Ten-man Fulham claimed a 1-1 draw
with Tottenham at Craven Cottage.
Despite having Heidar Helguson sent off early in the second half,
Fulham went ahead through a Vincenzo Montella penalty.
Spurs, who were way off the pace all day, salvaged a point with
just minutes left when Pascal Chimbonda scrambled the ball
home.
A turgid opening to the game did not see a clear opportunity to
arrive until just before the half hour mark.
It came for the recalled Anthony Gardener as Tom Huddlestone swung
a cross into the box but from six yards the one-time England
international headed over.
A minute later Fulham themselves could have gone ahead. Franck
Queudrue found Carlos Bocanegra at the back post - his pass inside
came to Helguson, but his attempted flick could not beat
Robinson.
The game at times threatened to boil over with former Fulham star
Steed Malbranque the aggressor and victim on more than one
occasion.
He was booked just before the break, after Helguson had already
been carded for a crude challenge on him.
Fulham were looking the far more likely and finished the half on a
high, but they could not find the lead - although they should have,
as Spurs had Robinson to thank as he somehow reacted to Brian
McBride's close-range effort to keep it all square.
The beginning of the second half was mirroring the first with
neither side able to dominate the midfield, which led to few
chances.
As it had threatened to do in the first half, tempers overflowed
and Helguson saw red for a second booking - although television
replays suggest he made minimal, if any, contact with Huddlestone,
who went to ground dramatically.
Martin Jol knew something needed to be done and with an extra man,
he brought on both Aaron Lennon and Robbie Keane as he chased the
game.
Despite being a man down, Chris Coleman refused to be negative as
Montella and debutant Clint Dempsey were introduced for The
Cottagers.
But the extra man began to tell in the final ten minutes with Spurs
looking to get Lennon more and more involved - but to no avail, as
Fulham took the lead.
It came from the penalty spot as Montella dispatched with great
aplomb after Michael Dawson had nudged McBride's shot wide with his
arm.
Spurs immediately had their own claim for a penalty turned down as
Ian Pearce slid in to deny Berbatov.
Jol's side were left with little option but to throw everything at
Fulham and it paid off as Chimbonda struck. A long ball into the
box fell for the French full-back, the home side did not react and
the ex-Wigan man fired into the corner - although Jan Lastuvka
would have been disappointed not to keep it out.
Both sides had chances in the final minutes, but the draw was a
fair result - although Coleman will be able to take much more than
Jol from the performance of his side.