Charlton Athletic forced their way back into last night's match at White Hart Lane in controversial fashion after seeing their lead wiped out by the two goals Tottenham scored in seven minutes early in the second half.
With 17 minutes remaining, Spurs expected to be awarded a free-kick when Steve Jones, one of the Charlton substitutes, forced his way bodily past Justin Edinburgh on the right, but the referee, Mike Reed, waved play on, and from Jones' centre Andy Hunt brought the scores level with his second goal of the game.
Tottenham were without the suspended David Ginola as well as Les Ferdinand and Steffen Iversen, both unfit. This meant that Chris Armstrong plied a lonely trade up front, while Ruel Fox and Andy Sinton tried to support him from the flanks.
Darren Anderton's vision was especially important and in only the second minute his sharply swerving free-kick was pushed wide of the near post by Sasa Ilic.
Charlton spent the early part of the match defending in depth, but Spurs continued to bring the best out of Ilic.
Midway through the first half a lob forward from Mark Kinsella should have brought Charlton a goal against the run of play. John Scales misjudged the ball's flight and allowed it to drop at the feet of Chris Powell, who with only Espen Baardsen to beat lifted his shot over the bar.
The next time Charlton sighted goal they scored, just past the halfhour. It was a well-worked move which preyed on lingering frailties in the middle of Tottenham's defence. Carl Tiler played the ball to Clive Mendonca who laid it off awkwardly to Paul Mortimer. Mortimer's chested return pass surprised Spurs and allowed Mendonca to slip through a large gap. His shot was defelcted by Sol Campbell beyond Baardsen on to the far post and Hunt tapped in the rebound.
Charlton's chances of holding their lead were not helped by the injury which forced Richard Rufus, the best of their three centre-backs, out of the game shortly before halftime.
The second half was only four minutes old when Anderton's inspiration helped produce the equaliser. After Stephen Carr and Fox had started to turn Charlton's defence on the right, Anderton threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the path of the overlapping Carr, whose low centre was turned past Ilic by Allan Nielsen.
Three minutes later a similar move nearly gave Spurs the lead. Again Anderton found Carr and again the cross was low and true, but this time Eddie Youds managed to turn the ball inches past his own near post.
Not that Charlton remained relieved for long. After 56 minutes Anderton gave Sinton a chance to release Justin Edinburgh on the left. The full-back's cross from the by line should have been intercepted, but Tiler allowed the ball to reach the far post, where Chris Armstrong scored his first league of the season with a diving header.
Tottenham Hotspur: Baardsen, Carr, Calderwood, Nielsen, Fox (Allen 89), Anderton, Armstrong, Edinburgh, Scales, Sinton (Clemence 89), Campbell. Subs Not Used: Walker, Vega, Dominguez. Booked: Calderwood, Edinburgh. Goals: Nielsen 50, Armstrong 57.
Charlton Athletic: Ilic, Mills, Powell, Redfearn (Brown 82), Rufus (Robinson 41), Youds, Kinsella, Hunt, Mendonca, Mortimer (S Jones 61), Tiler. Subs Not Used: Petterson, K Jones. Booked: Tiler, Mortimer, Kinsella. Goals: Hunt 32, 75.
Referee: M Reed (Birmingham)
