Spurs 2 West Ham 0

TOTTENHAM got their Champions League quest back on track while West Ham were left to contemplate a defeat that sees them slip back towards the relegation zone.

The Hammers left White Hart Lane empty-handed after two morale-boosting results against Chelsea and Portsmouth last week. But that confidence will have taken a hammering against their fierce rivals, as they were given a harsh reminder of the stark contrast between themselves and their neighbours.

Goals from Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe handed Spurs the three points but in truth, it could have been a lot more.

As first half performances go, this was pretty bad from West Ham's point of view.

With the one notable exception of a goal blitz against Burnley earlier this month, West Ham have been struggling to threaten in the final third since Carlton Cole injured his knee in November.

Alessandro Diamanti has scored three of the Hammers' four goals in their previous four games, two of which were penalties. An accomplished attacking display against lowly Portsmouth on Boxing Day proved to be a false dawn, as Gianfranco Zola's side were toothless going forward, Guillermo Franco hopelessly isolated up front and a lack of width and support all too evident.

Tottenham dominated the early rounds, and they took just 11 minutes to open the scoring through Modric, making his first start for the club since August.

The magnificent Lennon fed Jermain Defoe on the halfway line and the England striker held up the ball excellently as the winger galloped past him.

Defoe obliged by knocking the ball ahead of Lennon, and the diminutive midfielder did the rest, bombing to the byline before dragging the ball back and, after a deflection, it fell into the path of the advancing Modric, who hit his volley into the ground and over Robert Green.

It proved to be a double blow for the visitors as they lost influential midfielder Scott Parker to injury moments after the goal.

Luis Jiminez came on in his place, but the Chilean may as well have remained on the bench, so ineffective was he in the first period.

Before his loan move from Inter Milan last season, Jiminez had acquired the nickname 'the Wizard', but perhaps he suffered from a bout of stage-fright, for if he did have any tricks up his sleeve, he was keeping them well-hidden.

Instead, it was the wizard of White Hart Lane that took centre stage. Lennon was giving Herita Ilunga a rough ride down the right flank, and when the Hammers left-back was also taken off injured – perhaps suffering from dizziness – it was Jonathan Spector's turn for torture.

For all their dominance, Spurs actually struggled to create more clear-cut chances, and Harry Redknapp would have had a few stern words for his side at the break.

Tom Huddlestone saw a left-footed shot drift harmlessly wide before West Ham had their only effort on goal on 28 minutes.

Some neat interplay involving Diamanti and Spector ended with a neat bit of skill from Jack Collison and a left footed shot that Heurelho Gomes was able to dive low to smother.

The hosts could have extended their advantage five minutes later, as Wilson Palacios galloped to the byline and crossed for Peter Crouch, only for the England man to see his delicate flick glance wide of the far post.

Just before the half-time whistle, Defoe won a free-kick all of 30 yards out and he dusted himself off to curl a sublime effort just wide of Green's top corner.

The pattern was a familiar one after the break, with Tottenham keen to press home their advantage.

Vedran Corluka threaded a ball through for Huddlestone on the edge of the box and he thundered a shot across goal that cannoned into the post before rebounding clear.

West Ham began to enjoy slightly more possession inside their hosts' half, but the killer instinct was still lacking.

With 69 minutes on the clock, Diamanti nicked the ball away from Corluka and drove forward. The ball was worked forward to Franco, who sent it out wide to his Italian colleague, and his swinging cross was put out for the visitors' first corner of the game. However, Diamanti's resulting kick epitomised his side's display, falling miserably short of its target.

Frustrations then seemed to boil over as Radoslav Kovac lunged in recklessly on Huddlestone to earn himself a yellow card.

The West Ham faithful were doing their best to lift their players – and insult their fierce rivals, chants of 'Thierry Henry' reminding substitute Robbie Keane that he won't be involved in next summer's World Cup finals after the Frenchman's now infamous handball against the Irish.

Their efforts failed to lift their team on the field however, Kovac seeing a long range volley sail over the bar.

But for all Tottenham's superiority, there was still no second goal, and that kept the Hammers interested.

James Tomkins did well to cope with the towering threat of Crouch, while Defoe was left frustrated by a stifling defence.

Junior Stanislas was brought on for Collison in an attempt by Zola to inject some pace and urgency into the game with ten minutes remaining.

The winger saw some action straight away, finding possession over on the left but he was robbed by Crouch and it was to prove an expensive error.

The striker fed Lennon, who sprinted forward before finding Defoe on the left. He jinked inside, riding two challenges before firing straight at Green from the edge of the box, however, the rebound fell back to his feet and he smashed the ball into the top corner, the shot stinging the keeper's fingers on its way in.

Game, set and match.

Diamanti tried his best to galvanise West Ham, hitting a shot from the edge of the area that Gomes was up to but, ultimately, they were outclassed by a side with far greater ambitions than their own.

The hard work and impressive results against Chelsea and Portsmouth were forgotten quickly thanks to a harsh lesson by the worst of teachers.

Bragging rights in these parts are often worth more than the three points a win can provide, but right now points are all the Hammers need, and they will have to go back to the drawing board once again after this performance.