Tottenham's slim chances of UEFA Cup football next season now rest on the calculations of the Fair Play panel after the dice fell against them on a tense final day in the Barclays Premiership.

The uninspiring goalless draw at White Hart Lane and Middlesbrough's draw with Manchester City ended any hopes that Martin Jol's men would sneak seventh place in the league and the last available berth in the UEFA Cup.

Now they must hope they did enough to become England's representatives in the UEFA Fair Play draw.

Tottenham came into the game just 0.3 points ahead of Norwich and if Spurs have retained that advantage they will enter a six-team draw with two of those sides earning a place in the UEFA Cup.

They will be keeping fingers crossed at White Hart Lane, but Tottenham head coach Martin Jol never set European football as the target when he took over from Jacques Santini last November.

It was always seen as a "bonus", with the real target to develop a squad for the future, a group of young players capable of challenging for honours next season and in the years to come.

England goalkeeper Paul Robinson is in negotiations with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over a new contract and told the fans before kick-off he hopes to sign it "in the next few weeks".

Tottenham's hopes of UEFA Cup qualification had been wrenched from their own hands by last week's 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. To snatch seventh place they needed Manchester City to beat Middlesbrough, but by two fewer goals than their own winning margin.

In other words, if City won 1-0 then Tottenham needed to win 3-0 and scoring goals at home had not been a problem for Spurs this season. They have banged in five on three occasions and only Arsenal had scored more at home in the Premiership than Tottenham.

But on the final day, though, they lacked a killer creative edge. Jol sprang something of a surprise in starting with Fredi Kanoute and Robbie Keane up front, with Jermain Defoe dropping onto the bench.

Kanoute caused Blackburn's defence the biggest headaches in the opening half, testing their keeper Brad Friedel on a number of occasions and stretching the centre-back pairing of Ryan Nelson and Andy Todd.

Tottenham almost snatched the lead after nine minutes when Keane's low drive skipped up just in front of Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel.

The ball rebounded off the American and loose into the box, but Kanoute was just muscled out of it and from the resulting corner Carrick's delivery whipped across the face of the box.

Blackburn won their second corner after 13 minutes and once again the delivery caused trouble in the Tottenham box. The ball was flicked on to Todd whose fierce shot was well saved by Spurs keeper Radek Cerny.

Simon Davies, Tottenham's Wales international, skipped clear but Friedel blocked his low drive. Blackburn counter-attacked and urged on by his manager Mark Hughes in the technical area, Thompson drove 50 yards upfield and fed Brett Emerton but the Australian's shot was well blocked by the retreating Erik Edman.

Blackburn were profiting from some lax Tottenham defending, but at the other end Kanoute was leading the Rovers back four a merry dance. He expertly brought down a high ball down on the edge of the area and turned on a sixpence but shot straight at Friedel.

Kanoute found space again on the right of the box but Friedel tipped his low, angled drive past the post.

Tottenham almost invited a Blackburn opener when trying to play their way out of trouble. They scrambled the ball clear the first time and then Ledley King's desperate lunge blocked what seemed a certain goal from Jon Stead.

Sean Davis saw his shot from 25 yards palmed clear by Friedel and when Keane cleverly turned and beat two men on a promising run, he could not pick out Kanoute in the middle.

Savage was fortunate not to receive his marching orders for three rash challenges in the space of a minute soon after the restart.

He was booked for a tacking Carrick from behind and when Reid lifted a free-kick into the box, Nourredine Naybet stuck out a leg but could not divert the ball on target.

Tottenham were enjoying their best period of the game but for all their endeavour they could not find the killer ball and Defoe was introduced for Reid on the hour.

But the game petered out and for a side that needed to score at least three, Tottenham looked bereft of ideas. Fingers will be crossed for the Fair Play draw but minds had already turned to next season.

Teams

Tottenham Cerny, Kelly, Naybet, King, Edman, Davies, Davis (Marney 71), Carrick, Reid (Defoe 61), Kanoute, Keane.

Subs Not Used: Fulop, Bunjevcevic, Ziegler.

Booked: Naybet, Marney.

Blackburn Friedel, Neill, Nelsen, Todd, McEveley, Emerton, Thompson, Mokoena, Savage, Pedersen, Stead (Johnson 61).

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Tugay, Johansson, Douglas.

Booked: Savage, Neill.

Att: 35,797

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).