Spurs stage miraculous comeback
Martin Jol's side fought back to claim a point
Monday, 01, Oct 2007 11:00
Tottenham Hotspur conjured an extraordinary second-half revival to salvage a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in the pair's Premier League clash at White Hart Lane this evening.
Manager Martin Jol must have feared his fragile grasp on the home side's manager's job might be about to be broken when Craig Gardener put the visitors 4-1 up just before the hour.
But a stirring renaissance saw Pascal Chimbonda and Robbie Keane score before defender Younes Kaboul finally fired home the leveller in the final minute of the game.
The rollercoaster of emotions for the home fans had started on an up when Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov found the net for only the second time this season after meeting a Tom Huddlestone corner with a precise header.
But Villa swiftly turned the tables as defender Martin Laursen scored twice in quick succession with goalkeeper Paul Robinson at fault for both goals.
The England goalkeeper spilled a simple catch to allow the Dane to pounce on 22 minutes before a deflection of the same player flew through his legs eleven minutes later.
Gabriel Agbonlahor's dangerous run was rounded off with a crisp shot past the beleaguered stopper to make it 3-1 just short of the break and it seemed that match was settled when Gardener wrapped a low free-kick around the base of the hosts' wall.
But a chaotic final third of the match, which coincided with the introduction of Jermain Defoe from the Tottenham bench, saw Chimbonda bury a rebound on 69 minutes and Keane coolly convert a penalty with eight minutes remaining.
Villa looked as if they may cling on for the win, but Kaboul rammed home a powerful shot in the dying seconds to complete a remarkable recovery.