Tugay's sensational opener at Ewood Park was not enough to earn Blackburn a first win in six as both sides ended with 10 men in a hard-fought encounter.

Tugay handed the hosts the lead with a stunning volley from 30 yards but the game came to life in the second half.

Referee Phil Dowd sent Tugay off after he had brought Hossam Ghaly down and Jermain Defoe scored from the spot.

In stoppage time Ghaly was sent off for an elbow, a decision which led to a row between Dowd and Spurs boss Martin Jol.

Initially it was thought Jol had been sent off, although the Premier League clarified later that he had only been asked to stand away from the touchline.

It was a thrilling end to an entertaining affair, with both sides having cause for complaints against the officials' decisions.

A draw was arguably the fair result though from a game that got off to a stunning start.

Tottenham, on the back of their capitulation to Reading last week, began brightly but few could have expected the game to be lit up in such brilliant fashion by Tugay.

The Turkish midfielder steadied himself 30 yards out and then lashed Ledley King's clearance into the top corner on the volley with ferocious power.

Spurs responded with two 20-yard drives from Defoe, the second of which would have come close to Tugay's strike in terms of quality, before Mido twice wasted good opportunities when clear at the end of the half.

Morten Gamst Pedersen could have made it two when he headed over from six yards, but by half-time Tottenham had forced seven attempts on goal to the hosts' two.

In truth, though, Spurs' profligacy in possession and frailties at the back told a different story and until 15 minutes into the contest it looked like their woeful away record would continue.

However, they drew level when a delightful move found Ghaly in the box, the Egyptian turned inside Tugay, and the Turkish midfielder brought him down with his trailing leg.

Tugay saw red for the offence and moments later, after Defoe had slipped the ball wide of penalty-save specialist Brad Friedel, Spurs felt the benefit of another decision.

Mido got on the end of Michael Gray's long free-kick to clear but the hosts were adamant he used an arm to control the ball, only for Dowd to wave away their appeals.

The expected visiting onslaught did not materialise though and Blackburn more than held their own in the closing stages.

Benni McCarthy came closest to a goal when his clever flick almost caught Paul Robinson unawares, while King almost snatched a late win for Spurs with a close-range header.

However, with the match entering stoppage time, there was still time for Dowd to have another say in the game.

First he dismissed Ghaly for an alleged mid-air elbow on Gray and he then duplicated the card for Tottenham boss Jol who was infuriated by the decision.

The draw ended a run of four defeats for Blackburn, while it was only Tottenham's third point away from home in the league this season.