Tottenham 1, Bradford City 1; David Markham reports from White Hart Lane.

Goalkeeper Aidan Davison grabbed the headlines, but it was essentially a team performance that enabled Bradford City to break their losing spell of eight away Premiership matches at White Hart Lane.

An end to this depressing sequence has come not a moment too soon as Paul Jewell and his team continue their battle for survival.

The City manager spent much of last week's Valley Parade press conference answering questions about his team's poor away record.

His answer was always that the only way the questions would go away was to break the run by winning or drawing as soon as possible.

The point City earned in the 1-1 draw at Spurs may or may not prove vital when the final reckoning comes.

What it does at this stage of the season is to renew City's confidence for the last two months of the season.

There are many stern tests to come, not least against top clubs Manchester United and Leeds United at Valley Parade this month, but the message this result sends out to their future opponents is that City will battle to the death to preserve their Premiership status.

Jewell constantly preaches the values of hard work and fighting spirit and he has found some willing disciples among his players.

At times in the first half Spurs threatened to overwhelm City with some superb attacking football and they were rewarded when Norwegian international striker Steffen Iversen gave them the lead after 13 minutes, heading the ball home from Darren Anderton's free kick.

Most people expected the floodgates to open after that goal. That they didn't was due to a mixture of gritty defence, a little luck and some brilliant saves by Davison.

Jewell will be trying to sign Davison on a permanent basis now his three month loan spell from Sheffield United is over.

The Northern Ireland international keeper is keen to join them and he proved by his display at Tottenham that he has an important part to play.

He had no chance with Iversen's header which put Spurs ahead, but the home side could only marvel at the way he saved twice from Chris Armstrong and once each from Anderton, Steffen Freund and David Ginola.

City's defence has been the strongest part of their team in this testing season but they almost fell apart in that torrid opening half hour spell.

Ginola showed some of his best form down the left, giving Gunnar Halle a tough time as he tried to weave inside and outside the full back.

However, City's Norwegian international was angry when Loughborough referee Peter Jones awarded Spurs the free kick that led to their goal, claiming that the Frenchman had 'dived' as he went in to challenge him.

Anderton - who is locked in contract talks with Spurs manager George Graham - showed his best form in the first half and underlined why Graham wants to make him the club's highest paid player.

Somehow City survived and, after Dean Saunders had missed the best chance of the match by shooting across the face of the goal with keeper Ian Walker stranded, they shook Tottenham with a superbly worked goal.

Peter Beagrie began the move by carrying the ball out of his own half before delivering a through pass to Jamie Lawrence.

Saunders fooled the Spurs defence with a clever dummy and, after Dean Windass and Lawrence exchanged passes, Windass found Lawrence with a cheeky back-heel and he slid the ball into the corner of the net.

Anderton apart, Spurs were never able to repeat their attacking rhythm after the break and though City were forced into more desperate defence at times they frustrated the home team to such an extent that they ran out of ideas.

City set out to restrict Tottenham's attacking options by playing five in midfield after the problems of the first half and largely succeeded.

Jewell explained they decided that Ginola was being allowed too much room and they wanted to try to stop the supply of ball to him. The tactics worked well for, apart from a mazy run and shot after 70 minutes, little was seen of the mercurial Frenchman after half time.

Graham introduced substitute striker Les Ferdinand, who has been out of action for six months since he damaged his Achilles tendon in the 1-1 draw between the sides at Valley Parade in September, but he caused City few problems.

Jewell sent on John Dreyer in place of Gareth Whalley with 13 minutes to go to strengthen the defence and also gave an 11 minute run to new signing Portuguese striker Jorge Cadete as the game petered out for a draw.

Cadete had one shot across the face of goal but City rarely looked like scoring in the second half and this was one occasion when they were happy with a draw.

The City players richly deserved the standing ovation they received from their travelling fans and Graham was also generous in his tribute.

He said: "I thought we played some really good football in the first half, good passing and good movement, but unfortunately for us Aidan Davison gave an inspired performance and made some great saves.

"I thought Bradford's goal was fantastic, very inventive and after half time they put Stuart McCall in front of the back four, got everyone behind the ball and made it difficult for us."

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