Tottenham's bid to return to the top of the table was scuppered after a fractious stalemate with Blackburn. Martin Jol had taken a gamble with one eye on the weekend game against Chelsea by leaving Edgar Davids, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe on the bench.

In their absence his side were perhaps lucky to hold out for a draw.

Blackburn, who saw Lucas Neill sent off with 15 minutes left, had a host of chances, with Shefki Kuqi arguably the biggest offender at missing the target.

Both sides were committed from the outset but, as their frustrations mounted in the latter stages, the challenges got more rash and referee Dermot Gallagher reached more readily for his pocket.

Andy Todd looked lucky to stay on the field after seemingly headbutting Andy Reid off the ball.

And moments later Neill received his marching orders following a second yellow card for an unpleasant double-footed challenge on substitute Davids.

Blackburn should have been ahead long before then and boss Mark Hughes was left shaking his head as he walked down the tunnel at half-time.

Rovers' best hope came barely five minutes before the interval when Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick seared across the face of Paul Robinson's goal.

It seemed inconceivable that Todd and Ryan Nelsen could miss at the far post but, first Todd slashed at the ball hopelessly and then Nelsen headed thin air.

Pedersen picked the first hole in Tottenham's defence after 13 minutes with another free-kick but he failed to find his target men.

And the Norwegian, Spurs' chief tormentor, created his side's only other real chance in the half when Paul Stalteri slipped in the box and Kuqi was sent clear.

But the Finnish striker's lunging flick went wide under the challenge of the fast-approaching Paul Robinson.

At the other end, Brad Freidel was only called into action once when Andy Reid struck from distance in the 25th minute. But it lacked sufficient venom and landed straight in the American's grasp.

The start of the second half did little to reinvigorate both sides until the final half hour as both set of players went in far more heavily with their challenges.

The only real chance of note went to Kuqi in the 55th minute but the ex-Ipswich front man failed to judge the cross and saw it ricochet off his shoulder.

Rovers' players and fans alike were later riled when two penalty appeals - first by Kuqi and then Brett Emerton - were turned down by the referee.

When Neill was rightfully sent off the field and an energetic Defoe was brought on, Tottenham still did little to ruffle the home side.

But the result leaves the Londoners second in the Premiership just two points behind Chelsea.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes: "We felt we had a good shout for a couple of penalties especially the Brett Emerton one when he had his shirt tugged. "It should have been a penalty but it didn't go our way.

"Overall I thought we played some great stuff but we didn't quite get that break in the final third of the field."