Sheringham makes late point

Leicester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Leicester, in their last home match before they travel to Wembley for the Coca-Cola Cup final against Middlesbrough on 6 April, were close to an appropriately sparkling send-off when Teddy Sheringham's last-gasp goal snuffed out the celebrations at Filbert Street last night.

Sheringham, who had failed to score in their previous three matches, equalised in the 90th minute with header from a cross by substitute Ronny Rosenthal after Leicester appeared to have secured victory through Steve Claridge's 74-minute goal.

It left Leicester ruing an 88th- minute miss from Claridge when he shot over the bar from six yards out after connecting with a cross from Garry Parker.

Sheringham sparked the game into life in the 21st minute. After latching on to a pass from Steffen Iversen, Sheringham beat Leicester's stand-in keeper, Kevin Poole, with a left-footed drive, but his effort hit the inside of a post and bounced back along the goal-line.

Thereafter Tottenham struggled to find fluency. In a campaign undermined by injury, David Howells became the latest casualty in the 38th minute when he was taken off on a stretcher following a collision with Steve Guppy.

The second half began in marked contrast to the torpor of the opening spell, with Leicester making an immediate impression. First Guppy turned a Neil Lennon cross past a post. Then Claridge was narrowly wide with a speculative long-range effort.

Ian Marshall moved forward in the closing quarter and he set up Claridge, who drilled a low shot past Ian Walker, but the 72nd-minute effort was ruled offside. However, two minutes later Muzzy Izzet spread the ball out wide to Marshall, whose deep centre found Lennon on the right flank. He turned the ball back into the path of Claridge, who scored from close range.

Leicester City: Poole; Grayson, Guppy, Prior, Elliott, Izzet, Lennon, Parker, Claridge, Marshall (Robins, 81), Heskey (Watts, 69). Substitutes not used: Andrews (gk), Taylor, Lawrence.

Tottenham Hotspur: Walker; Austin (Rosenthal, 79), Calderwood, Campbell, Scales, Carr, Sinton, Howells (Dozzell, 38), Nielsen, Sheringham, Iversen. Substitutes not used: Bardsen (gk), Nethercott, Wilson.

Referee: L Dilkes (Mossley).