SAM Allardyce believes Wanderers have given themselves a glorious chance to home in on Premiership safety.

Victory over Spurs at the Reebok next Monday would see them record back-to-back wins for only the second time this season and the manager says that would be crucial to their survival ambitions.

Encouraged by Saturday's 2-0 triumph at Sunderland, which virtually condemned the Wearsiders to relegation, Allardyce is confident his team has the talent and the experience to gain the points needed in the final eight fixtures to secure a third successive season of top flight football. But he accepts that the Spurs game is now of critical importance.

"We need to keep the ball rolling," he insists, "and we now have a great opportunity to play at home and win two Premiership games on the trot.

"That would take a lot of pressure off us."

The weekend win lifted Wanderers two points clear of the relegation zone but if in-form West Ham beat Sunderland at Upton Park on Saturday, they could go into the Spurs game back in the bottom three.

Nevertheless there is a mood of optimism in the Reebok camp that they are not only in their best form of the season but also enjoying a measure of good luck that has been missing for so long. They know they could not have a better chance to give the fans successive victories to cheer for the first time since September when they beat Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Allardyce was delighted with what he described as "a very professional performance" at the Stadium of Light but he readily acknowledged the importance of the fortune factor. Jay-Jay Okocha's opening goal, which the midfielder created for himself with a superb piece of individual skill, was ultimately the result of home keeper Thomas Sorensen turning the ball into his own net.

West Ham's scoreless draw at Everton added to the growing belief that Glenn Roeder's side present the biggest threat to Wanderers' survival hopes but Sunday's results - West Brom losing at home to Chelasea and Birmingham going down at Manchester City - has made life increasingly uncomfortable for the Baggies and dragged Steve Bruce's Blues back into touching distance.