Wolves 3 Tottenham 3

Wolves twice came from behind to draw with Tottenham – but a pulsating game was marred by two controversial decisions by referee Mark Halsey against the home side.

On a day when both teams paid an emotional tribute to the late Dean Richards, strikers Kevin Doyle (20 and 40) and Jermain Defoe, who netted twice in five minutes from the half hour point, traded blows in a first-half shaded by Wolves.

Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs back in front three minutes after the break but Steven Fletcher made it eight points from five games for Wolves when his far post header made it 3-3 with three minutes left to reward a breathless performance from the home side.

But Halsey appeared to get two big decisions wrong to deny Mick McCarthy's side.

In the build-up to Doyle's equalising penalty, Alan Hutton should have been sent off instead of booked as he denied Nenad Milijas a goalscoring opportunity.

Then in the 80^th minute, he awarded a free kick to Spurs after initially appearing to signal a goal when Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes dropped the ball into the net after Richard Stearman challenged him for Milijas' free kick.

The point left Wolves second bottom and two points from safety.

As expected, manager Mick McCarthy made three changes to the line-up that beat Blackpool 4-0 eight days ago.

Kevin Foley, Milijas and Stephen Ward replaced the injured Ronald Zubar and Dave Edwards, with on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara ineligible.

Before the game, there was a minute's applause for former Wolves defender Dean Richards, who died a week last Saturday.

Representing each of the clubs he played for – Bradford City, Wolves, Southampton and Spurs – Don Goodman, Graham Taylor, James Beattie and Ledley King walked to the centre circle to pay their respects, along with Dean's widow Samantha and sons Rio and Jaden.

When the action got underway, Spurs created the first chance in the opening minute when Luka Modric crossed for Roman Pavlyuchenko, who could only roll the ball harmlessly wide from a dangerous position.

Wolves lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Karl Henry and Stephen Ward as holding midfielders and Milijas, Adam Hammill and Matt Jarvis further advanced trying to support Doyle.

And the home side hit back with a half chance from Milijas, who lobbed well over after goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes punched clear Hammill's corner.

That triggered a storming start from McCarthy's men, who deservedly went on to take the lead through Doyle's seventh goal of the season.

Orchestrated by the excellent Hammill, the unmarked Milijas sent a looping header over from the winger's cross, then Matt Jarvis drilled into the side-netting after his superb pass into the channel.

Wolves also forced four corners during this early period of dominance and it was from the last one that Doyle's glancing header put the hosts in front from Milijas' cross after his flag-kick was cleared as far as Karl Henry, who passed back to the Serbian.

Almost immediately though, Spurs hit back and Steven Pienaar fired weakly into the side-netting before his effort was blocked by Christophe Berra and the impressive Modric drilled wide.

It was Defoe who turned the game on its head with two stunning strikes inside five minutes.

The England international curled a superb strike past helpless goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey from 25 yards on the half hour for his first Premier League goal of the season, the ball coming back to him after a 40-yard run from halfway as he was jockeyed by Richard Stearman.

Inspired by his equaliser, Defoe hit a similar effort into the top corner from a few yards closer in after Modric's square pass fell to him after it was intercepted by Ward.

Defoe's strike was well hit, but Hennessey may have helped by being maybe just a few feet too far forward.

The double blast shook Wolves, but they responded within four minutes when they won a penalty after Hutton dragged down Milijas as they chased the loose ball when Doyle's shot from the edge of the box hit Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Much to the anger of the Molineux crowd, Hutton was only booked and not sent off for what appeared to be a clear red card offence.

After the delay, Doyle equalised from the spot, sending Gomes the wrong way.

Spurs regained the lead with another fine strike, Pavlyuchenko rifling home left-footed into the centre of the goal after making space for himself with a clever first touch from Jermaine Jenas' pass.

Wolves, who brought on Sylvan Ebanks-Blake for Ward on the hour, had their first chance of the second period seconds later when Milijas flashed a free kick wide.

The home side were again beginning to ask questions of Spurs as Milijas was superbly denied what seemed to be a certain goal in the 65^th minute when his low drive was pushed onto the post by Gomes.

Wolves then missed two chances to equalise when Ebanks-Blake and the sliding Milijas both fired wide with the goal at their mercy, from respective crosses by Hammill and Doyle on 73 and 76 minutes.

Halsey had his second controversial moment of the afternoon when he denied Wolves after Gomes dropped Milijas' free kick behind him and into the net under pressure from Richard Stearman.

The referee initially appeared to indicate a goal, only to award Spurs the free kick.

But his decisions didn't stop Wolves and they finally levelled in the 87^th minute, when Fletcher rose above Michael Dawson at the far post to head home Jarvis' cross.