Town are five points plus goal difference from Premier League safety following a 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves’ 1-0 win away at 10-man AFC Bournemouth. The Blues started brightly, Liam Delap hitting the post with a header, but Brennan Johnson netted on 18 and 26 before Omari Hutchinson pulled one back nine minutes before the break. However, Spurs added a third through Djed Spence with their first chance of the second half on 77 and Dejan Kulusevski grabbed a fourth with six minutes remaining.

Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the side which started last week’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa with Ben Godfrey, Leif Davis, Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke returning to the team.

Godfrey took over from the suspended Axel Tuanzebe on the right of the defence with Davis returning at left-back having missed the game at Villa Park with a minor injury.

Philogene was handed his full home debut on the right with Hutchinson in the middle and Jack Clarke on the left behind out-and-out striker Liam Delap.

Julio Enciso missed out having suffered a knee injury last week, while Conor Townsend and Ben Johnson dropped to the bench having started against the Villans.

Skipper Sam Morsy is fit again after the abdominal problem which kept him out at Villa Park but was also among the subs, as was Sammie Szmodics. Dara O’Shea captained in the Egypt international’s absence.

For Tottenham, Johnson, the son of former Blues striker David, returned to the XI for James Maddison, who was on the bench.

Destiny Udogie came in at left-back with Pedro Porro a sub. At centre-half, Archie Gray took over from Ben Davies, who was absent from the squad. Ex-Blues loanee Dane Scarlett was on the bench.

Town, with Ed Sheeran joined by Tottenham-supporting Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint in his box, almost scored within seconds of the start.

Jens Cajuste played through Liam Delap, who burst round the outside of Gray before hitting a shot which Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario saved to his left. The loose ball ran to Philogene, whose goal-bound effort struck Omari Hutchinson on the line. Town looked to get another opportunity but the linesman’s flag had been raised as Hutchinson had been offside.

Delap threatened again in the third minute, drifting past Gray on the left of the box as if the former Leeds youngster wasn’t there before stabbing across the face and wide.

Play moved to the other end, Udogie running beyond O’Shea on the Spurs left but Palmer was off his line quickly to claim at the Italian international’s feet.

Delap went even closer to scoring in the seventh minute, flicking a near post header from Phillips’s free-kick out on the right beyond Vicario but off the post. The loose ball didn’t immediately fall kindly but was nodded back to the edge of the area from where Philogene sent an overhead kick deep into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.

Tottenham began to see most of the ball and went close to going in front in the 13th minute. Skipper Son Heung-Min got round the outside of Godfrey on the left and cut back to Lucas Bergvall, whose low shot was blocked by O’Shea. The ball ricocheted towards Johnson at the right post but Jacob Greaves somehow managed to take away from the former Forest man. Kulusevski nodded back in but O’Shea was fouled by Mathys Tel.

Moments later, Johnson got his name in referee Tim Robinson’s book for a foul on Davis as the Town full-back sought to break out of defence on the left.

However, in the 18th minute it was Johnson who would net the game’s opening goal. Gray’s long ball sent Son in behind on the left. The South Korean international worked some space to leave Godfrey standing and get to the byline before flashing a low ball across for Johnson, who got in front of Davis and slammed into the net.

The goal was harsh on the Blues, who had had the been the better side and had had most of the early chances, but with the visitors able to take their second serious opportunity, having found a weakness down Town’s right, a reminder of the clinical finishing at Premier League level.

The Blues looked to hit back, Clarke looping a header to Vicario in the 20th minute from a Hutchinson cross, then a minute later Delap hitting a shot from distance which deflected behind.

Following the flag-kick, Philogene shot not too far over, then on 24 Delap scuffed a low effort through to Vicario.

But two minutes later, Johnson doubled his side’s lead. Son was again played in behind Godfrey on the Town right, the visitors’ skipper cutting back to Johnson, who had been left completely unmarked 10 yards out on the far side of the box, from where he slotted home with ease.

On 26, Son was found on the left again but this time hit a low shot which deflected but with Palmer able to save. Four minutes later, Clarke was yellow-carded for standing on Spence’s foot after the ball had gone.

It was a dispirited Portman Road as the half-hour mark passed with the Blues having played well before all but gifting Spurs their two goals.

However, the mood was significantly lifted in the 36th minute when Town pulled a goal back.

Phillips won the ball five yards outside the Tottenham box and threaded in Clarke on the left of the area. The winger, a one-time Spurs player, cut back to Hutchinson, who smashed a shot across Vicario and into the net, the former Chelsea man’s third goal of the season.

