Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 1-0 as Harry Kane moves up top scorer table

Harry Kane scored his 209th Premier League goal to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, moving ahead of Wayne Rooney to become the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the league.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane celebrates after against Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Harry Kane scored his 209th Premier League goal to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, moving ahead of Wayne Rooney to become the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the league.

The 45th-minute goal, Kane’s 28th of the season, delivered Spurs their first victory since Ryan Mason took over as interim manager and kept the London club in the race to qualify for some European competition next season.

Both Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero had close efforts turned away earlier in the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, but Kane — with a play both started and finished by the England captain — was the only one able to break through Roy Hodgson’s resurgent Palace.

Son Heung-Min runs with the ball during a Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. [AFP/YONHAP]

“He is a real example for young players to follow,” Mason said after the game. “His goals get the headlines but fundamentally Harry is a team player and he inspires others to be better every time he plays. He is a special, special player.”

Alan Shearer is now the only player ahead of Kane on the all-time top scorer charts, although it is by a significant distance — Shearer managed 260 league goals during his storied career.

“The only thing that stands between Harry and the record is if he can stay fit,” Hodgson, who managed Kane during his four years as England manager, said after the game. “But we made life very difficult for Spurs at times.”

With the win, Spurs remain in sixth place, five points behind Liverpool with three games left to play this season. Brighton, who are only two points behind Tottenham, have a huge three games in hand, leaving the London club in very dangerous territory in the final few weeks of the season.

Spurs face two middle-of-the-table clubs over the next two weeks — eighth-place Aston Villa on May 13 and ninth-place Brentford on May 20, before rounding of the season with what ought to be an easier fixture against 17th-place Leeds United on May 28.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]