Teddy Sheringham was sensationally and mysteriously sent off as Tottenham suffered an unexpected pre-Christmas setback, losing to Ipswich substitute Alun Armstrong's 87th-minute winner.

Referee Mike Riley who angered the home crowd with a string of strange decisions, waved the red card at the veteran England striker eight minutes into the second half after a confusing scene in the Ipswich goalmouth finished with several players on the floor.

Skipper Sheringham, 35, a revelation at White Hart Lane in his first season back after a trophy-laden four-year sojourn at Manchester United, looked startled by the Leeds' official's action and clearly went to him to seek an explanation before trudging off.

When he passed manager Glenn Hoddle on his way down the tunnel he mimed a pushing motion to the stunned Tottenham boss.

Spurs had taken an 11th minute lead through rising star Simon Davies in their first genuine attack and it looked a formality that they would canter to victory and leave the visitors even deeper in the relegation mire.

But Ipswich took advantage of Tottenham's apparent desire to ease through the match in second gear and grabbed a deserved equaliser with an acrobatic effort by Finidi George seven minutes before half-time.

Although Spurs then hit a post through Darren Anderton and should have taken two easy chances at the start of the second half it was only after Sheringham's dismissal that they played with passion and real commitment.

Somehow Ipswich survived a siege built of adrenaline and a sense of injustice before Armstrong, on in place of Jim Magilton, knocked in George's cross with three minutes to go post only their second Premiership win in 18 matches this season.

Ipswich deserved much of their good fortune though for the kind of plucky display they are still going to need nearly every week now in their fight for Premiership survival.

They were a goal down in just 11 minutes from Tottenham's first real attack which was expertly finished by Davies for his fifth of the season.

But if Spurs thought it was going to be a stroll after that, the rest of the first half forced them to change their minds.

Ipswich, patient and accurate with their passing, looked the far more impressive side for long spells even though their finishing betrayed a lack of cutting edge without the still-injured Marcus Stewart.

With clever Irishman Magilton dictating the flow of the midfield play and twice firing shots just off target, the struggling East Anglians grew steadily in confidence after conceding a bad early goal when Davies was left unattended to expertly poke home Sergei Rebrov's angled delivery.

Martijn Reuser, meanwhile, was engaged in a furious row with a linesman, possibly suggesting there should have been an offside flag in the build-up which had been started by Sheringham's crossfield pass.

Referee Riley raced to the Dutchman like an Olympic sprinter and although he only lectured him rather than flourishing a yellow card, the thought occurred that here was the beginning of another Ipswich story.

Not so. They set about repairing the damage with craft and determination and it was no surprise when it paid off with George's spectacular equaliser as Spurs central defenders Chris Perry, Dean Richards and Ledley King - so impressive this season - began to look increasingly insecure.

When big Hermann Hreidarsson outjumped all challengers to nod down a corner, nimble Nigerian ace George had his back to goal but acrobatically hooked the ball over his shoulder and past the rooted Neil Sullivan.

In fact, Perry was replaced by youngster Anthony Gardner at the start of the second half and Spurs should have had the game sewn within six minutes of the restart, with the newcomer failing to beat Matteo Sereni from 10 yards after Christian Ziege somehow managed to volley Rebrov's cross against the bar from a position virtually underneath it.

Then came Sheringham's shock dismissal and, apart from anything else, it fired up Spurs at last.

They tore at the Ipswich rearguard with Anderton and Rebrov just failing to hit the target before Hoddle called for the heavy artillery of veterans Les Ferdinand and Gus Poyet whom he had intended resting on the bench.

The Spurs boss went through a full range of frustrated emotions on the touchline as chance after chance was manufactured and missed - Ferdinand denied by Sereni from 20 yards and then the agile Italian goalkeeper seeing Anderton's curling effort drift just wide.

The home crowd roared their wrath at Riley in a growing tumult of noise but Armstrong's opportunist strike late on was their final anguish.

Teams:

Tottenham: Sullivan, Perry (Gardner 45), King, Richards, Taricco, Davies (Poyet 75), Freund, Anderton, Ziege, Sheringham, Rebrov (Ferdinand 67).

Subs Not Used: Keller, Sherwood.

Sent Off: Sheringham (54).

Booked: Anderton.

Goals: Davies 12.

Ipswich: Sereni, Makin, McGreal (Bramble 83), Hreidarsson, Venus, Magilton (Armstrong 71), Holland, Wright, Reuser, George, Marcus Bent (Naylor 76).

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Clapham.

Booked: Wright, McGreal.

Goals: George 40, Armstrong 88.

Att: 36,040

Ref: M Riley (Leeds).