LONDON, Nov 25: Robert Green rescued West Ham as he saved Jermain Defoe’s stoppage time penalty to preserve a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Sunday.

Green had looked like being the villain when his mistake gifted Michael Dawson an equaliser for Spurs after Carlton Cole put West Ham in front.

But he made amends with his third penalty save of the season to deny West Ham old-boy Defoe and delight the Upton Park fans who routinely taunt their former hero.

Younes Kaboul’s mistake in the 20th minute showed he is not quite finished with that job yet.

Kaboul dwelt on the ball for too long and, when Luis Boa Morte went to close down, the French centre-back drove a panicked clearance straight at him.

Boa Morte seized the loose ball and cleverly picked out Nolberto Solano.

Kaboul’s blunder had left Spurs exposed and Solano’s pass gave Cole a simple tap-in.

Kaboul’s confidence plummeted after such a calamitous piece of defending and he allowed Boa Morte to drift past him far too easily minutes later.

With Tottenham in the ascendancy, Ramos went for broke and sent on England striker Darren Bent for Kaboul. It was a move that encouraged his side to pour forward and they drew level in the 67th minute.

Green charged out to meet Jenas’s free-kick and missed his punch, allowing Dawson to glance a header into the empty net.

Spurs should have won it in stoppage time when Riley finally did give them a penalty when he penalised Neill’s tug on Defoe.

It was Defoe who took the spot-kick but Green plunged to his left to turn it onto a post and complete his redemption.

Saturaday’s results:

Arsenal 2 Wigan 0

Birmingham 0 Portsmouth 2

Bolton 1 Manchester United 0

Derby 0 Chelsea 2

Everton 7 Sunderland 1 (Yorke 45)

Manchester City 2 Reading 1

Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 3

Newcastle 0 Liverpool 3

—Agencies