*Michael Dawson’s late equaliser gave Tottenham a fully deserved point at Aston Villa in the battle between two sides with sights set on the Champions League places.*

Gabriel Agbonlahor scrambled home the opener for Villa in the 10th minute after Benoit Assou-Ekotto cleared Carlos Cuellar’s header off the line.

But Spurs - who started sluggishly before dominating in the second half - crowned a period of sustained pressure on the Villa goal when Dawson fired an emphatic finish high past Brad Friedel with 13 minutes remaining.

Dawson’s goal was just reward for the supremacy shown by Spurs and Harry Redknapp will draw far more encouragement in the battle to gatecrash the Premier League’s established top four than his Villa counterpart Martin O’Neill.

Villa barely troubled Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes after the early exchanges, while Friedel twice saved well from Niko Kranjcar - and they also had a double escape in the first half when the keeper saved from Jermain Defoe and Cuellar cleared Dawson’s follow-up effort off the line.

The result keeps Spurs in third place ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with Chelsea on Sunday and in the game’s closing stages it was the visitors, more adventurous and composed than Villa, who looked more likely to snatch all three points.

Villa boss O’Neill resisted the temptation to give a first start to summer signing Stewart Downing - leaving his £12m summer purchase from Middlesbrough on the bench after his brief appearance as a substitute at Burnley last Saturday.

Tottenham were first to threaten when Kranjcar’s rising shot tested Friedel, but the Villa keeper was well positioned to turn his effort over the top in some comfort.

Villa’s power in the air at set-pieces was going to pose an obvious problem for Spurs and it reaped a swift reward as they went ahead after only 10 minutes.

Assou-Ekotto scrambled Cuellar’s header off the line and Agbonlahor reacted quicker than Wilson Palacios and Dawson to bundle the ball home.

The Londoners were slow to get into their stride, but twice came close to equalising within seconds after 20 minutes. Defoe’s close-range effort was palmed away by Friedel and Cuellar was on hand to clear Dawson’s effort off the line from the rebound.

And as Spurs finally posed a threat, Tom Huddlestone’s shot brought another competent save from Friedel and Defoe’s instinctive volley flew on to the roof of the net as Villa lived dangerously.

Villa’s trademark pace and power were troubling Tottenham on the counter, but the visitors were carving out more chances and Kranjcar was once again denied by Friedel three minutes after the break when he dived to his left to save the Croatian’s crisply struck drive.

Spurs boss Redknapp made a change after 65 minutes, sending on Jermaine Jenas for Palacios and counterpart O’Neill quickly followed suit as he replaced Nigel Reo-Coker with Steve Sidwell.

The midfielder almost made an instant impact with a shot that swerved wide - and seconds later the visitors saw their hopes of an equaliser dashed by referee Phil Dowd.

Defoe turned the ball in from six yards after Huddlestone’s effort bounced off Sidwell, but Dowd saw that the striker had handled before applying the crucial final touch.

Spurs did not have to wait long to deservedly draw level, and it came courtesy of a spectacular finish from defender Dawson, who chested the ball down before crashing a right-foot shot high past Friedel after Assou-Ekotto’s cross was only partially cleared by Richard Dunne.

Villa substitute Emile Heskey almost gave them a victory they barely merited, but Defoe nearly did likewise as Tottenham came forward one last time with a low shot that fizzed inches wide.

*Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill:*

“We played very well in the first half and tried to close them down as quickly as we could.

“In the second half they got to grips with the midfield but we also lost momentum and rhythm and couldn’t get out of defence quickly enough.

“But overall I was pleased with our defenders considering we had to change it around.”

*Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:*

“Villa are going to be up there (challenging for a top four place). The top two will probably be Chelsea and Manchester United, then
will come Arsenal and Liverpool.

“Then it is Manchester City, Aston Villa and ourselves.

“One of us might break into the top four. It’s not impossible for us. It’ll be hard but we have very good players.”