EPL 09/10: Spurs ran amok and round-up

Jermain Defoe helped himself to five goals as Tottenham demolished Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane to move into fourth spot in the table.

England ace Defoe was the star of the show as he notched five goals as Spurs recorded their biggest ever win in the Premier League.

Peter Crouch started the rout in the first half before Spurs ran riot in the second half with Defoe grabbing a seven-minute hat-trick (51,54,58) and going add to two more to his tally (69) (87).

Paul Scharner pulled back a controversial goal at 3-0 as it appeared he handled the ball before finding the net.

However, the respite was short-lived as Aaron Lennon deservedly got in on the act with a goal on his return to action before the unfortunate Chris Kirkland saw David Bentley’s free-kick come off before ending up in the net.

Niko Kranjcar completed the rout in the closing seconds with a stunning finish to send the home fans into raptures and cement Tottenham’s credentials of securing a top-four spot this season.

The clash was played on a Sunday following an agreement between the clubs so players could rest after the international break – and Defoe seemed the freshest on display by grabbing his goals in the second half.

It takes his tally to 15 for Spurs and England this season and it means his club have scored more than five goals in five matches during the current campaign.

They were his first goals too since his needless dismissal against Portsmouth last month, which Spurs boss Redknapp criticised him for.

Stoke collected all three points against Portsmouth at the Britannia Stadium thanks to a late strike from Ricardo Fuller.

It was the Potters’ first win in the league for almost a month but if Kevin Prince Boateng had converted a penalty in the eighth minute, after Rory Delap was penalised for a high foot on Aruna Dindane, then things could have been very different.

Bolton squandered the chance to climb out of the relegation zone as they were beaten 2-0 at home by local rivals Blackburn.

Rovers manager Sam Allardyce was unable to take his place in the dugout against his former club as he prepares for heart surgery but his players produced a spirited performance to secure their first away win of the season after five consecutive defeats.

Both sides struggled to create chances in an uninspiring first half and it took a rare moment of quality to break the deadlock as David Dunn curled a classy finish past Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 32nd minute.

Blackburn then started to take control after the interval and the points were safe when Sam Ricketts inadvertently headed into his own net on 73 minutes after a comical misunderstanding with Jaaskelainen.