Tottenham emphatically broke the stalemate of six consecutive Premiership draws to register their first League win this year and move up into the top 10 as both Chris Armstrong and Steffen Iversen profited from David Ginola's silky touches to deepen Southampton's relegation gloom at White Hart Lane.

Just for good measure Portuguese substitute Jose Dominguez, who set up an equaliser with his first touch against Derby on Saturday, notched a tap-in third goal in stoppage time as Saints defence was reduced to rubble.

Armstrong struck first in the 19th minute, slipping his marker to race clear and drive in Ginola's cleverly disguised low free-kick.

And when the charismatic Frenchman produced a glorious curling cross despite being hemmed in tight to the left wing corner flag in the 68th minute, Iversen rose beyond the far post to loop his header over goalkeeper Paul Jones.

Armstrong's goal was his first since late December when he notched a hat-trick against Everton and his pace troubled hapless Southampton all night, even though he would have been better advised to lay on some chances for his team-mates rather than go for goal himself on several occasions.

He now has a round dozen goals for the season, three more than Iversen and it will be tough for England striker Les Ferdinand to dislodge either of them for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at First Division Barnsley.

Cup glory is the chief target for boss George Graham this season with his side already booked into a Wembley date with Leicester for the Worthington Cup in less than three weeks.

But points on the board in the League are still welcome and this win marked Graham's reunion with his former Arsenal side-kick Stewart Houston, joined him in the Tottenham dug-out for the first time since his arrival from Ipswich.

The pair made sure Spurs were kept up to their work with a non-stop series of animated instructions from the bench and the effort and commitment shown was comfortably sufficient to see off Southampton who only briefly enjoyed some hope of saving a point during a 20 minute spell at the start of the second half when Matthew Le Tissier and Hassan Kachloul came on as substitutes.

They helped lift the burden of front line responsibility from veteran Mark Hughes, who returned after his latest suspension but largely battered his head against a brick wall in Tottenham's defence where the imposing Sol Campbell was again a pillar of strength and reliability.

Campbell's surge forward in the 19th minute provided the prelude to the opening goal.

He was brought down by Francis Benali and when Ginola stepped up to take the free-kick, Saints were clearly expecting one of his virtuoso scoring efforts. Instead he slid the ball through perfectly for Armstrong to convert.

After that, Saints were run off their feet as well as referee Alan Wilkie, who had to retire midway through the first half with a pulled muscle and hand over his whistle to senior linesman Steve Tomlin.

Although the football was largely undistinguished with neither side able to put their passes together to great effect on a rain sodden surface, Spurs, even without the creative midfield influence of England's Darren Anderton, were easily in control for most of the time.

Indeed, it took a string of saves by the plucky Jones to prevent Armstrong and Allan Nielsen adding to the score before half-time and for a while in the second period his efforts looked crucial as Saints drummed up a modicum of passion and fight.

But just as Tottenham's defence was beginning to look rocky their forward players found an extra gear and Nielsen was inches away from adding a second goal just after the hour when racing in late for Ginola's cross only to see the ball sail over his head in front of an empty goal.

Ginola would not be denied, though, and after his superb cross invited Iversen's header for the second, he began toying with the fully stretched Southampton defence.

Twice his shots were blocked when he cut inside and left defenders trailing.

And Jones had to produce another splendid save to tip the ball over at full stretch after Ginola had been found by a raking cross-field ball from Tim Sherwood.

But it was Armstrong who set up the decoration of a third goal right at the death.

Once more his speed left Southampton gasping as he tucked down the right and this time he laid on the perfect cross for transfer listed Dominguez, who had been on only a few seconds as substitute, to slot into an empty net.

Teams

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Campbell, Young (Vega 89), Taricco, Nielsen, Sherwood, Freund, Ginola (Dominguez 89), Armstrong,Iversen.

Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Fox, Sinton.

Booked: Young.

Goals: Armstrong 19, Iversen 68, Dominguez 90.

Southampton: Jones, Hiley, Benali, Lundekvam, Colleter, Oakley, Marsden, D. Hughes (Le Tissier 46), Bridge (Kachloul 56), M. Hughes, Beattie (Ostenstad 79).

Subs Not Used: Moss, Marshall.

Booked: Le Tissier.

Att: 28,580

Ref: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).