Tottenham Hotspur 2 West Bromwich Albion 1
Robbie Keane surely already haunted most West Bromwich Albion fans' worst nightmare.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers favourite popped up last night with a dramatic double to wreck the Baggies' hopes of three precious survival points.
After Albion led through young captain Curtis Davies, the game was already starting to drift away from the Baggies when Keane fired Tottenham Hotspur level midway through the first half.
But, in a heartbreaking finale for Bryan Robson, the Albion manager, and his team, Keane scored from the penalty spot two minutes from time after Tomasz Kuszczak had dropped a late clanger in bringing down Jermain Defoe.
It hardly seems fair to dub Keane the 'Scourge of the Albion' when he has scored 19 goals against all West Midland opposition since leaving Wolves. This brought his tally to seven in his last five starts against Albion who were so close to ruffling a lot of feathers at the bottom of the Premiership.
Robson, after having a lone striker for three games, switched to a 4-4-2 system by restoring Nathan Ellington and Nwankwo Kanu.
Robson's thinking was influenced not only by former Arsenal striker Kanu's obvious penchant for playing against Spurs but Ellington's goal-scoring forays from the bench in successive games.
They replaced the injured Diomansy Kamara and skipper Kevin Campbell who again handed over armband duties to Davies. But Robson's third alteration to the team that had given Manchester United a good battle was far less predictable.
Andy Johnson, an increasingly peripheral figure, was brought in to central midfield for only his second game in six months in place of Junichi Inamoto.
Albion's reshaped outfit did not take long to click. Ellington had one early effort wide while Steve Watson got forward from the back to see a fierce low volley blocked.
It took a lucky break to earn Albion a 20th-minute lead. Not every referee would have deemed Ellington running into Michael Carrick as constituting a foul. In fact, Carrick led the home supporters' protests. But Jonathan Greening ignored the moans, clipped in a delicate free kick and Davies got in ahead of Michael Dawson to flick home a fine header.
His second goal for Albion -his first in six months - was enough to galvanise Champions' League-chasing Spurs.
Aaron Lennon's mazy run needed Martin Albrechtsen's block to concede a corner from which Ledley King's shot was blocked. Keane's dummy set up Jermain Defoe to test Kuszczak with a superb reflex save high to his right.
King then had another effort deflected over off Ronnie Wallwork before Lennon cut in to fire in a low shot which was turned aside by the alert Kuszczak.
Spurs continued to look lively after the break. Jer-maine Jenas fired just over, Keane was even closer with a header from Stephen Kelly's cross and then Martin Jol's decision to switch to three strikers paid dividends almost instantly.
Substitute Mido was so close within a minute of coming on, set up by Defoe, steering his shot inches wide.
But Albion remained a threat on the break, Kanu conjuring one effort out of nothing when he flashed a 25-yard half-volley just over.
The general flow of play had changed, though. It was hardly a surprise when Spurs levelled. Nor was the identity of the scorer much of a shock! Carrick played a ball into space down the inside-left channel. Keane's first touch foxed Watson and he cheekily lifted a chip over Kuszczak.
Albion responded well, Ellington's right-foot shot and Kanu's header forcing saves from Paul Robinson. The England keeper again reacted well to catch Watson's header from a Greening cross.
Then came that dramatic finale. Kuszczak made a mess of fielding a back pass, Defoe tried to cash in on the resulting flap, over he went in the area, and Keane kept his cool to convert the resulting penalty.
