Tottenham Hotspur 1, Blackburn Rovers 1.

Blackburn's hopes of a direct route into the UEFA Cup were ended by Jermain Defoe's leveller for Tottenham at soggy White Hart Lane.

Mark Hughes' men needed a win to stay in the hunt for a top-seven finish in the Barclays Premiership but their European hopes now rest with a possible Intertoto Cup campaign.

They were on course for victory when Benni McCarthy opened the scoring to edge him ahead in the battle of the Premiership newcomers with Dimitar Berbatov.

But Berbatov then played his part in Defoe's equaliser, meaning Spurs now need a point against Manchester City on Sunday to play in the UEFA Cup again next season.

Rovers finished with 10 men - striker Jason Roberts dismissed after receiving two yellow cards in rapid succession, the first for a tussle with Didier Zokora and a second, apparently harshly, for protesting about the decision to referee Rob Styles.

The match was the 1,000th Premiership match televised on Sky - but there was little in the way of early entertainment before McCarthy struck.

Things livened up when Mokoena picked up a yellow card for a foul on Steed Malbranque, with the French midfielder eventually having to hobble off injured just before Rovers broke the deadlock.

The opening goal, in the 32nd minute, came from hesitation in the Spurs defence leading to Pedersen finding the ball on the left.

His telling cross was met by South Africa striker McCarthy, who had peeled away from Ledley King at the far post to head home his 23rd of the campaign and his 17th in the Premiership.

Roberts looked to double the lead a minute later but his long-range effort was deflected and Paul Robinson saved.

The loudest cheer from the home support came when Nayim, the former Spurs midfielder who famously lobbed in from the halfway line for Real Zaragoza in the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final against Arsenal, was paraded at the interval.

There was little for Spurs fans to sing about immediately after the break either.

Martin Jol brought on Robbie Keane in the 59th minute to replace substitute Ghaly, who threw his shirt to the floor in front of his manager. ''Your not fit to wear the shirt,'' was the Spurs fans' assessment.

Despite having three strikers with 60 goals between them, Spurs were inches from going 2-0 down when Samba's header from Pedersen's free-kick glanced off the bar to safety.

And it proved a telling moment as Spurs levelled with 23 minutes left - with all three strikers having a hand in the goal.

Keane fed Berbatov, who spun on the edge of the area and fired a shot away, Friedel could only parry and Defoe tapped in.