Jol's Spurs leave it late

Kaboul: Late, Late leveller

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Teams

• Aston Villa
• Tottenham Hotspur

Players

• Robbie Keane
• Martin Laursen

• More Players +

  • Pascal Chimbonda
  • Younes Kaboul
  • Gabriel Agbonlahor
  • Craig Gardner

Also see

• Keane backs boss
• Jol rues leaky defence
• O'Neill not happy

Tottenham Hotspur marked their 125th anniversary with a dramatic 4-4 draw against Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa.

Dimitar Berbatov put Spurs ahead but a brace from Martin Laursen and a goal apiece for Craig Gardner and Gabriel Agbonlahor put Villa three goals ahead.

Pascal Chimbonda and Robbie Keane scored late goals, and just when a point looked unlikely, Younes Kaboul levelled in stoppage time.

Spurs took the lead on 20 minutes through a Berbatov header. Tom Huddlestone whipped in a corner and the unmarked Bulgarian headed past Scott Carson.

Minutes later Villa hit back with a goal from Laursen. Gareth Barry bent in what seemed like a harmless corner, but Robinson inexplicably spilled his catch and Laursen poked the ball home.

In the 33rd minute O'Neill's men turned the game on its head. Barry delivered from the left and Zat Knight headed back across goal, the ball then cannoned off Laursen only to nutmeg Robinson.

Five minutes before half-time things went from bad to worse for Spurs. Agbonlahor took on Michael Dawson, he shifted the ball to the right and then fired a low shot into the far corner to make it 3-1.

Craig Gardner added to Jol's misery on 58 minutes. Villa won a free-kick on the edge of the area and the 20-year-old stepped up to smash past an outstretched Robinson.

Tottenham were then given a lifeline when Chimbonda reacted quickest to power home a rebound.

With 10 minutes remaining Keane buried a penalty to bring Spurs within touching distance, and in stoppage time Kaboul smashed home to send White Hart Lane into delirium.

Shocking night

O'Neill's men had not scored away from home in the Premier League this season prior to tonight's contest, but they were gifted a healthy advantage by Spurs' leaky defence - with England goalkeeper Robinson having a shocking night.

Robinson has appeared short on confidence at times this season and he should have kept out two strikes from Laursen. In fairness, he had little chance with precise finishes from Agbonlahor and Gardner.

On a night of celebration that soon soured, Spurs' legends were introduced onto the pitch but they were given a first-half horror show after Berbatov had given them the lead.

Ashley Young tested Robinson with a low cross-shot and a swerving drive, while Wilfred Bouma's cross just evaded Agbonlahor at the far post.

The goalscoring started in the 20th minute and Laursen was in the thick of the action.

The Dane failed to track Berbatov and the Bulgaria striker headed powerfully home from Huddlestone's corner, his second goal of the season.

Laursen made up for it immediately. Robinson came to claim Barry's corner but dropped it, with Laursen prodding home after a ricochet off Chimbonda.

Great Dane

Laursen then got his second of the game in the 33rd minute. Young took a quick free-kick to Barry on the left, his cross was met by Knight and struck Laursen before finding the net.

Agbonlahor made it 3-1 five minutes from half-time when he won the ball off Dawson after a Luke Moore flick-on, twisted into the penalty area and finished neatly.

It could have got worse for Robinson just after the break when he appeared to bring down Agbonlahor after failing to hold Young's free-kick, but Mike Dean waved play on.

Jol responded by bringing on Jermain Defoe for Teemu Tainio but they were three goals adrift just before the hour mark after Kaboul tripped Agbonlahor on the edge of the penalty area. Gardner smashed the ball around the wall and into the far post.

Spurs pulled one back when Defoe hit the post from Gareth Bale's cross and Chimbonda followed up.

Marlon Harewood almost embarrassed Robinson by charging down a kick, but the striker then brought down substitute Darren Bent at the other end.

Keane tucked away the penalty to set up an exciting finish, with Kaboul slamming home in stoppage time after Villa failed to clear a corner.