FORMER Tottenham defender Luke Young spoilt Juande Ramos's first game as manager as Middlesbrough claimed a deserved point at the Riverside Stadium. Darren Bent put the visitors ahead against the run of play after 35 minutes with a low shot from 15 yards but Young ensured both sides' winless runs continued with a long-range piledriver in the 52nd minute.

Ramos made the surprise decision to opt for Jermain Defoe and Bent in attack, while Kevin-Prince Boateng was given a first league start at Didier Zokora's expense as Spurs went in search of only a second league win.

Ironically, Spurs' last victory over a top flight side came against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup in September, but it was the home side who made the more purposeful start. Southgate's team almost took the lead in controversial circumstances just four minutes in when Stewart Downing was inches away from meeting stand-in skipper Gary O'Neil's crossshot from the right flank.

Ramos was quickly out of the dugout to give Young-Pyo Lee and Younes Kaboul a piece of his mind after the pair were caught napping, still complaining the ball had gone out of touch. The last time the Spaniard faced Middlesbrough was in the 2006 UEFA Cup final, where he led Sevilla to a 4-0 victory in what was Southgate's final game as a player.

But on the first half-hour's showing, a repeat rarely looked on the cards. Slowly, Spurs grew in confidence and they soon had an unlikely opener. Steed Malbranque dispossessed Young and slotted in Bent down the left. He checked inside Riggott before rifling a low shot inside Mark Schwarzer's left post. It could have been two for Spurs a minute before half-time when Bent got on the end of Defoe's cross but the ball trickled agonisingly wide.

The second half began at the same frenetic pace with the home side forcing an excellent save from Paul Robinson through Jeremie Aliadiere. The England goalkeeper had no chance in the 52nd minute though when Young atoned for his earlier error, smashing a Spurs clearance into the top-right corner from 25 yards.

In the 58th minute Ramos brought on Robbie Keane for Defoe and Dmitar Berbatov for Bent in a bid to revive his side's fortunes but Middlesbrough continued to dominate. There were claims for a penalty when Aliadiere's cross appeared to hit Lee's hand but referee Mike Dean waved them away.

Keane may have scored seven times in his last seven outings but . . . like so often recently for Ireland . . . he was clumsy. It was end to end in the closing stages but neither side could make the breakthrough, leaving both stranded near the bottom.