Three minutes later, the same two players combined again, Clarke finding Hutchinson on the edge of the area but this time his shot was too weak to test Vicario. Soon after, Godfrey was booked for a foul on Son.

Town’s impetus, both on and off the pitch, had been restored by the goal but in the 42nd minute Rodrigo Bentancur, Tottenham’s scorer in the Blues’ win in North London in November, brought the ball forward into the area unchallenged before his shot was saved by Palmer, Greaves subsequently nodding behind.

As the game moved into three minutes of injury time, Son was again found in space on the Spurs left but this time his shot was blocked by Godfrey.

That was the last action of an entertaining, end-to-end half. The Blues had started like a house on fire with Delap having three opportunities before Tottenham had settled into the match.

But as so often this season, the Blues were made to pay for not taking their chances with the visitors going into a two-goal lead having found easy pickings down Town’s right flank with Tuanzebe badly missed and Godfrey evidently not back to the top of his game after his half-season of inaction in Italy with Atalanta and Davis twice losing Johnson.

However, despite being two goals behind, the Blues stayed in the game and Phillips, Clarke and Hutchinson made the most of the opportunity to pull a goal back when it came.

Town made a change at half-time, a predictable one, Luke Woolfenden taking over from Godfrey with O’Shea moving out to the right and the Ipswich-born defender taking up his usual central role.

The second half hadn’t settled into a pattern before Cajuste required treatment, Bentancur inadvertently falling on the grounded Swedish international and twisting his ankle. The on-loan Napoli man continued briefly before taking to the turf again and was replaced by Jack Taylor.

Neither side showed any serious threat until the 56th minute when Clarke and Delap won possession on the left with Vicario out of his goal but the winger’s low cross was cut out.

Moments later, Gray fouled his former Leeds teammate Davis out on the left but the free-kick came to nothing. However, within a minute Philogene was felled just outside the box by Udogie.

Hutchinson’s free-kick slammed into the wall, as did Phillips’s follow-up, but the ball reached the forward again on the right and his deep cross found Woolfenden at the far post, where he nodded into the ground and past Vicario. The centre-half thought he’d scored his first Premier League goal until the linesman raised his flag, VAR confirming that the defender had been offside.

Spurs had the next chance, Davis sliding in to block in front of Johnson as the forward looked to shoot as a low cross reached him from the left.

Following the corner, Kevin Danso was shoulder barged to the ground somewhat firmly by O’Shea, the on-loan Lens man claiming a penalty but with referee Robinson and VAR not interested.

Spurs subsequently made their first changes, goalscorer Johnson and Udogie making way for ex-Norwich forward Maddison and Porro, then on 68 Nathan Broadhead took over from Clarke for Town.

The Blues were beginning to put the visitors under pressure with Philogene and Hutchinson both having an impact down the right, Broadhead almost having an opportunity for a clear shot at goal from a ball in from the right before being closed down.

Spurs made a double change on 75, ex-Blues loanee Scarlett and Wilson Odobert coming on for Son and Tel, ahead of a Town free-kick from which O’Shea and Danso clashed heads.

Referee Robinson annoyed the home support by starting with a drop ball with play having stopped as it had gone out for a Blues throw, then for a dubious foul by Philogene on Maddison.

The ex-Canary, whose every touch had been booed by Town fans, created the visitors’ third goal in the 77th minute. The England international skipped his way into the area surrounded by defenders before laying off to Spence, whose shot deflected off Woolfenden’s calf and into the roof of the net.

Phillips, who had continued his recent positive progress, received treatment in the aftermath of the goal and was eventually replaced by Morsy, who was handed his armband by O’Shea, while George Hirst took over from Delap.

In the 84th minute, the visitors scored their fourth. With Greaves down in the Spurs half following a clash of heads with Scarlett, Kulusevski brought the ball forward down the right, cut inside Woolfenden before hitting a shot which curled into the net off the inside of the far post. Greaves claimed play should have been stopped due to his head injury, but in vain.

Three minutes later, O’Shea headed into the side-netting from a tight angle from a deep corner from the right.

VAR had a look at a Kulusevski challenge on Broadhead in the area during eight minutes of injury time, but the Blues were once again unsuccessful.

Referee Robinson was booed off by the Town support at the whistle, mainly for his performance in the Leicester match earlier in the season, although the Blues had been on the end of one or two questionable decisions from the West Sussex-based official.

An afternoon which had begun with so much promise finished as another of frustration and disappointment and a ninth home defeat of the season, compounded by Wolves’ surprise win at Bournemouth, which leaves the Blues five points away from safety with the Old Gold having a goal difference superior by 12.

