MANCHESTER — Gareth Bale produced yet another moment of magic to keep Tottenham on course for a return to the Champions League, while Wigan boosted its survival hopes in the English Premier League with a come-from-behind win at West Bromwich Albion. Playing his first match since being named English football's player of the year, Bale cut inside from the right in the 86th minute and smashed a long-range strike into the corner to earn Spurs a 1-0 win over former club Southampton. The Wales winger's 20th league goal of the season kept the pressure on top-four rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. “It was a great moment of individual brilliance to win the game,” Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said. Wigan set up its trademark late rally to avoid relegation with a 3-2 victory at The Hawthorns, keeping the team third-from-bottom but provisionally reducing the gap to Sunderland to two points. Aston Villa took a giant step to safety by winning 2-1 at Norwich, which is only three points clear of Wigan having played a game more. Newcastle is level on points with Norwich after drawing 0-0 at West Ham. Manchester City dropped points in its bid to finish second by drawing 0-0 at Swansea while already-relegated Reading earned some respite by winning 4-2 at mid-table Fulham. Bale was having a quiet game by his high standards until he burst into life with four minutes remaining, arrowing in a low shot that saw White Hart Lane erupting and adding more value to his price tag. It was Bale's eighth winning goal this campaign and he is almost carrying Spurs on his own as they jostle with Arsenal and Chelsea for the two Champions League spots behind the Manchester clubs. Hull back in Premier League Hull returned to the Premier League on Saturday by clinching a runner-up finish in England's second tier ahead of Watford on a dramatic final day of missed penalties, late goals and high tension. After missing and then conceding a converted penalty in injury time to draw 2-2 with already-promoted Cardiff, Hull would have been denied the other automatic promotion place in the League Championship if Watford had beaten Leeds. However, Watford conceded a late goal because of an error by its substitute goalkeeper to lose 2-1 and finish two points behind Hull. Watford's match ended late because of a lengthy first-half injury delay, with Hull forced to wait to learn its fate. Watford, which is managed by former Italy and Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola, still has a chance to go up via the playoffs that will also feature Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leicester. Hull came from behind to take a 2-1 lead and was then awarded a penalty in the third minute of added time that sparked a mini pitch invasion by fans who thought the referee had blown for fulltime. Once the crowd had cleared the field of play, Nick Proschwitz stepped up but saw his penalty saved. Hull was relegated from the Premier League in 2010 after a two-year stay. The club is owned by Egyptian-born businessman Assem Allan, following his takeover in December 2010. Cardiff had already secured promotion to the Premier League as champion. — Agencies
