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A late Jonathan Woodgate winner gave Tottenham three valuable Premier League points as they ran out 2-1 winners over Hull City at the KC Stadium.

Aaron Lennon gave Spurs the lead with a fine finish on 17 minutes before Michael Turner - who has made a habit of being in the right place at the right time this season - popped up with his fifth of the campaign to draw the Tigers level 10 minutes later.

Spurs had struggled to assert themselves during the opening period, but an improved second half performance from the visitors was rewarded by Woodgate's towering header with just five minutes remaining.

The result saw Harry Redknapp's side climb two places to 14th and move within a point of Hull, whose season is now in serious danger of falling apart.

The Tigers have not won in the league since early December and unless that alarming slide cannot soon be arrested, a relegation battle is just around the corner for the Premier League debutants.

With the bottom half of the table so congested, and with just four points separating the two sides before kick-off, a tense, cagey affair was expected prior to kick-off at the KC stadium.

Hull came flying out of the blocks and took the game to Tottenham, Richard Garcia glancing a header wide of the mark from the first corner of the game after just four minutes.

While the hosts seemed hungrier than their opponents, it was Spurs who broke the deadlock, from a well-worked short corner taken by Luka Modric.

The Croat received the ball back from Keane and with just one Hull defender left to cope with the pair of them, he easily found Lennon on the edge of the box; the unmarked England winger did the rest, beating Matt Duke with a sweet right-footed strike.

Hull should have been more aware of the danger posed by the short corner, but it was not the last time they fell for it, although Spurs failed to capitalise in the same manner again.

Despite their negligence at the back, going forward Hull continued to threaten, Daniel Cousin in particular looking sharp on his return to the side following a spell out with injury.

And the equaliser came soon enough, although it was due to a Spurs error rather than Hull's industrious approach play.

Heurelho Gomes may have been on the bench, but the early-season misfortunes of the Brazilian were replicated on the pitch with Carlo Cudicini between the posts.

The Italian echoed his team-mate's familiar calamities on more than one occasion, most notable with a costly flap at a corner on 27 minutes.

Cudicini claimed he had been fouled as he challenged for the cross, but with no whistle to save him, the ball spilled away from his grasp before taking a ricochet back towards goal where Turner was on hand to sweep the ball over the line.

The goal gave the Tigers added confidence and they continued to enjoy the better of the opening period. Cousin saw a venomous first-time strike whistle over the bar just before the half hour mark and Sam Ricketts glanced a header wide on 41 minutes, but a second Hull goal remained elusive.

Harry Redknapp's half-time talk seemed to give Spurs a lift and the visitors looked a far more potent attacking force after the break.

Darren Bent set the tone with a sharp turn and shot minutes after the restart while Wilson Palacios nearly took the leather off the ball with a first-time volley from Keane's cross on 51 minutes. Only a brave block from Anthony Gardner prevented it finding its intended target.

A botched clearance by Duke then nearly gifted Keane a goal - the Irishman was off target with his attempted lob - before Vedran Corluka was unlucky not to hand Spurs the lead with a 66th minute header from Modric's cross which hit the crossbar.

But for all their pressure, it was almost Spurs who fell behind when Kamil Zayatte saw a header of his own strike a post at the other end with Cudicini beaten all ends up.

In the end, it was left to Woodgate to have the final say, the defender rising majestically to meet Benoit Assou-Ekotto's pinpoint cross and hand all three precious points to Spurs.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport