Tottenham let in an 89th-minute equaliser on Sunday to draw 1-1 at Sunderland, missing the chance to move further clear of local rivals Arsenal in the Premier League standings.
In Sunday’s other game, Joey Barton scored one goal and set up two more in Manchester City’s 3-2 win against Charlton that moved them up to ninth.
Tottenham, who are chasing a first appearance in the Champions League, led through Robbie Keane’s 38th-minute goal until a mistake by defender Paul Stalteri gave Daryl Murphy the chance to salvage a point.
Murphy cut inside Canada rightback Stalteri, who tried to shield the ball rather than pass back to the goalkeeper or kick it out of play. Murphy got around him and prodded the ball past England goalkeeper Paul Robinson from a tight angle for his first club goal.
Jermaine Jenas had a chance to win it for Spurs in the third minute of injury time, but he fired over the bar after the ball had dropped to him eight yards from goal.
”We have to learn and we have to grow up,” Spurs manager Martin Jol said. ”I think we did OK, but we should have killed them off. We didn’t play well enough to score two or three goals, but we did score one. If you don’t kill them off, they are always capable of scoring against you.”
Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy said he thought his team deserved a point.
”I think justice was done with the result,” McCarthy said. ”The players have kept going for me all the time and they got their reward.”
Tottenham are four points clear of fifth-place Arsenal, who tied 1-1 with Bolton on Saturday. Arsenal have played one game fewer and are at Liverpool on Tuesday. Third-place Liverpool, who won 1-0 at Wigan on Saturday, are three points further ahead.
Spurs are 21 points behind leaders Chelsea, which lost 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday — their second league loss of the season.
Sunderland’s 10th point of the season leaves them still 16 points away from safety and with eight to make up on next-to-last Portsmouth.
Goalkeeper Kelvin Davis had saved from Keane and Aaron Lennon before Spurs went ahead. Michael Carrick’s through ball put Jermain Defoe clear down the right and the England striker crossed for Keane to tap in from six yards.
Sunderland could have levelled in the 62nd minute when Jon Stead broke down the left. His low cross eluded Robinson, but Liam Lawrence was unable to make contact in front of an empty net.
Stuart Pearce came out on top against Alan Curbishley in a meeting of two managers being touted for the England job after Sven-Goran Eriksson steps down at the end of the World Cup.
Man City went ahead in the 22nd when Charlton’s Bryan Hughes headed away Barton’s right-wing cross, but the ball came to Richard Dunne who drove home a first-time shot from the edge of the area.
Charlton levelled when Darren Bent collected a through ball from Talal El Karkouri in the 50th and hit his 13th goal of the season.
City regained the lead three minutes later after Barton delivered another right-wing cross for Greek striker Georgios Samaras to head powerfully in from 10 yards.
It was 3-1 in the 62nd when Barton took the ball 30 yards out and let fly with a powerful shot that went in off the post.
Marcus Bent, no relation to Darren, headed in a cross for Charlton’s second in the 66th, but City held on to climb two places in the standings. The Addicks remained 12th.
Chelsea’s surprise loss at home to Middlesbrough allowed Manchester United to trim their lead to 12 points. The Red Devils posted a 3-1 victory at Portsmouth on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, Arsenal equalised in the third minute of injury time at home to Bolton, and Newcastle won 2-1 at Aston Villa to record their second straight win since firing manager Graeme Souness.
Everton edged Blackburn 1-0 despite playing 81 minutes with 10 men after goalkeeper Iain Turner was sent off, and Fulham crushed West Bromwich Albion 6-1. — Sapa-AP