Warren Barton (pictured above) pounced with a minute to go to grab all three points for Newcastle and leave a spirited Spurs side empty-handed.
Newcastle obviously lacked the cutting edge of Alan Shearer and Faustino Asprilla, and St James' Park breathed a huge sigh of relief when Barton finally breached Tottenham's defence.
A corner was cleared out to David Batty on the edge of the visitors' penalty box and when his half-volley broke at the far post Barton fired joyously home from close range.
Spurs had been looking to former Newcastle favourites Ferdinand, David Ginola and Ruel Fox to improve a poor record on Tyneside - just two League wins in 22 years.
Ten months ago Ferdinand was starring in a 7-1 Newcastle rout of the side he has supported since a youngster. He scored twice and gave the visitors all kinds of trouble.
The worry within St James's before kick-off was that he might just repeat that two-goal performance but this time on behalf of Gerry Francis.
Ferdinand was given a great welcome by all four sides of the stadium as the sides prepared to kick-off.
However, before the match started, John Scales, who had injured himself in the warm-ups, was replaced by former Spurs skipper Gary Mabbutt.
Within 48 seconds Ferdinand should have silenced those home fans who only seconds earlier had cheered his return to Tyneside.
The England striker moved onto a Ruel Fox cross from the right only to head straight at Shay Given from eight yards.
It took the Magpies some time to settle and in the fourth minute David Ginola curled a superb 25-yard effort towards the bottom corner only for the ball to fly inches past with Given struggling.
It had taken the revamped Newcastle side, showing four changes from the one which started on Wednesday in Kiev, sometime to settle.
But once they got going they created a number of chances.
And in the 12th minute they should have been awarded a penalty. Temuri Ketsbaia had knocked the ball past his marker Mabbutt only for the defender to up-end him. But while everyone looked to referee Martin Bodenham he waved play on much to the home fans' annoyance.
In the 24th minute Ketsbaia hit a fine curler which Ian Walker did well to save, but only at the second attempt. The Georgian international had carried on his fine second-half show in Kiev with a busy game against a Spurs side which looked very nervy on the edge of their own penalty box.
Ferdinand was determined to get on the scoresheet and two minutes on he forced a fine save from Republic of Ireland keeper Given only for the referee to blow for offside.
Newcastle's England defender Steve Howey so nearly made a disastrous error on his first start of the season.
With his own keeper Given shouting for him to leave a Fox cross he tried to cushion a header back to the keeper only for the ball to float inches wide.
Eleven minutes before the break Ferdinand broke with stinging pace only for Darren Peacock to pull off a superb sliding challenge to rob him of the ball.
Just before the break, Ginola went close with a curling 15-yard effort which Given saved comfortably after positioning himself well at the near post.
Neither side made any changes at the interval - though Ferdinand and Fox were late to appear - as the Magpies began an all-out assault on the visitors' goal.
And but for some poor quality finishing they would surely have won the game with something to spare.
Barnes could only strike defender Ramon Vega from less than 12 yards in the 47th minute when he should have scored and then a number of openings fell to Tomasson and Ketsbaia only for a mixture of good goalkeeping from Walker and some weak finishing prevented an almost inevitable goal.
Tomasson, on no less than four occasions, struck low efforts which Walker saved while the Georgian international struck at least three goalbound drives which the keeper also saved.
A 73rd minute move summed up the home fans' frustration. Ketsbaia got to the byline but when his cross needed only the slightest of touches Rush was unable to provide it.
And then, in the 80th minute Peacock and Barnes set up Barton only for the midfielder to crash a fine 22 yard effort against the crossbar.
Barnes produced another powerful effort in the 86th minute but Walker wasonce again well placed to save, and it seemed as though his heroics would be enough.
But with less than a minute remaining Barton got the decisive goal to leave Spurs, and his close friend, Ferdinand broken-hearted.
Source: FOOTYMAD
