Middlesbrough 2 : Tottenham 1
17/08/2008 4:05 AM
was to stab a right-foot ball across the area from the left which did not find a team-mate.
His next contribution was more useful, playing a neat one-two with Jermaine Jenas whose sidefoot shot was blocked by Jones' legs.
Boro took the lead in the 71st minute when Downing crossed from the left and Alves got ahead of his marker at the near post.
His flick was tipped onto the underside of the bar by Gomes but Wheater was on hand to finish the job from a yard out.
Downing almost laid on a second three minutes later, but O'Neil's header from his left-wing cross was easily caught by Gomes.
Bentley was booked for a foul on Alves before Jamie O'Hara replaced Assou-Ekotto for Tottenham.
Bent curled a right-foot shot wide from outside the box which Jones seemed to have covered, and O'Hara almost capitalised when Wheater chested down a ball in but Jones was slow to react.
The game was effectively over when two Boro substitutes combined for the winner in the 86th minute.
French debutant Didier Digard smashed a low ball in from the right and Mido diverted it past Gomes to kill off his old club.
Spurs pulled one back in injury time when Huth headed into his own goal from a Bentley free-kick, but they could not conjure an equaliser.
English Premier League
Middlesbrough 2 (Wheater 76, Mido 81)
Tottenham 1 (Huth 90og)