A brace from in-form Harry Kane gives a youthful Tottenham Hotspur a vital three points in the race for Champions League football.

The game sparked into life inside the opening five minutes, with Bobby Zamora and Harry Kane coming close to opening the scoring for their respective sides. With just thirty seconds on the clock, Zamora rose highest in the centre of the penalty area to head a Matty Phillips’ cross, from the right, over the head of Lloris and off the crossbar. Moments later, the in-form Harry Kane came close via a near post header. A wonderful cross into the near post from Spurs’ Kyle Walker was brilliantly met by the young forward; however, Robert Green was subsequently on hand to tip the ball over the crossbar.

After almost assisting Harry Kane, Kyle Walker gave another England hopeful a glorious chance to open the scoring. The right back’s attempted header back to Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal was intercepted by QPR’s Charlie Austin just seven yards from goal. Fortunately for Walker, Austin’s subsequent right footed volley on goal from the left of the penalty area was palm clear of danger by the Lilywhites’ number one.

Austin missed another great chance to give the relegation threatened home side the lead on the half hour mark. A mazy run by Phillips on the left flank, culminated in the former Blackpool man playing the ball through to Austin, who, after controlling the ball, cannoned his subsequent effort off the underside of the crossbar.

Despite being largely dominated in the first half, Tottenham Hotspur opened the scoring in the 34th minute through Harry Kane. With Roy Hodgson looking on, the England hopeful met a wonderful curling set piece from the right side before the onrushing Robert Green, to head home his 15th Premier League goal of the season.

At the start of the second half the visitors began to assert their authority, almost doubling their advantage in the process. After cutting in from the left flank, Christian Eriksen rifled the ball from fully twenty-five yards past the out-stretched Green and off the crossbar. The ball subsequently fell kindly to Kane inside the penalty area; however his follow up volley flew well wide of the right post.

The pressure from Spurs on the QPR backline increased further on the hour mark, with Nedum Onuoha being forced into heroics to prevent a second goal. A wonderful pass into the path of Kyle Walker on the right of the penalty area from Kane, allowed the English full back to run through on goal. The former QPR loanee’s strike on goal was parried clear by Green, however the ball only went as far as the edge of the penalty area where Eriksen was on hand to side foot the ball goalward. With a goal seemingly the only outcome, Onuoha was able to track back and slide the ball off the goal-line and clear of danger.

Ten minutes later, Harry Kane grabbed a deserved second goal for Tottenham Hotspur. Ryan Mason, after not being closed down in the middle of the park, was able to curl the ball over the top of the QPR defence to Harry Kane. The 21 year old, with supreme confidence, waltzed past Robert Green and side footed the ball into the empty net.

QPR found a route back into the game via the right foot of former Lilywhite, Sandro, with a quarter of an hour remaining. The Brazilian midfielder beautifully curled the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal, after the ball was laid back into this path by Bobby Zamora.

The home side began to push forward with much more intensity in the aftermath of the goal. Charlie Austin had another fantastic opportunity to open his goal scoring account for the day, when the ball fell to him eight yards from goal, after a looping set piece was not dealt with by Spurs. The forward’s subsequent volleyed effort was seemingly blocked by the outstretched arms of Nabil Bentaleb as the ball looked set to trouble Lloris in the Spurs goal; however, Craig Pawson waved away the appeals for a penalty.

The win leaves Tottenham Hotspur just three points adrift of Manchester United in fourth place, while QPR remain 18th in the Premier League table.

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About the author
Jack  Gallagher
Member of the VAVEL writing team since June 2012, and became editor-in-chief of the UK edition in June 2013. English and History at QUB.