Colombian striker Hamilton Ricard's 13th goal of the season, and his second of the match, left luckless Tottenham doubled up in anguish as their defence buckled in the face of a determined comeback by the resurgent Teessiders.

In a unexpectedly exciting White Hart Lane encounter, Spurs deserved their lead through Chris Armstrong's latest strike, but clangers at the back and general defensive uncertainty finally cost them dear.

Armstrong, favourite target of the Tottenham boo-boys for much of this inconsistent season, continued an heroic recent run with a sixth goal in as many games just after the half-hour mark.

But Spurs were pegged back by Steve Carr's own-goal 10 minutes later and then demolished by Ricard's second-half brace, courtesy of some slick opportunism but also fateful hesitation on both occasions by goalkeeper Ian Walker.

Yet in between the Colombian striker's admirable efforts in the 65th and 75th minutes, only the brilliance of Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and the width of a post denied George Graham's side.

Schwarzer, who had already clutched a rocket shot from David Ginola at full stretch, somehow turned away Armstrong's header from a cross by Carr, who spent all night trying feverishly to make up for his own-goal blunder.

Then when Steffen Freund's cross was deflected to Ginola standing unmarked eight yards out the Frenchman battered the foot of a post with his shot and then saw Steffen Iversen skewer the rebound wide.

And by the time Ginola latched on to a throw-in and made a typical mazy run before firing home in the 83rd minute, it was too late to save the north London side.

Ricard had given Middlesbrough the lead for the first time, taking advantage of Walker's failure to deal adequately with a Christian Ziege corner and forcing home the loose ball.

And Walker, making his 250th league appearance, was also slow off his line when Ricard moved in on Ziege's lofted through ball to glance a header over the stranded keeper.

Boro battled to hold on to the win that extended their unbeaten run to seven matches and surely banished even the remotest spectre of relegation fears. But they had to admit they had the run of the ball at vital times.

Irish full-back Carr, whose own-goal earlier this season had knocked Spurs out of the UEFA Cup against Kaiserslautern in Germany, just had one of those nights.

He had played a prominent part in Armstrong's 11th goal of the season, feeding Darren Anderton down the right where the England midfielder fired in a perfect cross for Iversen to nod down neatly into the path of Armstrong, who defied a posse of defenders to slot home.

But when Chris Perry and Ricard came down in a heap in the Spurs penalty area 10 minutes later and Brian Deane jabbed hopefully at the loose ball, Carr stuck out a foot and watched in horror as he prodded past Walker into his own net.

Moments before the break Carr was agonisingly close to making amends with an opportunist effort that skidded just wide at the other end. Anderton's powerful drive had already clipped a post just seconds earlier.

Boro looked lively early on despite a couple of nasty knocks and being without injured key defenders Gary Pallister and Gianluca Festa.

Curtis Fleming, who had switched from right to left to mark Ginola, needed treatment for a knee injury after a reckless challenge on Freund but was back on the field in time to see Ricard drive a powerful 20-yard drive straight at Walker.

Then Andy Campbell was injured in a clash with Carr as he squeezed in a cross from the left which Ricard hooked wide of the near post.

And Mark Summerbell had a great chance to put them ahead in the 12th minute when he slid in late and unmarked on Ricard's cross only to shovel a weak shot straight into Walker's arms from close range.

Spurs replied with Iversen claiming in vain for a penalty when his cross appeared to strike an arm.

Then Carr shot over from distance before Willem Korsten, making his first home start for in place of the injured Oyvind Leonhardsen, powered just wide with a snap effort from about 25 yards. It was one of the Dutchman's few notable contributions in a disappointing bow.

Fleming followed Ginola everywhere as the Frenchman switched from wing to wing and was booked for a foul on him in the 21st minute, while Ginola was himself cautioned four minutes later after tripping Paul Ince in the centre circle.

And Ginola was lucky when referee Alan Wiley was in lenient mood soon afterwards, only lecturing him after another reckless lunge at Ince.

A miscued clearance by Schwarzer gave Iversen a chance to add to Spurs' lead but Boro defenders were back in numbers to clear his cross-shot from the left - and within minutes Carr's own-goal clanger brought the visitors back on terms.

They never looked back thanks to Schwarzer's athletic saves and Ricard's clinical finishing.

And the Spurs fans who left in droves before the end of another disappointing White Hart Lane night missed a magical Ginola moment as the winger inspired a late but fruitless final siege.

He latched on to a throw-in and ran like a rabbit across the face of the Boro area before stepping inside to crack a fine effort past Schwarzer in the 83rd minute.

As a consolation prize it was something special, but ultimately immaterial.

Teams:

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Perry, Campbell, Taricco, Korsten (Clemence 68), Freund, Anderton, Ginola, Armstrong, Iversen.

Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Scales, Young, Etherington.

Booked: Ginola, Perry, Carr.

Goals: Armstrong 31, Ginola 83.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Vickers, Cooper, Ziege, Summerbell, Mustoe, Ince, Campbell, Deane, Ricard.

Subs Not Used: Beresford, Maddison, Juninho, Stockdale, Gavin.

Booked: Fleming, Ricard.

Goals: Carr 40 og, Ricard 64, 78.

Att: 31,796

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).