Tottenham Hotspur 2, Leeds United 2

Simon Grayson insists Leeds’ FA Cup run will not damage the club’s prime target of promotion to the Championship.

Grayson’s cup heroes lost top spot in League One for the first time since early September as Norwich became the new pace-setters on goal difference.

But that could not spoil the celebrations after Jermaine Beckford’s injury-time equaliser at Tottenham gained Leeds a fourth-round replay.

Grayson said: “Another game won’t do us any harm. It will probably help with our transfer budget.

“Players love playing and if they are turning out regularly on Tuesdays and Saturdays, then so be it. Our profile will be lifted again and we take a lot of inspiration from knowing we can compete with the top teams in the Premiership.”

United go to Swindon tomorrow night looking to regain the leadership in a match Grayson rates as even more important than the Spurs tie. Yet there was no disguising the manager’s delight after his team seized that dramatic cup lifeline.

Grayson said: “It was a fantastic performance and the result was thoroughly deserved. We knew Tottenham would come out all guns blazing but we had to keep believing we could do something and I thought we were the better team in the second half.

“At half-time I told the players they would get opportunities. You don’t expect to get such a late goal and penalty decision but Jermaine showed his mental strength and calmness to put it away.”

Robert Snodgrass, whose strong running and trickery tested Spurs’ defence, said: “We got what we deserved. I thought we were first class.

“Jermaine will get the credit for his goals and Casper (Ankergren) made some great saves, including a penalty, but everybody played their part. Now we have a hard game at Swindon but we go there with a team high on confidence.”

United suffered a major pre-match blow when captain Richard Naylor pulled out with a hamstring injury, Patrick Kisnorbo partnering Leigh Bromby in central defence.

Spurs, who fielded almost their strongest available side, gave former Leeds academy player Danny Rose his first full start on the left flank but he was substituted after 57 minutes.

United were under siege for most of the first half, Ankergren standing between Harry Redknapp’s men and a cricket score.

The Dane had already made saves from Jermain Defoe and Niko Kranjcar before diving to his left to push Defoe’s spot-kick away in the ninth minute after Micky Doyle brought down Rose.

Ankergren then frustrated Seb Bassong, Gareth Bale and Kranjcar but Spurs should have had another penalty when Jason Crowe clipped Defoe instead of the ball but the offence went unpunished.

Leeds had a brief spell on the attack but Heurello Gomes pulled off an excellent save from Snodgrass. Beckford shot wide of the far post with his left foot from a good chance and failed to beat Gomes when put through by Snodgrass.

Just when it seemed United were asserting themselves, Spurs made the breakthrough. Bale crossed from the left, Ankergren saved Kranjcar’s shot with his legs but the ball fell to Peter Crouch, who drilled it into the corner from 12 yards.

Jermaine Jenas should have added a second but lifted his shot over the bar from close range and, just after the interval, he almost gifted Beckford an equaliser with an ill-advised back-pass but the Leeds striker’s touch let him down.

The leveller duly arrived in the 52nd minute when a corner by Snodgrass was prodded into the six-yard box by Bromby and Beckford hooked the ball over the line.

Spurs were back in front in the 75th minute when Roman Pavlyuchenko took a pass from Defoe and provided a deadly finish just four minutes after leaving the bench.

It seemed Leeds were destined for glory in defeat but, after a flurry of bookings and six minutes into added time, Beckford was adjudged by referee Alan Wiley to have been brought down by Spurs captain Michael Dawson.

Beckford has been far from reliable from the spot in the past but remained remarkably composed to crash the penalty high into the net for his 22nd goal of the season as Leeds’ 4,200 travelling fans went delirious.

Meanwhile, United have agreed an undisclosed fee with Leicester for winger Max Gradel, who will sign subject to passing a medical.