TOFFEES HOLD SPURS TO A 1-1 DRAW AT HOME

Michael Keane scored a stunning long-range strike in the 90th minute to salvage a Premier League draw for Everton against Tottenham in a game that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Defender Keane stepped up from the back to arrow a 25-yard drive into the top corner, the point taking Sean Dyche’s men out of the relegation zone.

Harry Kane had given Tottenham the lead in the second half from the penalty spot after Keane himself had fouled Cristian Romero in the area.

The game had been an uninspiring encounter up until the flashpoint on 57 minutes, when Toffees midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure was given a deserved straight red card after pushing Kane in the face off the ball.

The England captain’s goal looked like giving Cristian Stellini a winning start as interim manager in Tottenham’s first game since Antonio Conte exited the club by mutual consent.

But substitute Lucas Moura was also sent off for a nasty challenge on Keane and the former Burnley player shook off the knock to smash in the equaliser and spark pandemonium at Goodison Park.

The point lifts Everton three places up to 15th while Tottenham climb to fourth on goal difference, albeit having played two more games than Manchester United in fifth.

Kane in the thick of the action

For the best part of an hour this was an insipid contest as both sides struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities in the final third.

But Kane was at the thick of the action when he challenged Demarai Gray on the halfway line, an incident to which Doucoure took exception.

Pushes were exchanged before the Everton midfielder put his hand into the face of Kane, who went tumbling to the turf and referee David Coote brandished a straight red.

Kane received lengthy treatment from the physio but the Everton bench were clearly unhappy at his reaction to the incident.

The England captain shrugged off the incident to open the scoring 10 minutes later from penalty spot, sending international team-mate Jordan Pickford the wrong way to register his 15th league goal against Everton.

Kane could have netted in the opening period but a spin and shot was blocked on the line by Keane, while he also sent a free header wide.

Son Heung-min, roundly jeered throughout for inflicting a serious ankle injury on Andre Gomes here four years ago, had the best opportunity in the first half but shot straight at Pickford.

The result takes Tottenham into the Champions League places with nine games to play, but Stellini’s side have now failed to win their last six games away from home.

Kesh Awefada

Kesh Awefada

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