The shoots of a revival which were visible after last week’s win over Middlesbrough are now blossoming into flower – and full marks to head coach Martin Jol who looks to sewn the seeds of a team who are growing into hardy annuals.

The defeat also brought Blackburn back down to earth after a five-match unbeaten run although they stay out of the relegation zone as the bottom three in the Barclays Premiership all lost as well.

There are plenty of similarities between Rovers and Tottenham. Both have managers who took over several weeks into the season; both play a passing game and both concentrate on being difficult to beat.

It is in attack however that the similarities end. Spurs have two first-class internationals in Keane and Jermain Defoe while Blackburn have a hard-working honest pro and young forwards trying to make a name for themselves.

That difference in quality gave Tottenham the crucial edge in attack while Noureddine Naybet was fantastic for the visitors in defence.

There was an evenness about the contest in the opening exchanges but Defoe showed nimble feet to create an opening after picking up possession from Keane and though his snap-shot was on target Brad Friedel was well-positioned to make a comfortable save.

Keane, full of flicks and step-overs, was twice thwarted at the last moment by Andy Todd and Craig Short, then Steven Reid burst down the right only to be crudely halted by Thimothee Atouba when a chance on goal beckoned for Blackburn.

There was a nervous moment for Friedel when Keane tried his luck on the run and his 25-yard drive took a big deflection and wrong-footed the American keeper but bounced past the post.

Spurs kept the pressure on with a series of corners, the last of which saw Ledley King rise to win the ball but the England defender could not direct his header on target.

Paul Dickov earned himself a booking for one tigerish challenge too many when he caught Naybet, but Blackburn continued to press and Tugay’s defence-piercing cross looked destined to reach Brett Emerton at the far post only for Pedro Mendes to make a vital interception.

Michael Brown conceded a needless free-kick on the edge of his own penalty area, Blackburn took it quickly and Short headed back Emerton’s pass to Todd, who caught the ball on the volley from 20 yards out but it flew just wide of the post.

Brown was then in action at the other end, turning well before striking a rising drive that Friedel first parried before he caught the loose ball.

Keane and Defoe combined brilliantly and only the excellence of Friedel kept the game scoreless.

Keane slipped an intuitive pass inside Todd and Defoe timed his run to perfection before firing back across goal, Friedel just managing to stretch out his boot to send the ball spinning onto the roof of the net.

Paul Gallagher had hardly had a sniff in the first half but within seconds of the re-start he had brought a flying save out of Paul Robinson. Dickov wriggled down the left and crossed just behind his fellow Scot but Gallagher swivelled and hooked in a shot which Robinson tipped away for a corner.

Barry Ferguson hit a direct free-kick against the wall after Gallagher had been body-checked by Naybet, then Friedel did well to hold a stinging drive from Mendes with Keane sniffing around for any easy pickings.

When the goal came in the 56th minute it was somewhat against the run of play and owed everything to Brown’s persistence.

The midfielder first held off Tugay and then ran 30 yards across goal eluding Johansson before waiting for reinforcements and then delivering the perfect square ball for Keane to ram past Friedel.

Hughes immediately sent on Jay Bothroyd for Gallagher and he showed his value by leaping above King to reach Emerton’s cross but his header bounced down and wide.

But as the home side searched for an equaliser so the space opened up in their defence. Not for the first time, Rovers were grateful to Todd for denying Defoe a scoring chance before the little England striker brought another top-quality save out of Friedel from 18 yards.

Short blocked a Keane shot, then Naybet prevented a certain equaliser with a tremendous block on the goal-line as David Thompson slid onto Todd’s header.

Thompson sent a couple of 30-yard shots dipping over the bar then Bothroyd was wildly off-target with a volley from similar range.

Reid and Dickov both had half-chances in injury-time but Robinson held out and the points were Tottenham’s.