Tottenham Hotspur vs. Hull City: Score, Report and Reaction from Premier League

Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose scored the goals to leave Hull City's Premier League survival hopes hanging by a thread after a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Tigers were the better of the two teams at White Hart Lane, but their lack of bite up front cost them dearly as Nikica Jelavic spurned a number of first-half chances before Chadli opened the scoring nine minutes after the interval.

Rose had received some light-hearted abuse on social media for dyeing his hair red before the game, but he answered those critics when he fired home a second for Spurs seven minutes later.

The three points keeps Spurs in the race for a Europa League spot, but Hull must now beat Manchester United at the KC Stadium in their final game next weekend to stand any chance of remaining in the top flight. 

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino made one change to his team, with Rose coming in for the suspended Vlad Chiriches.

Jelavic and David Meyler joined Hull's starting XI in place of the club-suspended Jake Livermore and striker Sone Aluko.

Before the match, there was warm applause for Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who this week announced his retirement at the end of the season aged 44. But there was no sentimental place on the bench for the former United States international.

Erik Lamela had the first shot of the game in the 12th minute, but his effort was deflected wide.

Hull should have opened the scoring in the 16th minute, though, after Federico Fazio gifted the ball to Dame N'Doye, and his cross looked set to give Jelavic the first goal of the day, but the striker headed wide.

Jelavic was denied by the woodwork three minutes later when his strike at the far post hit the crossbar from an Ahmed Elmohamady cross.

The former Everton forward went close once more in the 28th minute when he connected acrobatically with an Elmohamady ball into the area, but he sent it wide.

There was no disguising that this had been a poor first half in terms of quality, with little to excite the White Hart Lane crowd.

Ryan Mason received the first caution of the game three minutes before the interval for a foul on Elmohamady.

In the 54th minute, though, Spurs took the lead against the run of play. Lamela collected the ball and played in Chadli, who broke into the Hull area before rounding Steve Harper and sliding home.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Rose, who had dyed his hair red before the game, then added a second for the home side in the 61st minute.

Mason was the architect when he shifted the ball to his left foot before finding the incoming defender in the channel, and he fired past Harper.

"

Ryan Mason is a good defensive 10 and garbage pivot player, I shout into the void until the end of eternity

— Kevin McCauley (@kevinmccauley) May 16, 2015"

The Tigers were not about to surrender their Premier League status without a fight, though. Abel Hernandez, who replaced Jelavic in the 62nd minute, saw his shot blocked by Eric Dier before Fazio cleared on his own line from the striker's overhead kick from the rebound.

But the lack of a cutting edge was proving to be the difference between the two teams as the game ended with Spurs dominating possession over a tired Hull side.

Selected Player Ratings

Harry Kane: B

The Tottenham forward appeared to be caught up in the first-half malaise that affected his team-mates, with little opportunity to make an impact on the Hull goal. Ultimately the England forward was a passenger in the second half, though.

Nikica Jelavic: A-

The Hull striker returned to the side and showed some ring-rustiness with some early misses, but he worked hard to get into good positions before his withdrawal in the 62nd minute.

Ryan Mason: A

Some solid midfield work from the Tottenham youngster but unable to find a killer ball in the opening 45 minutes. Provided the assist for Rose's goal.

Post-Match Reaction