LONDON - Tottenham staged a stunning second-half comeback against AaB to edge closer to the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup and maintain Juande Ramos' unbeaten record.
Ramos stated prior to the clash that he would not panic buy in January but the first half against the Danish opponents gave him every reason to be drawing up a short-list of defenders.
With better finishing the visitors would have had the points safe by the interval, but all they had to show for their work was a two-goal advantage.
Ramos responded with a positive substitution by bringing on Darren Bent, who grabbed the winner after Dimitar Berbatov and Steed Malbranque had levelled the scores.
It means Ramos remains unbeaten in his six games since taking over from Martin Jol and after winning the UEFA Cup with Sevilla in the last two seasons, should seal a place in the last 32 when Spurs travel to Belgium to face Anderlecht next week.
Ramos wrote in his programme notes that he believed Spurs were one of the better teams in the competition - but looked off the pace in the first half.
It took AaB less than two minutes to show why they are level on points at the top of the Danish league.
Only 113 seconds were on the clock when Thomas Enevoldsen stroked the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area, after receiving a throw from Martin Pedersen and getting time to turn and run at Spurs' defence.
The visitors went into the clash unfancied but they were passing with purpose after the opener, while Spurs' makeshift defence looked rocked.
Younes Kaboul was missing with a groin strain and Pascal Chimbonda had to move from full-back into the centre, and a mistake looked on the cards whenever the ball was pushed forward by the Danes.
Clearances from the Spurs defence were going at all angles, normally straight to the Danes, to the delight of their noisy travelling support.
The visitors had plenty more chances to embarrass the hosts.
Rade Prica was fortunate to be ruled onside when Andreas Johansson slipped him through on goal, but the striker was unlucky not to get a penalty when Lee Young-Pyo hauled him to the floor.
Siyabonga Nomvethe was given time to set his sights from long range but fired wide, while Prica would have had a run straight at Paul Robinson if he had controlled a through-ball.
Jermaine Jenas was back just in time when South African striker Nomvethe was about to shoot from the edge of the area again, while Danny Califf was unmarked from a corner but headed over.
The second goal came eight minutes from the break when Michael Dawson failed to clear and the ball slipped through him. Prica crossed from the left flank and Kasper Risgard stabbed in at the second attempt.
Ramos was furious on the touchline, as was assistant Gus Poyet who clashed with the fourth official.
The head coach may have read the riot act during the interval but it was his bold substitutions that turned the game, bringing on Bent and Tom Huddlestone.
Huddlestone held up kick-off by being late out of the dressing room - but his introduction was worth the wait.
The England Under-21 midfielder, who replaced injured Jenas, sliced the Aalborg club's defence open with a through-ball and Berbatov toe-poked in for his fourth of the season.
Berbatov set up the equaliser with his work on the right six minutes later, out-muscling Pedersen then crossing. Robbie Keane worked the ball to Malbranque whose finish went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Spurs pushed for the winner but AaB showed they were still a threat on the break, Enevoldsen firing just wide from a similar position to his opener.
But Bent grabbed the winner in the 66th minute, tapping in from Aaron Lennon's cross after Gareth Bale's free-kick had been parried.
Dawson had an effort cleared off the line in the final moments, while Lennon and Malbranque also missed straightforward chances to extend the lead.
