Spurs strike late to deny Everton

Late intervention ... Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates his equaliser. Source: Stephen Pond / AAP

Gylfi Sigurdsson snatched a late equaliser as Tottenham Hotspur denied Champions League qualification rivals Everton victory in a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Spurs took the lead after just 34 seconds through Emmanuel Adebayor, however first Phil Jagielka and then Kevin Mirallas scored to put the visitors in front.

David Moyes's side were within sight of a fourth-straight league win, only for Sigurdsson to tap home an equaliser in the 87th minute after Adebayor's shot came back off the post.

Tottenham finish the weekend in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place, but although they are two points above Arsenal and six points clear of Everton, both their pursuers have games in hand.

"It looks like it will go down to the wire at the end of the season for these Champions League spots,'' said Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas.

"It's part of the game - everything shifts very, very quickly in the Premier League, but we have been in this position before and you have to deal with the pressure.''

Moyes insisted that Everton would carry on fighting for a top-four finish.

"I don't know if a point does a great deal for us. If we'd won we'd have been right in it," he said.

"I don't think we're too far away but I just hope the games don't run out. Tottenham are one of the top teams who have been fighting for fourth all season and we have taken four points off them this season so it is not a bad return."

Moyes was happy with the way his team responded after going behind so early, saying: "When you concede after 20 or 30 seconds it's all credit to the players for coming back.

"Tottenham had their tails up but thankfully we kept going and kept at it and played our way out of trouble and got ourselves a few chances.

"Tottenham had a lot of possession and we had to try and work to try and stop that. We didn't do it as well as we'd have liked but I always thought we looked a threat and we could score and we did a couple of times."

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Everton progress in FA Cup

Progress ... Everton's Leon Osman celebrates with Kevin Mirallas. Source: Nigel French / AAP

Everton succeeded where Merseyside rivals Liverpool had failed by beating Oldham Athletic 3-1 on Tuesday to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Third-tier Oldham eliminated Liverpool in round four and held Everton to a 2-2 draw in their initial fifth-round meeting 10 days ago, but their cup heroics were ended in the replay at Goodison Park.

Goals from Kevin Mirallas, Leighton Baines and Leon Osman took David Moyes' side into the last eight, where they will face Wigan Athletic, with Oldham's cup talisman Matt Smith replying for the visitors.

"We've been close a couple of times and that whets your appetite. We want to go further, but we've got a tough tie next,'' Baines told ITV.

"We're at home so we'll be favourites, but we've had tough games against them the last couple of seasons and they're coming off the back of a good win (over Reading) at the weekend, so they'll be confident.''

Beaten semi-finalists in last season's competition, Everton were without the injured Marouane Fellaini but made a purposeful start and took the lead in the 15th minute.

After a patient build-up, Darron Gibson shaped a beautiful cross into the box from deep on the right and Mirallas stole in to finish with an adroit half-volley from eight yards.

Oldham almost drew level immediately through former Everton youngster Jose Baxter, who seized on a loose ball on the edge of the box but saw his curling shot bounce back off the right-hand upright.

The visitors then had a penalty appeal turned down when Phil Jagielka's clearance struck Gibson on the arm.

Their resurgence proved short-lived, however, as Baines helped Everton stamp their authority on the tie.

Having seen a vicious strike saved by Oldham goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis minutes earlier, the England left-back doubled his side's advantage from the penalty spot in the 34th minute after Connor Brown was penalised for handball.

Everton centre-back Jagielka blazed over the Oldham bar early in the second half, while Bouzanis saved from Osman.

In response, Oldham introduced giant striker Smith, scorer of two goals against Liverpool and an injury-time equaliser in the first game with Everton.

Oldham rallied, Lee Croft firing wide from a good position, but in the 62nd minute, Everton struck again.

Steven Pienaar whipped a cross into the box from the left and Osman's flicked header deceived Bouzanis, who was distracted by the onrushing Nikica Jelavic.

Smith replied immediately, nodding in a right-wing corner from close range, but Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard resisted Oldham's efforts to claw their way back into the game.

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