Middlesbrough edged closer towards a mid-table finish after two fortuitous goals at White Hart Lane meant it shared the points with Tottenham in a 1-1 draw.
An impish piece of skill from Dimitar Berbatov set up the opener, with Jon Grounds putting through his own net, before Stewart Downing had an effort deflected in to level matters in the second half.
With Premier League survival virtually assured, Gareth Southgate's men can take heart from their recent narrow defeat to Chelsea and last weekend's draw against Manchester United.
Along with this result, Boro are looking upwards rather than towards the danger zone.
Fabio Capello was in the stands to monitor the likes of Jonathan Woodgate, who was his usual calm self as he faced Brazilian striker Afonso Alves.
Down the flanks, Capello kept an eye on the raw pace of Aaron Lennon up against Downing, while Jermaine Jenas made the yards down the middle.
Then there were the young defenders in Michael Dawson and David Wheater - plenty to play for among the Englishmen despite the game looking meaningless on paper.
Robbie Keane, making his 250th appearance for Spurs, wrote in his program notes about the importance of every match despite securing European football already by winning the Carling Cup.
"That aside, if we do not secure a decent majority share of the 15 points available, we will not be able to look back on this term with any real satisfaction," he insisted.
Without the intensity of a relegation clash, at least there was open football on offer.
Boro thought it had taken the lead with just 73 seconds on the clock.
Pascal Chimbonda's slip allowed Gary O'Neil down the right and Alves tapped in after Jeremie Aliadiere met the cross first time and Radek Cerny parried - but the strike was ruled out for offside.
Jenas fired over from the edge of the area and it was Lennon's perseverance that set up Spurs' first real chance when he robbed George Boateng in midfield.
The ball was spread to Keane and the cross was met by Berbatov but Australian stopper Mark Schwarzer did not have to move to make the save.
Jenas then went on a driving run, aided by a back-heel from Keane, and went beyond the Boro defence. His progress was only stopped when Schwarzer rushed out to smother the shot.
The opener came in the 26th minute and Berbatov took the plaudits despite Grounds getting the last touch. He flicked the ball over the Boro defence for Jenas to break the offside trap as Keane ran backwards from an offside position.
Jenas lost momentum but fed Berbatov on the right flank. The Bulgarian striker flicked the ball up and volleyed over a cross that Lennon met first time, with the ball going in off Grounds' knee.
Boro, who had Emanuel Pogatetz booked for a foul soon after the opener, looked for a way back into the game.
They were almost gifted a chance when Radek Cerny came out to claim and dropped the ball on the edge of the area to prevent handball, but he managed to scramble clear.
In the second half, Wheater met a corner with a firm header and it required Lennon, the smallest player on the pitch, to head off the line as he guarded the post.
Alves also played Aliadiere down the right channel and Dawson was over to block the Frenchman's shot.
Spurs