Hope crashed. Replaced by despair and the disc jockey discarded plans to pipe Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond through the state-of-the-art sound system in favour of Munich by the Editors, a gloomy whirl of guitars and always a sure sign that plans have gone awry in Tottenham.
Kevin Danso looked distraught, rooted to the turf. Probably longing for it to open and swallow him until team-mates Rodrigo Bentancur and Ben Davies noticed his predicament and went to retrieve him.
Danso’s mistake had led directly to Brighton’s 95th-minute equaliser scored by Georginio Rutter and the nature of the game made it impossible for the home side to dress a point up as anything but a serious blow to their chances of staying up.
The precise demands will be clearer after their closest relegation rivals have played. Nottingham Forest tackle Burnley at the City Ground on Sunday and West Ham travel to Crystal Palace on Monday.
Spurs could be cut four points adrift if those results go against them and yet there were signs of life in this performance.
Signs that Roberto De Zerbi, helped by the timely return of important players and the options they provide, might yet squeeze more points from this group of players over the final five games of the season.
It is difficult to be too positive, but his players certainly responded to his calls for more fight. His pre match call to arms mentioned both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke as two leading men who could do more and they did.
Xavi Simons was the one big plus, playing off the left where he struggled to make an impact under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor and yet fizzing with creativity and threat, with an assist for the first and a wonderful strike from the edge of the penalty area for the second.
His quality will be vital through the last five games and De Zerbi promised to get more from him, as they are kindred spirits, both number 10s at heart.
‘He played very well, a great game,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘He can play better because a player like this needs to feel confidence from the manager and I will be here to transfer all the confidence he needs.
‘When I was a player I was a number 10, and I know what he is thinking because I thought the same. I am lucky to have him on my team, but he is lucky as well because I can understand better than other coaches.’
De Zerbi seemed to have decided this race to survive might be no country for young men. After a youthful Spurs midfield was dominated at Sunderland last weekend, he recalled Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma.
Bentancur’s game craft was important, especially as his team controlled long periods of the first half but their nerves remain frayed and they are terribly fragile, unable to resist to the pressure points at the end of each half.
Bentancur was playing for the first time after three months out. Bissouma’s return was his first for more than a month, and he could not make it beyond an hour. They were deployed in a vague 4141 shape with Simons drifting inside from wide left to clear the channel for Destiny Udogie to charge forward.
There were early dividends with Udogie raiding forward and Conor Gallagher was an effective as he has been since his arrival, playing as a high-energy number 10. He won the ball and busied around the fringes of the penalty area.
The pattern was lost in the second half, although another key factor was the strength on the bench to keep the energy levels up. Lucas Bergvall had only just come on when he won the ball from Jan Paul van Hecke and set Simons off towards his goal.
Brighton centre half Van Hecke was guilty of over-playing at the back for the first, losing possession to Solanke before Pedro Porro headed in a clipped pass from Simons. Solanke was more physical and knocked defenders about more than usual.
So, there were glimpses of promise. The home crowd united behind their team and generated an electric atmosphere. It did not feel particularly euphoric as they filed back out into the High Road after Rutter had the final say on the night, but De Zerbi’s Spurs did not look like a team surrendering without a fight. And that is progress.
