Spurs looked to be heading for defeat when skipper Robbie Keane came up with a priceless 89th-minute equaliser to cancel out Kieran Richardson's third-minute strike.

The draw eased both clubs slightly further away from the scrap for survival - they are each now five points clear of the bottom three - and Redknapp is convinced his team's current run of improved form will keep them up.

Asked if either side will be relegated, he said: "I don't know.

"As long as we don't go down, I don't care who goes down. I would be a liar if I sat here and said otherwise.

"But I am confident we will be okay. We have got enough quality in the team.

"We have lost one home game since I came to the club out of about 17 - and that was to Everton 1-0 when we should have banked a draw - so we are in good form."

Keane's perfectly-executed volley from Darren Bent's cross rescued a point for the visitors just when it looked as though they were heading for defeat.

However, it came in controversial circumstances with Sunderland appealing in vain for a penalty for Ledley King's challenge on Kenwyne Jones.

The visitors broke swiftly for Bent to cross for Keane, and his finish was sublime.

Redknapp, who had earlier seen his own team's penalty claims for handball against Phil Bardsley waved away by referee Phil Dowd, said: "That was a handball up at their end, for sure.

"The one at the other end, I haven't seen it again. If you tell me it was a penalty, I would say, 'Yeah, okay, fair enough'. I would have to see it again.

"From where I was, there were bodies going in and I don't know what happened."

Opposite number Ricky Sbragia, however, was philosophical.

He said: "I'm not so sure it was a penalty - it's not a penalty because he [Dowd] hasn't given it."

Sbragia's disappointment was all the more acute because of the fine start Richardson's opener had given the Black Cats.

He admitted they had ridden their luck as Spurs launched a fightback with Bent guilty of a glaring 58th-minute miss, while King forced a good save from Marton Fulop 11 minutes before the break.

However, the Scot blamed his own side's indiscipline - and particularly that of left-back George McCartney and Richardson, who picked up his 10th booking of the campaign and a two-match ban as a result - for the loss of two important points.

Sbragia said: "Eighty-nine minutes, we were 1-0 up and it was the same old story.

"We got carried away and we start losing our discipline. We should take a short corner kick and try to see out a little bit of time or try to work it a little bit better.

"The left-back is in the box for some reason - I don't know why he is there, but he's there, and that's where the goal has come from, at the end of the day.

"I can't understand that.

"Kieran was running around like a chicken with no head trying to get himself booked for some reason, and we became undisciplined.

"Sometimes, maybe we think we are bigger than the game. He was on nine bookings, he had to be careful.

"We are going to lose him for a month, the way things are going.

"He continued getting involved with the referee, he continued trying to make silly tackles and picked up his 10th booking, so that didn't please me.

"And definitely without any doubt, the late goal didn't please me."