George Boateng fired Middlesbrough to within a point of European qualification via the Barclays Premiership for the first-time as Tottenham's hopes were dealt a major blow.

The Dutchman's 11th-minute strike - his third of the season - settled an even contest to ease the Teessiders three points ahead of the Londoners, who had led them in seventh place by virtue of a single goal before kick-off.

It was just about what Steve McClaren's side deserved after creating the better chances despite having to soak up a growing amount of pressure after the break.

Although with Jermain Defoe out of sorts and Fredi Kanoute largely isolated, Mark Schwarzer had only substitute Robbie Keane's 60th-minute volley to keep out.

They were forced to defend for extended periods as Tottenham dominated possession, but Boro always looked capable of hurting the visitors on the counter-attack.

They might have won more comfortably had goalkeeper Radek Cerny not pulled off a string of important saves or had their final ball been more accurate.

Boro will travel to Manchester City next week knowing that a point will be enough to guarantee European football, while Martin Jol's side must beat Blackburn at home and hope for good news from the north west.

The teams ran out with both knowing that victory would leave them in the driving seat in the race for Europe but that nothing would be decided at the Riverside Stadium, a venue at which Tottenham have not won in the league since 1996.

Indeed, Tottenham had not taken all three points from a league game on their travels since their 2-0 victory at Norwich on Boxing Day.

Although with Boro having been on a run of distinctly ordinary form, there was a feeling that something had to give.

In the event, Tottenham demonstrated graphically before the break just how acute their bout of travel sickness is as they failed to make Schwarzer, back from a five-game absence through injury, pull off a single save.

Sean Davis' 45th-minute effort, which sailed harmlessly over the crossbar, was the closest they came to registering.

Defoe, one of the most promising striking talents in the division, barely saw the ball as Kanoute toiled without reward despite causing Gareth Southgate several anxious moments.

By contrast, the Teessiders opened in adventurous fashion and for around half an hour took the game to their opponents as Boudewijn Zenden and the refreshed Stewart Downing caused all kinds of problems.

Szilard Nemeth was unfortunate to see a third-minute shot come back off the crossbar after evading Cerny's dive, and he perhaps should have claimed his fourth goal in as many games after 11 minutes when Zenden picked him out in space in front of goal.

The Slovakian's first touch was awful and took him away from goal, although he recovered well to square for Boateng, who drove his first-time effort, with the help of a slight deflection, past the wrong-footed Cerny.

Downing saw a 40th-minute shot fly just wide of the goalkeeper's left post after Erik Edman had diverted a Schwarzer clearance into his path, but by that point, Boro had started to get men behind the ball in a bid to protect their lead.

Their forays into enemy territory became more infrequent and were launched on the counter-attack.

That served to invite Tottenham to exploit the space in front of the massed ranks of red shirts, although they made little of their growing share of possession.

After a brief Boro flurry, the visitors started to take control and the home side struggled to clear a 50th-minute Defoe free-kick as it pinballed around their penalty area after Kanoute had shown both Boateng and Ugo Ehiogu a clean pair of heels.

Jol decided he had to make a chance on 58 minutes when he replaced Defoe with Robbie Keane.

The Irishman had only been on the pitch two minutes when he span on Edman's through-ball and thumped a volley into Schwarzer's midriff, and skipper Ledley King was to glance a header over two minutes later as the visitors pressed.

Mido arrived as a 70th-minute replacement for Andy Reid and within seconds earned himself a booking for a foul on Stuart Parnaby.

But it was Boro who took the initiative once again, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Downing both forcing Cerny into important saves with the clock running down.

Hasselbaink could have served the ball up for Nemeth to make sure eight minutes from time, but he allowed Michael Dawson to intercept his pass, and he might have done the job himself on 88 minutes but shot straight at Cerny.

The Dutchman was guilty of a glaring miss and Nemeth fired inches wide in injury-time, but the Teessiders nonetheless put themselves tantalisingly close to the prize they have chased all season.

Teams

Middlesbrough Schwarzer, Parnaby, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Parlour, Boateng, Zenden (Doriva 78), Downing, Hasselbaink, Nemeth.

Subs Not Used: Reiziger, Cooper, Morrison, Knight.

Booked: Southgate.

Goals: Boateng 11.

Tottenham Cerny, Edman, King, Dawson, Kelly, Reid (Mido 69), Carrick, Davis, Davies, Kanoute (Ziegler 83), Defoe (Keane 58).

Subs Not Used: Bunjevcevic, Fulop.

Booked: Davis, Carrick, Mido.

Att: 34,766

Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).