Jermain Defoe had waited for this moment for what had seemed an age. It was at the beginning of September when the Tottenham Hotspur striker felt his season cave in, together with his ankle ligaments while on England duty, and the rehabilitation lasted 10 arduous weeks.

The livewire is the worst imaginable spectator and denied his professional currency of goals, he kicked his heels in frustration. Yet release finally came for him here, on the Netherlands' eastern front, when he scored his first goals at club level since August. His composure when the opportunities knocked was as icy as the temperature here and it has given Tottenham a fillip as they look ahead to the turn of the season. With Defoe back in the team and firing, their hopes can soar.

Harry Redknapp's team had been desperate for a victory to ensure that they would advance as Group A winners. They were denied the wish and a first away win in the Champions League following yet another European goalfest but it did not matter, as Internazionale fluffed their lines at Werder Bremen. The challenges keep on coming. Next up for Tottenham is Chelsea in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Sunday but thoughts will now turn to next Friday's last 16 draw in Switzerland. They will fear nobody.

Tottenham would have bitten anybody's hand off back in August for the chance to qualify from a difficult group with a game to spare. Yet, if there has been the feeling of them punching above their weight in Europe's elite competition, this was the opportunity for them to add the gloss finish. Redknapp might have shuffled his pack slightly with an eye on Chelsea's visit but make no mistake, he was desperate for the result to ensure top spot and seeded status for the last 16 draw.

Blaring techno had filled the stadium in the countdown to kick-off but the tempo was somewhat slower when the match got underway, with Spurs seeking to stay solid and use their pace on the counter. Roman Pavlyuchenko frequently dropped off to swell the numbers in midfield.

The first half was a tale of two goalkeepers. And while Heurelho Gomes mixed some flapping with neat handling to repel a shot by Wout Brama and collect a dangerous cross from Roberto Rosales, his opposite number endured a moment that will haunt him.

Sander Boschker is 40 years old and he was given his Champions League debut largely as a gesture in recognition of his distinguished service. He is in his 22nd season at Twente. But when Peter Wisgerhof sent an innocuous back-pass along the bumpy ground, Boschker suffered his Paul Robinson moment. He took a mighty swing at the ball, caught only a slice of it and, as his heart leapt in horror, he watched it spin back and trickle into his own goal. So much for sentiment.

Trouble flared in the stands between a handful of Tottenham fans, who bizarrely had been seated in among the home crowd, and their Twente counterparts but it was on the field where events took a turn for the worse for Redknapp's men. Rosales unleashed a rocket from distance that hit Benoît Assou-Ekotto on the arm as he shielded his face inside the area. The penalty award felt harsh.

Denny Landzaat checked his run and then shot beyond Gomes but as the PA announcer pressed play for the music, the referee ordered a retake for encroachment. Landzaat's second attempt was straight and, to Gomes' anguish, it wriggled underneath him.

Although Pavlyuchenko and Defoe went close, Twente were the more positive team in the first-half but for all their offensive smartness, they did look vulnerable at the back. They were not the only ones. Tottenham failed to hurt them in the first-half but after the interval they made them pay. Douglas dithered when attempting to clear Bale's cross and when the substitute Aaron Lennon picked up possession, he sent a marvellous reverse ball through for Defoe. Confronted by Boschker, Defoe's clipped finish was lethal.

The game took on the feel of an end-to-end shoot-out, not for the first time in Tottenham's season. Theo Janssen's cross from the left was floated for a team-mate to attack and Rosales, the marauding right-back did just that, thumping his header past the diving Gomes.

Defoe restored their lead after Wilson Palacios had won possession from Janssen, surged forward and seen his shot parried by Boschker. Again, the close-range finish was clinical yet the advantage was short-lived, as Nacer Chadli bent home a superb 25-yard free-kick.

The impressive Brama almost exacted the revenge that Twente were seeking for their 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane when his shot was beaten away by the diving Gomes. At the other end, Boschker reacted sharply to keep out a deflection off Douglas. It was breathless to the end. For Tottenham, though, the excitement levels are set to be cranked up further.