Dawson's second-half header seals point at Spurs
- Dawson own goal hands Spurs opener (33)
- Defender then heads second-half leveller (73)
- Albion on 41 points with three games remaining
- Attendance: 35,923
- Albion Star Man: Boaz Myhill
ALBION ended a run of three successive defeats with a stirring performance at White Hart Lane that left Tottenham’s Barclays Premier League title hopes hanging by the slenderest of threads.
The Baggies fought back from an unfortunate own goal to grab a well-deserved 1-1 draw thanks to a second half Craig Dawson equaliser.
It was an eventful night in north London which saw the Albion defender score at both ends, getting the final touch on a dangerous ball into the box as he challenged with Jan Vertonghen in the first period.
It was a contest the Baggies had to tackle without both Ben Foster and Saido Berahino who were missing with ankle injuries.
Salomon Rondon took over from Berahino but it was Albion’s other replacement, keeper Boaz Myhill, who distinguished himself as Spurs launched the game with an unrelenting onslaught on his goal.
His best save was a superb fingertip stop to palm away a Harry Kane effort with the help of a post when the England striker seemed certain to score and that resilience served Albion well – until the 33rd minute.
Angry at a free-kick award, the Baggies also felt Vertonghen impeded Dawson as the ball squeezed off his shoulder and beyond Myhill.
But Albion were well in the game by half time and, after surviving another scare as Kane was denied by the foot of a post, in the 73rd minute they were level.
Rondon, narrowly wide with a header shortly before, forced a brilliant save from Hugo Lloris but at the expense of a corner – and from Craig Gardner’s service Dawson climbed above the traffic to head home.
After that, Albion looked just as likely to find a winner with Stephane Sessegnon slipping through twice to fire wide while the visitors’ defence stood firm.
After five minutes of added time, it was a well-deserved point rightly acclaimed by Albion’s loyal band of travelling fans but celebrated no more lustily by Spurs’ title rivals Leicester City.
SPURS: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireid, Vertonghen, Rose; Dembele, Lamela (Son 84), Dier (Mason 75), Eriksen, Alli (Chadli 90), Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Carroll, Davies.
Bookings:
ALBION: Myhill; Gardner, McAuley, Olsson, Evans; Sessegnon (Sandro 90), Fletcher, Gardner, Yacob, McClean; Rondon.
Subs: Palmer, Chester, Anichebe, Lambert, Roberts, Leko.
Bookings: Evans (foul, 60);
Referee: Mike Jones (Chester)