Tottenham's French midfielder Didier Zokora took a dive to earn a match-winning penalty in the first half after Spurs had taken a 42-second lead to break their Premiership goal-drought.

Danny Murphy slotted home his first for the club with less than a minute on the clock to end seven hours and 13 minutes without a Tottenham goal in the league.

But it was the second goal, 33 minutes later, which proved the real talking point at White Hart Lane as Martin Jol's team handed out a second successive defeat to early leaders Portsmouth - a side starting with three former Spurs players and another on the bench.

Sol Campbell was jeered throughout by the home fans while Sean Davis, Pedro Mendes and substitute Noe Pamarot escaped most of the flak but it was another Spurs exile Mendes who was the victim of a blatant injustice.

True, he should not have even put in a challenge on Zokora who was going nowhere in the area, but when he stuck out a leg, the Frenchman fell theatrically over it and referee Chris Foy pointed to the spot.

Jermain Defoe, back in the side as one of five changes from the team that scrambled past UEFA Cup outsiders Slavia Prague in midweek, confidently put away the penalty even though David James guessed the direction of his shot correctly.

And, although Nwankwo Kanu headed his fifth goal of the season five minutes before the break, it was not quite enough for Pompey although Andy Cole had a chance which he miskicked soon after coming on for the big Nigerian in the 72nd minute.

Having failed to score in their four previous Premiership starts, Spurs were ahead after 42 seconds when Murphy smartly used a back-heel to tap the ball into an empty net after James failed to hold Berbatov's header from a Defoe cross.

The keeper might have grabbed the loose ball but for colliding with right back Glen Johnson and Murphy pounced for his first Tottenham goal.

Surprisingly, Spurs failed to capitalise immediately on their sharp start although James had to stretch his 6ft 5in frame to the limit to turn away another Murphy effort - this time from the edge of the area following a short-corner routine by Jenas and Ghaly.

Portsmouth, who had new signing Niko Kranjcar and striker Lomana LuaLua in for Matt Taylor and Benjani and put Cole on the bench after their first defeat of the season by Bolton last Monday, struggled to get going and looked to be out of the contest in the 34th minute when Zokora blatantly dived to win the penalty against Pedro Mendes.

Defoe made no bones about striking it home, although James guessed the direction correctly.

But five minutes later Kanu easily outjumped King and Michael Dawson to head home Gary O'Neil's right-wing cross.

The second half deteriorated into a battle of attrition, with few coherent moves but Kranjcar was an impressive figure for Pompey as they battled to get back into the match.

He fired wide and then not far over as Harry Redknapp's team made a spirited comeback and restricted Spurs to breakaways.

Jenas, who had scored against Sheffield United and against Slavia Prague, tested James with a curling shot from outside the area in the 72nd minute which the keeper clawed away for a corner but Robinson was barely threatened at the other end.

Redknapp threw on Cole for the last 18 minutes having already replaced Davis with Benjani and Dejan Stefanovic with Matt Taylor.

But after Jenas and the talented Zokora both missed chances on the break for Spurs, it was LuaLua who nearly rescued a point - his far-post header from Benjani's cross forcing a marvellous stoppage-time save from the under-worked Paul Robinson.