field to have stitches in a head wound after colliding with team-mate Vedran Corluka but is expected to recover for Wembley. “He is a tough boy,” Redknapp said.

Woodgate’s towering leap to beat Andy Dawson to Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s cross brought Tottenham their first away win since early December, ending a run of seven consecutive away defeats in all competitions, lifting them five points clear of the bottom three and a point behind Hull, who are without a win in 10 Premier League matches.

Hull manager Phil Brown felt his side “did not deserve to lose” but their faltering form is beginning to pose a serious risk that their first taste of the top flight will last only one season. Their blistering start to the season looked as if it would guarantee their survival but they now face a fight to stay up. “Our naivety in defence is costing us,” Brown said.

Hull’s poor marking handed Tottenham the lead after 17 minutes. Luka Modric, weighing up his options after a short corner, spotted Aaron Lennon invitingly unattended at the edge of the penalty area and the winger had time for a good look at the Hull goal before unleashing a powerful and precise shot. Not that Tottenham are in any way masters of the defensive arts. Ten minutes later, in a moment of calamity more typical of Heurelho Gomes than Carlo Cudicini, the Italian goalkeeper’s attempt to punch clear a corner struck an unwitting Wilson Palacios, bounced back towards goal and was hooked in by Michael Turner.

In the minutes that followed Hull could easily have gone ahead, Sam Ricketts squandering a free header and Andy Dawson missing by not too many inches from a free kick 30 yards out. Then again, holes in Hull’s marking continued to be exposed. Matt Duke had to stretch to save from Darren Bent and was helped out hugely when Anthony Gardner got in the way of a goal-bound volley from Palacios.

Kamil Zayatte headed against a post for Hull but Woodgate had the last word and Tottenham will defend the Carling Cup in much better spirits than might have been the case, regardless of what happens on Thursday.

Goals: Lennon (17) 0-1; Turner (27) 1-1; Woodgate (86) 1-2.

Hull City (4-4-2): Duke; Ricketts, Turner, Gardner, A Dawson; Marney, Ashbee, Zayatte (Geovanni, 87), Kilbane; Cousin, (Mendy, 67) Garcia (Manucho, 79). Substitutes not used: Myhill (gk), Doyle, Barmby, Halmosi.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Cudicini; Corluka, Woodgate (M Dawson, 89), King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (Zokora, 87), Jenas, Palacios, Modric; Bent (Pavlyuchenko, 72), Keane. Substitutes not used: Gomes (gk), Bentley, Huddlestone, Chimbonda.

Referee: L Probert (Gloucestershire).

Booked: Hull Dawson, Ashbee; Tottenham Modric.

Man of the match: Woodgate.

Attendance: 24,742.