Ridgewell´s late strike frustrates Tottenham

Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell frustrated Tottenham’s push for the Champions League as his last-gasp equaliser earned a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s on Saturday.

Jermain Defoe looked to have consolidated Tottenham’s position in fourth place with a 69th-minute strike — his first Premier League goal of 2010.

But Birmingham avoided a second successive defeat when defender Ridgewell stole in at the far post to volley home in the last minute.

The draw left Tottenham just one point ahead of Liverpool as the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League hots up.

The only consolation for Harry Redknapp is the confirmation that defender Younes Kaboul will re-sign from Portsmouth in a five million pounds (5.8 million euros) deal that could save his former club from slipping into administration.

Birmingham’s recent form has been so impressive that Alex McLeish’s players, furious at losing for the first time in 16 games, reportedly confronted each other in the Stamford Bridge visitors’ dressing room in the aftermath of their 3-0 loss at Chelsea on Wednesday.

However, far from damaging the tremendous spirit that has made Birmingham a revelation this season, that defeat did not appear to have affected McLeish’s players.

Lee Bowyer almost gave the home side a fourth-minute lead when he was teed up by James McFadden but he shot straight at Heurelho Gomes.

Christian Benitez, the Ecuador international striker, bamboozled Michael Dawson on the edge of the area before sending a tame shot right into the arms of Tottenham’s keeper.

There was no Roman Pavyluchenko in the Spurs team for this encounter, with Birmingham’s second bid of nine million pounds for the Russian international reportedly having been turned down by Redknapp.

But David Bentley remained in the team after his impressive performance, and goal, against Fulham.

And the midfielder produced Spurs’ first genuine chance in the 34th minute when he cut inside and drove in a shot that was clawed around the post by Joe Hart.

Bentley also came close to shattering the boredom of a tedious game early in the second half when Gareth Bale’s cross eluded the Birmingham defence to find the England international, but his shot was kept out by Hart.

Spurs somehow failed to take the lead in the 57th minute. Defoe danced past a hesitant home defence and lost balance as he prepared to shoot, the ball rolling into the path of Peter Crouch who inexplicably placed his shot wide.

It did galvanise the visitors, however, and they forced a succession of corners as they battled for the opener.

And they finally secured the goal their steady pressure deserved when an unmarked Defoe lashed in Bale’s cross in the 69th minute.

Yet Birmingham pushed desperately for an equaliser and finally earned it through Ridgewell’s finish from Cameron Jerome’s flick.