Once again, Town were unable to score during their spells on top, both in the first half and at 2-1 in the second, with the opposition taking their opportunities more clinically when they came with Son exploiting the Blues’ weakness down their right side time and again in the first half, creating two goals and two further chances.

Town had spells on top and there was little between the teams for long periods, the Blues showing their usual spirit with Phillips, Clarke and Hutchinson combining well for the goal, but the difference was in both final thirds and once Spurs had scored their third there was no way back into the match.

McKenna’s 18th-placed side, whose path to Premier League survival looks ever more difficult, are next in action away at Manchester United on Wednesday, the Red Devils having drawn 2-2 at Everton earlier today.

Town: Palmer, Godfrey (Woolfenden 46), O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Phillips (Morsy 79), Cajuste (Taylor 52), Philogene, Hutchinson, Clarke (Broadhead 68), Delap (Hirst 79). Unused: Muric, Johnson, Townsend, Szmodics.

Spurs: Vicario, Spence, Danso, Gray, Udogie (Porro 64), Bentancur, Bergvall, Johnson (Maddison 64), Kulusevski, Son (c) (Scarlett 75), Tel (Odobert 75). Unused: Kinsky, Reguilon, Sarr, Bissouma, Moore.

Photo: Reuters

TimmyH added 22:00 - Feb 23 Burgess has been treated a bit unfairly in my opinion and hasn't made quite a number of the match day squads the last few games. He had an off game against City but so did the rest, when he has started other than that he's played quite well...
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RobsonWark added 22:53 - Feb 23 TiimmyH I agree with you about Burgess. He has been amazing this season. I still believe he is the best centre half at the club.
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Leejames99 added 09:58 - Feb 24 Danny Mills confirmed what I'd been saying allday the blame for 3 out of 4 goals was Davis not Godfrey, Godfrey just got beat by Son its what wingers do, at least Godfrey was back, Davis has forgotten how to defend, it should of been Townsend starting after Villa performance and that's on Mckenna this time for tinkering to accomodate Davis, no point playing a left winger if Davis is playing he just gets in their way, if Davis plays we may as well play 4-4-2 with Davis in front of Townsend and Hutch on right with Szmodicks and Delap up top. If Phillips and Cajuste are injured it's a huge worry, Morsy and Taylor in midfield with Luongo as back up. Ouch Like a league 1 v prem Cup game

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BerksBlue15 added 11:13 - Feb 24 I sense I'm the rare part of the Venn diagram that thinks we're getting relegated but is also pretty positive about it all. Nobody would have expected us to go up last season, so next year when we're in the Championship (where two years ago we thought we would be) we've got a group of players who proved last year they're good enough to get out that league but with the experience that comes from playing at the highest level for a season, and some extra bodies on top who are better than what we've let go since going up. I don't see how Hladky, Donacien, Edmundson, Dom Ball, Ladapo and Kayden Jackson (I'm ignoring loanees) as those who've left are any better than what we've bought this season? Palmer = Hladky Johnson at least = Donacien O'Shea > Edmundson Greaves at least = Edmundson Townsend > Ball Midfield I'll concede we're reliant on loanees - we need 2x CM! Szmodics > Ladapo (I'm guessing Delap goes in the summer) Ogbene/Clarke at least = Kayden Jackson So overall we've got the same nucleus of players, plus experience, plus some internationals (Ogbene, O'Shea) and some loanees coming back like Humphreys with a point to prove... plus a huge amount of parachute money and whatever we get for Delap. My concern is if we keep Kieran - he seems to have been the reason so many of these players have come to Town in the first place. I worry that if he goes, we may struggle to attract the talent and whoever comes in as the new manager guts the team and starts again and puts us back three years...

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Leejames99 added 11:34 - Feb 24 @Berksblue16 Don't worry Mckenna won't go, he is settled here and has job security and I think after being backed by the board in a long contract and signings he owes at least another season. In terms of players you are right, our forward line is fine, we may need a striker if Delap goes back to City but that wouldnt be an issue as we would have 40 mill in bank. Up or down we must do a cleat put of the old guard now, Burns Chaplin Taylor Morsy Davis decent profit for him. We will look solid in Championship or if we do stay up attract more players. As you say H Clarke be back, Humphries, might even play szmodicks up top in Championship Our team if we go down will look something like Palmer H Clarke Greaves O'Shea C Townsend Downes Humphries Hutchinson Philogene J Clarke Szmodicks Good team that but hopefully we can stay up but it's looking least lightly as tge games go on I fear but everyone beats everyone so a few favours from others v Wolves and you never know, praying Phillips and Cajuste ok. Before i get marked down i dont want us to go down i just put what our team may look like if we do.

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