Horacio Carbonari had turned Tottenham into something akin to limp, overcooked spaghetti with a 63rd minute strike which looked certain to guarantee 10-man Derby County's Premiership survival at White Hart Lane.

So it was past a joke for Rams' veteran boss Jim Smith, who had seen his German defender Stefan Schnoor sent off six minutes before half-time for a second bookable offence, when Stephen Clemence contrived an undeserved equaliser a minute into stoppage time.

It came from only their second corner of a dreadful match, a statistic that accurately reflected Tottenham's paucity of desire, drive or, let's face it, skill.

But Clemence, son of former England goalkeeper Ray who used to co-manage Spurs, showed a delicate and inventive touch when Darren Anderton's last-gasp flag-kick was flicked on by Sol Campbell.

With his back to goal the young midfielder used his heel to stab the ball over the line and Derby's yeoman defenders held their heads in horror.

The result means Smith's side must wait at least another agonising week to know whether they will stay in the top flight, although with Bradford and Wimbledon ready to knock spots off each other tomorrow there should be little doubt about survival.

They were certainly good enough for the maximum points at Tottenham where the home side, in the mid-table comfort-zone after another campaign of grim under-achievement, could hardly raise a decent gallop on a lazy sunny afternoon.

Caretaker-boss Stewart Houston - again standing in for stricken George Graham - grew so fed up with his team's dismal efforts that he turned to his boys brigade in the last 20 minutes, sending on rookie striker Dave McEwen and teenaged winger Matthew Etherington to replace Steffen Iversen and David Ginola, having already employed 21-year-old Welshman Simon Davies at half-time for £1.6 million Dutch signing Willem Korsten.

The substitution of their Frenchman naturally did not go down too well with the Spurs fans who, in no uncertain terms, told former Highbury coach Houston to go back and stick to Arsenal - or at least it sounded like that.

They suffering supporters were briefly appeased when McEwen, once of Dulwich Hamlet, put in a bullet header from Steve Carr's cross that flew inches too high when an equaliser looked on the cards.

But the former university student, a full-time pro for just two months, later scuffed wide with a gaping goal in front of him.

The ever-willing Carr had been desperately unlucky in the first half when his 22nd minute power-drive crashed away off the underside of the bar after he overlapped perfectly to meet Anderton's incisive through-ball.

Anderton was also close on two occasions with good efforts from outside the box, but with Ginola, Iversen and Chris Armstrong miserably ineffective, Derby always looked the more likely side - especially with something to play for.

Spurs keeper Ian Walker had to pull off breathtaking saves from Rory Delap and bright young striker Malcolm Christie and Smith would have been delighted with the work-ethic in his side for whom Craig Burley and Seth Johnson worked tirelessly to accommodate and supplement Georgi Kinkladze's subtle touches.

But they looked doomed when Schnoor, having been booked for deliberate handball to stop Carr breaking clear in the 33rd minute, crashed recklessly into the back of Armstrong six minutes later.

Referee Neale Barry, who booked eight players in all, seemed to have little option but the flourish the red card this time although it needed a police officer's quiet intervention to prevent an angry Smith confronting the Lincolnshire official as the teams left the pitch at half-time.

But wily old 'Bald Eagle' Smith was still focused enough to realise that defence was the best form of attack for his depleted forces against punchless Spurs in the second half.

And after Anderton cleared Burley's cross from the line with Walker beaten on the hour and Clemence performed a similar rescue act, hacking Carbonari's shot away two minutes later, the breakthrough was deservedly achieved.

Big Argentine stopper Carbonari just would not be denied and when Kinkladze's short corner was swung into the goalmouth, Spurs allowed him ample time and space to drive his shot home.

Teams:

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Perry, Campbell, Young, Korsten (Davies 46), Anderton, Clemence, Ginola (Etherington 70), Iversen (McEwen 70), Armstrong.

Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Gardner.

Booked: Campbell, Korsten, Perry, Anderton.

Goals: Clemence 90.

Derby: Poom, Carbonari, Schnoor, Laursen, Burley, Delap, Powell, Johnson, Kinkladze, Burton (Boertien 46), Christie, Boertien (Murray 79).

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Jackson, Elliott.

Sent Off: Schnoor (39).

Booked: Burton, Carbonari, Schnoor, Poom, Burley, Christie.

Goals: Carbonari 63.

Att: 33,044

Ref: N Barry (Scunthorpe).