Michael Keane to the rescue for Everton as Spurs throw away lead

Harry Kane’s second half penalty should have been enough to see off relegation-haunted Everton at Goodison only for Michael Keane to strike an incredible 90th minute equaliser

RED MIST: Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Moura is shown a red card by referee David Coote after a foul on Everton's Michael Keane during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Pic: Nigel French/PA Wire

EVERTON 1 TOTTENHAM 1

Tottenham caretaker Cristian Stellini discovered what his predecessor Antonio Conte could have told him - in fact, did tell the world - as his side threw away a glorious opportunity to cement themselves in the chase for a top-four finish at Goodison Monday night.

Harry Kane’s second half penalty should have been enough to see off relegation-haunted Everton at Goodison only for Michael Keane, the man who conceded that spot kick, to strike an incredible 90th minute equaliser from fully 30 yards.

The England striker, on the mark after 68 minutes, had also been involved in what looked like being the game’s pivotal moment - the dismissal of Abdoulaye Doucoure 10 minutes earlier, with the Everton midfielder shown a straight red for hitting Kane in the face.

But, when Spurs substitute Lucas Moura was also shown red in the 88th minute, just seven minutes after coming on, for an appalling lunge on Keane, the game was set to end with ten against ten.

Tottenham had, inexplicably, failed to cope, even with a one man advantage, and were now in an even more dire position.

Keane, who had been involved in so much of the drama, had the final word as time expired with an incredible strike that breathed life into Everton’s precarious hopes of surviving in the Premier League.

After the melodramatic and acrimonious exit of Conte last week, it was hardly the note of stability and sanity that Spurs needed as they threw away a win that would have lifted them, almost incredibly, into third place in the Premier League, although having played more games than rivals around them.

And following the brutal criticism Conte hurled at his players, just before his predictable sacking last week, his former players gave another example of what he was talking about.

If the idea, the masterplan if owner Daniel Levy has one, was to introduce a new voice in the dressing room just in time for Spurs to launch a late-season lurch towards the top four, then Monday night hardly suggested the idea is working.

Manchester United’s defeat to Newcastle on Sunday certainly put Champions League football firmly back on the agenda, even if there is no immediate sign of Conte’s permanent successor being named.

Not that many Premier League owners could ever be accused of shrewd, long-term, visionary planning but the dismissal of Conte, and Tottenham’s search for a replacement, will have clearly been impacted by events at Chelsea on Sunday.

The shock departure of Graham Potter - not to mention the simultaneous axeing of Brendan Rodgers at Leicester - has brought a level of managerial chaos to the Premier League which Spurs have to negotiate.

It says a lot about the dysfunction at Spurs, highlighted in the extraordinary outburst from Conte critiquing his players that proved the final nail in his Tottenham coffin, that even Chelsea, for all the revolving door they have permanently fixed to the manager’s office, looks an oasis of sanity compared to Spurs.

Fans’ choice Mauricio Pochettino has been ruled out by Levy, with names like Burnley’s impressive Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique and, even, Rodgers all mentioned as possible replacements.

But there is no sign of an immediate move by the Spurs hierarchy which suggests Stellini, who stood in for Conte when the Italian had short-term health issues earlier this season, will have at least a handful of games to try and resurrect his team’s miserable season.

The caretaker, without Conte in his ear managing “remotely” for the first time, certainly sent his team out with clear, concise instruction and the early signs were promising, especially as he targeted Everton’s veteran right-back Seamus Coleman.

There were a couple of chances for the usually immaculate Kane that came from that source, efforts which the prolific Spurs forward would normally have put away.

Kane was also involved in the first of the game’s flashpoints, just before the hour, when he fouled Doucoure and was on the receiving end of a blow to the face from the Everton midfielder.

The England striker reacted theatrically and dived unnecessarily to the floor, and was booked for his initial foul, but referee David Coote was left with no choice but to show Doucoure a straight red.

And, when Keane made his first error of the evening, failing to see Cristian Romero and tripping him directly in front of the referee, Kane strode up and calmly despatched the spot kick past his England team-mate Jordan Pickford.

Everton (4-5-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 5 (Mykolenko 76, 6), Keane 8, Tarkowski 6, Godfrey 7; Iwobi 6, Doucoure 4, Gueye 5 (Garner 83), Onana 6 (Davies 83), McNeil 7; Gray 7 (Simms 76, 6). 

Substitutes (not used): Holgate, Mina, Begovic, Maupay, Coady.

Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Lloris 6; Romero 6, Dier 7, Lenglet 6 (Sanchez 77, 5); Porro 6, Skipp 6, Hojbjerg 7, Perisic 7; Kulusevski 6, Son 5 (Moura 81); Kane 8. 

Substitutes (not used): Danjuma, Forster, Tanganga, Sarr, Austin, Devine, Mundle.

Referee: D Coote 7.