Filed under: Tottenham, Wolverhampton, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
A late goal from Steven Fletcher earned Wolverhampton a deserved draw in a Molineux thriller as Tottenham suffered a setback in their preparations for Wednesday's Champions League showdown with AC Milan.Kevin Doyle and Jermain Defoe, with his first Premier League goals of the season in his 300th top flight appearance, had scored scored twice to leave the sides level at half-time.
Then Harry Redknapp's Spurs, who remain fifth, looked on course for the three points thanks to Roman Pavlyuchenko's strike early in the second half until Fletcher struck with a fine looping header to secure a precious point for Mick McCarthy's team, who remain in the bottom three, in their battle to beat the drop.
A minute's applause was held in memory of former Wolves and Tottenham defender Dean Richards, who died aged 36 last week. His wife and sons were joined on the pitch by former team mates and managers including Graham Taylor, Dave Jones, Matt Murray, James Beattie and Ledley King.
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Wolves went ahead when Nenad Milijas's 20th-minute corner was only half-cleared to Karl Henry on the edge of the area, He fed it back out wide to Milijas and his teasing ball was headed in by the unmarked Doyle at the near post.
It was schoolboy defending from Spurs, but there was nothing amateurish about their response, though, as Defoe first fired a dipping shot into the roof of the net from 25 yards on the half-hour mark after exchanging passes with Pavlyuchenko before putting the visitors ahead with an equally exceptional curling effort when Stephen Ward's attempted interception fell kindly to him on the edge of the area.
Wolves could count themselves extremely unfortunate to be behind but they responded in the best possible fashion by pulling themselves level four minutes before half-time when Doyle sent Heurelho Gomes the wrong way with a low strike from the penalty spot.
The Republic of Ireland international's 20-yard drive took a wicked deflection to send it into the path of the advancing Milijas at the back post, however the Serbia international's shirt was clearly tugged by Hutton.
Referee Mark Halsey made one correct decision in pointing to the penalty spot but, according to the letter of the law, the Scot should have been red carded rather than booked after denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Wolves were to remain level for just three minutes of the second half as Spurs served up the latest in their collection of sumptuous strikes, this time Jermaine Jenas feeding Pavlyuchenko before he turned and unleashed a powerful drive into the roof of the net, although given it was down the middle of the goal Wayne Hennessey will have been disappointed not to have done better.
It took an outstanding save in the 65th minute from Gomes, at full stretch, to turn Milijas' low drive against the right post, while Gareth Bale was introduced for the relatively quiet Steven Pienaar on 69 minutes.
Confusion reigned in the 80th minute when Wolves thought they had levelled when Richard Stearman bundled a Milijas free-kick over the line only for Halsey to adjudge he had fouled Gomes, while Defoe was denied a hat-trick when his close-range effort hit the post on 84 and Spurs paid the price when Fletcher had the final say in the 87th minute.
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