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LONDON: Tom Huddlestone gave Tottenham a controversial 2-1 win at Fulham on Saturday after his goal was initially ruled out for offside.
Harry Redknapp's team trailed to Diomansy Kamara's first half goal at Craven Cottage, but Roman Pavlyuchenko equalised a minute later to set the stage for Huddlestone's dubious winner.
Tottenham defender William Gallas appeared to be offside when Huddlestone's second half strike flashed into the net and the linesman flagged to disallow the goal, only for referee Mike Dean to over-rule the decision to leave Fulham
fuming.
Hughes sought a meeting with Dean after the match only to be told the official had already left the ground.
That was after the referee turned down an interview request from the media to allow him to clarify his position over the goal.
"The goal should have been wiped out because Gallas is in an offside position as the ball is struck by Huddlestone," Fulham boss Mark Hughes fumed.
"Mark Schwarzer has to hold his position until the ball actually reaches where Gallas is, because he's thinking at some point Gallas may stick a toe out and deflect it.
"To say he's not interfering or not in his eyeline is completely at odds with the truth.
"I'd like a little bit of clarification. If he's made a genuine mistake, he'll admit to it, but it doesn't do us any good so what's the point?"
With a daunting Champions League trip to Inter Milan looming in midweek, Redknapp shuffled his pack and handed Brazilian midfielder Sandro his full Premier League debut, while Gallas returned from injury to partner Ledley King in defence.
Fulham should have taken the lead in the 14th minute when Kamara, unmarked just yards from goal, glanced Simon Davies' corner wide.
Spurs were struggling to keep the hosts at bay and Fulham left-back Carlos Salcido surged forward before lashing a shot narrowly off-target.
A penalty appeal for handball against Tottenham defender Alan Hutton was waved away, but Fulham finally made the breakthrough in the 30th minute.
Clint Dempsey got past King and crossed for Kamara to fire home his first league goal for almost a year.
But Fulham's lead lasted just one minute as Rafael Van der Vaart controlled superbly in the box penalty area and chipped against the crossbar, with Pavyluchenko converting the rebound.
A fine save from Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes kept out Kamara's half-volley just before half-time, while Redknapp's team lost King to injury moments later.
Redknapp sent on Aaron Lennon in place of Sandro at half-time and the England winger almost made an immediate impact as his cross picked out Van der Vaart, whose close-range volley was well saved by Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Fulham defender Chris Baird forced Gomes into an equally good save with a header from a Davies corner.
But Tottenham took the lead in controversial circumstances in the 63rd minute.
When Huddlestone drove a long-range shot through a crowd of players and into the corner of Schwarzer's net, it looked as though Gallas was in an offside position and the assistant referee raised his flag to disallow the goal.
But Dean ran over to consult his assistant and infuriated Fulham by awarding the goal.
Fulham tried everything to snatch an equaliser but Salcido failed to pounce on a collision between Gomes and Hutton when he sliced wide from a difficult angle 11 minutes from time.
Newcastle meanwhile needed an injury-time goal from Fabricio Coloccini to snatch a 2-2 draw with Wigan at St James Park after two goals from Charles N'Zogbia had given the Latics a 2-0 lead.
Shola Ameobi's 72nd-minute effort had launched the fightback.
In the battle of the basement clubs, Wolves and West Ham fought out a 1-1 draw. Mark Noble grabbed a share of the points for the Hammers, thundering in a 53rd-minute penalty after a blunder by Robert Green had gifted Matthew Jarvis a 10th-minute opener for Wolves.
At the Reebok Stadium, substitute Ivan Klasnic buried the winner in the final moments before being dismissed for two bookable offences soon after his first goal in the league this season.
Stoke midfielder Rory Delap scored from close range to equalise at 1-1 draw with Bolton after Lee Chung-Yong put Wanderers ahead on 22 minutes. - AFP/fa
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