Tottenham and Middlesbrough shared the points in an entertaining match that ended 1-1 at White Hart Lane.

An own goal from 20-year-old left-back Jonathan Grounds had put Tottenham in front before Stewart Downing equalised for the visitors, meaning Spurs remain in 11th place while Middlesbrough move above local rivals Sunderland into 13th on goal difference.

Tottenham were rewarded for their domination of the first half midway through it, when Berbatov held the ball up well before hooking it over to the far post. Aaron Lennon was there but he miscued his shot, only to see it bounce off Grounds and into the net.

Middlesbrough got their own slice of luck on 67 minutes, when Downing's shot from outside the area deflected off the side of Jermaine Jenas and past Radek Cerny, in the Spurs goal for the injured Paul Robinson.

Both sides had chances to win the match, with Tottenham hitting the post and having appeals for a penalty waved away, while Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves missed a glorious chance late on.

Spurs striker Robbie Keane made his 250th appearance for the North London side, but was unable to add to his 106 goals in Tottenham colours as he, for the most part, occupied spaces deep in midfield or out wide.

Instead it was his strike partner Berbatov who was instrumental in all of the home side's best moves, winning plenty of free kicks in good positions.

In only the third minute the Bulgarian, whose name is sure to be oft-repeated during the forthcoming summer's transfer rumours, laid a pass back for Jenas to strike, but the midfielder could only fire over the bar.

Berbatov had a chance of his own soon after, but his header was caught by goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who almost carried the ball back over the line with him.

Middlesbrough had their moments of possession in the first half, but clear chances were few and far between.

Alves struggled to make the kind of impact he did in his last match against Manchester United, when he scored his first two goals for the club.

The Brazilian rose to head a Gary O'Neil cross, but his effort had neither the accuracy nor the power to trouble Cerny.

Middlesbrough came out with more urgency in the second half, and not long after the restart defender David Wheater had his header from a corner blocked on the line by Lennon.

Steed Malbranque then saw his close range half-volley blocked by the arm of Emanuel Pogatetz, but referee Mark Halsey ruled that the Austrian defender did not intentionally block the effort.

The impressive Berbatov had his own effort hit the post soon after, before Alves fought through two Tottenham defenders to in the area but pulled his shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Both managers threw on extra strikers in the latter stages, with Darren Bent and Tuncay both making late appearances Tottenham and Middlesbrough respectively, but neither could alter the course of a result fitting for two sides firmly settled in mid-table mediocrity for another season.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport