Defoe delivers Addicks killer blow

Ironically, it was former Charlton striker Jermain Defoe, jeered as he came off the bench, who sealed the win with an injury-time strike after Dimitar Berbatov had scored an early opener.

It means Addicks boss Alan Pardew goes into Sunday's clash at Liverpool without the chance of catching his former club West Ham, who are one place above the relegation zone.

Spurs scored their 100th goal of the season in the seventh minute when Berbatov was fed a ball from Ledley King out of defence and managed to trick Talal El Karkouri before outpacing the Charlton centre-back.

El Karkouri got within range of a tackle but Berbatov finished coolly, leaving the defender prostrate and needing treatment from the physio for his efforts.

Berbatov and Robbie Keane then showed glimpses of why they were named joint Premiership players of the month, but the hosts knew they needed two goals and were urged forward by their fans.

El Karkouri tried to flick home an equaliser from a free-kick but his effort was straight at Paul Robinson, while there were tame shouts from the crowd for a penalty on the half-hour mark when Michael Dawson used his body to clear the ball, while Alexandre Song headed wide from close range from Darren Bent's cross.

Bent then crashed an effort wide after getting behind the Spurs defence just before the break, with chances even fewer and far between after the interval.

Darren Ambrose did have a sight of goal but mis-kicked, while Dawson just got something on the ball as Zheng raced through just before the hour mark.

As a last throw of the dice, Marcus Bent was replaced by Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Song came off for Lloyd Sam, but it was to no avail as Spurs held on, with Defoe racing through to double their lead on the counter-attack.