Late goal puts dent in Spurs’ ambitions

Fulham 1 Tottenham 0

The result was a deserved victory for a determined Fulham side, the winner arriving in the first minute of time added on.

Bocanegra fended off Stephen Kelly to head home Simon Elliott’s free-kick as Tottenham failed to recover from the dismissal of defender Michael Dawson for a second bookable offence in the second half.

After the game, Spurs manager Martin Jol claimed Luis Boa Morte had aimed a verbal volley at the Tottenham bench after the final whistle, when he was restrained by Fulham team-mates.

“It was a bit out of order. He didn’t say something but he gave my assistant a bit of bad air to say the least,” Jol said.

Jol regretted the last-minute goal but defended the decision to leave strikers Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe on the pitch after Dawson’s dismissal.

“We changed formation with Robbie Keane on the left and Jermain Defoe up front on his own,” said Jol.

“(For the goal) we defended too deep. It can happen. We should have scored in the first half. We put four or five crosses in. We had two or three half chances as well. I think we deserved at least a point.”

Once again Spurs will claim they are in a transitional stage with Michael Brown becoming the latest player to the leave the club - to Fulham.

It was Brown’s former colleagues who almost took the lead in the fifth minute when Robbie Keane fed Andy Reid on the edge of the penalty area only for the Irishman to see his first-time effort miss by inches.

Spurs keeper Paul Robinson was called on for two great saves, both from Brian McBride efforts.

The game took up a familiar pattern at the start of the second half with neither side capable of breaking the deadlock.

Dawson was booked for catching McBride with an elbow as the pair went for the ball in the middle of the pitch.

In the 64th minute, Fulham survived a penalty appeal when Luis Boa Morte hauled down Jermaine Jenas inside the area but referee the referee ignored protests from the Spurs players and awarded a corner instead.

In the 69th minute to a rousing cheer, Rasiak was finally replaced by Defoe. But, before he had a chance to make an impact, Dawson was sent off for a second bookable offence after pulling back Helguson.

Fulham almost punished Spurs from the free-kick but Robinson produced another superb save.

Defoe almost produced a matchwinner out of nothing when Elliott’s loose ball was seized upon by the England striker and his 20-yard drive was grabbed at the second attempt by Antti Niemi.

But it all fell apart when Bocanegra rose to plant a firm header beyond Robinson to the delight of the home faithful and give Jol more thinking to do.

FULHAM: Niemi, Rosenior, Knight, Bocanegra, Bridge, Boa Morte, Elliott, Legwinski (Radzinski 23), Malbranque, Helguson, McBride (John 73).

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Kelly, King, Dawson, Stalteri, Reid (Huddlestone 26), Carrick, Jenas, Lennon (Gardner 74), Rasiak (Defoe 70), Keane.

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).