Birmingham buoyed and then broken by Poyet

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Birmingham City 1

In danger of conceding their fourth successive defeat, Tottenham yesterday broke their depressing run thanks to an extraordinary goalkeeping error by Birmingham's Andy Marriott and then a brilliant game-saving 88th-minute shot from Gus Poyet. Birmingham were right to feel that the depression was all theirs.

This was the second time in a fortnight that Spurs had been confronted by a team needing a win to help relieve their prospects of falling into the relegation pit. Having lost to Bolton, the home side would probably have preferred to avoid Birmingham who, thanks in no small measure to the ability of Geoff Horsfield to come off the bench and win matches at the last moment, had begun to think that safety was perhaps only another victory away.

Yesterday Horsfield made one of his rare appearances from the beginning because Clinton Morrison had a dislocated shoulder. Birmingham were also deprived of Robbie Savage's tenacity because of an ankle injury and two-game suspension, and were without their experienced goalkeeper Ian Bennett, who was injured in training.

Horsfield could not have hoped for a better opportunity to make his presence felt than the one he received in the first minutes. Unmarked, he got the ball five yards out yet contrived to slice his shot wide of the far post.

And how Birmingham regretted that when, after seven minutes, their late replacement goalkeeper, the 32-year-old former Welsh international Marriott, who was making his debut after joining from Barnsley last month, had the ball in his hands, placed it on the ground to clear and totally failed to see that Robbie Keane was standing behind him. Keane snapped up the unattended ball and simply placed it in the net.

Birmingham's manager Steve Bruce said later: "It was cunning and cute from Keane. It was just a pity I couldn't shout loud enough to warn Andy." Glenn Hoddle added: "Robbie will remember that goal forever. I think he will dedicate it to his father who died last month."

Keane went on to become the fulcrum of Tottenham's almost relentless pressure on the visitors' goal. Darren Anderton screwed a shot across the face of goal and Teddy Sheringham headed close, but Spurs were susceptible to counterattacks. Horsfield again shaved the post and Christophe Dugarry forced Kasey Keller into a fine diving, near-post save.

At every opportunity Marriott cleared the ball long toward Dugarry and Horsfield. Dugarry's controlling first touch always allowed him to keep the Spurs defence under threat, but support from the midfield players was understandably hesitant.

The equaliser came shortly after Anderton and Taricco had retreated to block the ball on the line in a mêlée that had left Keller injured and on the ground while the referee, David Elleray, allowed the game to go on. Spurs thought they had recovered from the incident but one of them had not regained his composure. In the next attack Poyet dragged down Dugarry, and a penalty was inevitable. Paul Devlin slammed it beyond the still-groggy Keller.

Poyet quickly compensated for his error. With three minutes remaining he collected a huge clearance from Keller some 20 yards out and, after letting it bounce once, hit a wonderful volley past the unfortunate Marriott.

Tottenham Hotspur 2
Keane 7, Poyet 88

Birmingham City 1
Devlin pen 77

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 36,058