Harry Kane own goal denies dominant Tottenham Hotspur vital win at Sunderland

TOTTENHAM Hotspur pay the price for failing to take their chances as Harry Kane inadvertently hands Sunderland a vital point at the Stadium Of Light.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Spurs players react after player Harry Kane (hands on knees) scores the own goal for the second Sunderland goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadium of Light on September 13, 2014 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

AFTER a turbulent week dominated by the potential sale of the club and a forded move from White Hart Lane, a late Harry Kane own goal meant Tottenham Hotspur had to settle for a point in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Sunderland.

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Goals early in each half from Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen looked to have put Spurs en route to a fifth successive victory over Sunderland, who remain without a win this season despite twice fighting back to draw.

But Mauricio Pochettino’s side paid for failing to take their chances, as substitute Kane found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time to divert a Jordi Gomez free-kick into his own net with eight minutes left.

Christian Eriksen gets Tottenham’s second - but it was all in vain.

Amid speculation over the club’s future ownership, and news they will need a temporary home for the 2017-2018 season due to delays in the construction of their new stadium, Spurs’ preparations had been far from ideal.

But they put their off-field issues aside and would have won with something to spare, but for a resilient display from the hosts at the Stadium of Light.

Spurs dominated an open first half that saw both goals arrive in the opening four minutes.

Former Sunderland loanee Danny Rose had already forced a fine save from home goalkeeper Vito Mannone when the visitors took a second-minute lead.

Emmanuel Adebayor was afforded time and space to accept Erik Lamela’s pass and shoot. Mannone saved well, but the rebound fell perfectly for Chadli to tuck home his third goal in four games.

But Sunderland were level just 72 seconds later in a breathless beginning to the contest.

Sebastian Larsson fed Adam Johnson on the left and the winger cut between Eric Dier and Etienne Capoue before beating Hugo Lloris with an angled right-foot drive that took a deflection off defender Younes Kaboul.

It proved to be a brief respite and Sunderland were soon on the back foot as they struggled to cope with 22-year-old Danish midfielder Eriksen.

Adam Johnson got Sudnerland level early on.

Mannone dived to his left to push a low effort from Chadli round the post, before the Italian goalkeeper blocked with his chest after Adebayor volleyed towards goal from point-blank range.

Mousa Dembele then saw a speculative effort take a deflection and hit the post with Mannone rooted to the spot.

The half-time interval failed to halt Tottenham’s momentum and they deservedly went ahead again three minutes after the restart.

Adebayor released Chadli on the left and the winger’s low cross sparked confusion in the Sunderland defence.

Patrick van Aanholt’s attempted clearance ran loose, and Eriksen reacted first to beat Wes Brown to the ball and stab home from a matter of feet for his first goal since April.

Despite being out-played for most of the match, Sunderland retained hope of snatching a point while just a goal in arrears.

And Tottenham’s failure to score a third goal came back to haunt them when a Gomez free-kick was allowed to travel across the face of goal, where it struck substitute Kane and rolled into the visitors’ net.

Sunderland almost won it at the death, but Will Buckley fired over from Van Aanholt’s cross.

Originally published as Harry Kane own goal denies dominant Tottenham Hotspur vital win at Sunderland