TOTTENHAM'S bid for a Europa League place gathered pace with a hard-fought win over a struggling Newcastle United side at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are now just a point behind London rivals West Ham after Darren Bent's first half goal saw them move up into eighth.

The game was preceded by a minute's applause for legendary Tottenham winger Jimmy Neighbour, who died suddenly last week.

When the match began, it didn't take long for the hosts to get into their stride, as they dominated the opening exchanges.

The home bench were up in arms in the eighth minute, when Bent appeared to be brought down by Sebastien Bassong, attempting to get on the end of a through ball. It was an innocuous-looking challenge, but Joe Jordan left the officials in no doubt as to his view on the incident with a sustained and vociferous appeal.

Robbie Keane was then thwarted by Steven Taylor after finding himself in an advanced position, before the impish Luka Modric squared for Bent inside the area, but the striker's tame shot was comfortable for Steve Harper in the Newcastle goal.

The pressure told in the 24th minute, although, ironically, Tottenham's goal came about after the visitors' first meaningful attack.

Kevin Nolan's turn and shot was gathered in by Heurelho Gomes, and the eccentric Brazilian quickly unloaded to Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the left wing. He fed Modric, whose through ball for Keane was cut out by Bassong. But the interception fell at the feet of Bent, who was denied by Harper on the first attempt, but made no mistake when the keeper inadvertently returned the ball to his feet, two yards out.

Tottenham were rarely threatened by Newcastle, but when they were, it was the pace and guile of Argentinian Jonas Gutierrez that had Vedran Corluka worried down the left flank. However, the midfielder's most notable moment of the first half was a last-ditch tackle on Aaron Lennon as the winger was winding up a shot. The ball eventually found its way out to Tom Huddlestone 30 yards out, and Spurs would have been two up, but for the acrobatics of Harper in the away goal, as he tipped over the midfielder's powerful drive.

Defender Michael Dawson's afternoon was cut short as he was stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury, with Alan Hutton coming on in his place.

Modric had a shot from the edge of the box deflected three times on its way to goal, but, luckily for Newcastle, the ball had slowed considerable by the time it reached Harper.

Tottenham's dominance continued after the break, and Keane almost double the lead when he benefited from some indecision between Habib Beye and Harper, but the defender got back in time to block the Irishman's shot.

The biggest cheer of the day greeted the arrival of Jermain Defoe, who was brought on for his first appearance after several months out with injury.

Newcastle boss Alan Shearer threw Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins on to spark some life into their ailing attack. And it almost paid dividends, as the latter fired a shot in off the post, only for referee Mark Halsey to blow up for a handball in the build up.

The game began to open up, and Spurs were able to hit the away side on the counter attack. The tricky Lennon weaved his way past several challenges on the edge of the box, but his shot missed the outside of the post by inches, with Harper stranded.

Jonathan Woodgate thudded a header towards goal, but Harper was up to the task, while Huddlestone saw another piledriver miss the upright by inches.

Newcastle had a strong shout for a penalty in the closing stages, as Martins was brought down by Woodgate, but Halsey waved away the appeals from the players and the bench.

Martins was causing havoc, and he should have drawn his side level. The Nigerian cleverly brought down a long ball from Ryan Taylor in the area, but his half volley on the stretch soared over the bar as Gomes closed in.