ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP:Tottenham - 0 Charlton Athletic - 1 The good news for Spurs is that they did not lose 4-0. But after three successive defeats by that humiliating scoreline, losing by only one goal this time did little to lift the late-season gloom that has descended on White Hart Lane.
Glenn Hoddle's patched-up side went down to a rare goal by Chris Powell which, allied to some vital saves by Dean Kiely, helped the Charlton manager Alan Curbishley celebrate his 550th senior game in charge with a victory which extended the team's unbeaten run in London derbies to 12 games.
Having conceded 12 goals in those three embarrassing games - against Manchester United and Chelsea twice - Tottenham probably thought things could not get any worse.
With Teddy Sheringham, Mauricio Taricco, Dean Richards and Ben Thatcher all not playing, Tottenham had an unfamiliar look about them. Sergei Rebrov actually started up front.
In the space of three minutes just past the hour Kiely kept his side in the game. First he tipped wide a close-range shot from Gus Poyet who had been found by a peach of a pass from just inside his own half.
Then Kiely denied the Uruguayan again, this time with his legs after Poyet had cleverly chested down Steffan Iversen's cross and produced what he thought was a goalscoring shot.
Almost immediately Charlton rewarded Kiely's defiance by going down the other end and scoring.
Graham Stuart crossed from the right, there was a mix-up in defence and Powell, on the ground, managed to stab the ball over the line from close range.
It was his first league goal for the club and took them to seventh in the table.
Guardian Service
TOTTENHAM: Sullivan, Perry, King, Gardner, Ziege, Anderton, Sherwood, Poyet, Davies, Ferdinand (Iversen 45), Rebrov (Etherington 73). Subs Not Used: Keller, Taricco, Thelwell. Booked: Gardner.
CHARLTON: Kiely, Young, Powell (Robinson 90), Rufus, Costa, Stuart, Bart-Williams, Parker (Konchesky 83), Fortune, Euell, Svensson. Subs Not Used: Kinsella, Ilic, Johansson. Goals: Powell 70.
Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
