Tottenham drew 1-1 with Portsmouth yesterday to climb away from last place in the Premier League.

After David Nugent had given Pompey the lead, Jermain Defoe, who returned to Tottenham nine days ago, captured a point that sent Spurs up four places in the crowded bottom half of the standings.

Portsmouth also moved up three places to 12th after facing former manager Harry Redknapp for the first time since he left Pompey for Spurs in late October.

"We missed chance after chance late on, you're never going to get a better chance to win a football match like we had," said Redknapp, who led Portsmouth to a rare FA Cup triumph last season and into the UEFA Cup before moving to Tottenham when Spurs were also last in the Premier League.

"I thought we showed great cha-racter to come back from 1-0 down. They could have easily hid and felt sorry for themselves. If we continue to play like this, we won't have a (relegation) problem."

Goal difference

The draw sent West Bromwich Albion, which beat Middlesbrough 3-0 on Saturday, back into last place on goal difference, but they are one of five clubs on 21 points.

Nugent gave Portsmouth a 59th- minute lead with a low, angled shot from a breakaway after Pompey goalkeeper David James had made a reflex save at the other end of the field.

Aaron Lennon's shot took a big deflection, but James managed to change direction and save at the foot of the post before the ball was swept up field.

It was one of a series of top-quality saves by the England goalkeeper, who also acrobatically tipped a header from Defoe over the bar and blocked a glancing header from substitute Darren Bent in the first half.

Bent was on the field because Russian striker Roman Pavlyu-chenko was carried off with a leg injury in the 29th minute and Spurs also lost defender Ledley King before half-time.

In a thrilling, end-to-end game, Defoe levelled in the 70th with a low, left-foot, 20-metre (yard) shot from a lay-off by Luka Modric.

Bent should have added a second in the 79th minute but headed wide of the far post while unmarked.

"He should have scored, it was an open goal," Redknapp said. "Jamo (goalkeeper James) had given it up."

END UNBEATEN RUN

Carlton Cole scored for the fifth game in a row as West Ham beat Fulham 3-1 to climb to eighth and end the Cottagers' unbeaten run of nine league matches.

David Di Michele punished a blunder by John Pantsil to give the Hammers a seventh-minute lead when he intercepted the defender's chested back pass to his 'keeper and rolled the ball into the net from six yards.

Paul Konchesky equalised in the 22nd minute with a 25-yard shot that curved and flew inside the near post.

But Mark Noble restored West Ham's lead with a 60th-minute penalty, awarded when Konchesky tripped Cole as the West Ham striker was about to shoot.

Cole added the third in the 75th when he collected a through pass and slid the ball past goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

The result was a boost for West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola, who dropped striker Craig Bellamy after the Welsh international, who wants a move away from Upton Park, rejected a new contract and walked out of training.

"Craig wasn't in the squad because he wasn't in the right frame of mind," Zola said.

"I don't know what will happen, I don't know if he has played his last game for the club."