For more than an hour Tottenham were heading for another night of frustration.
After no wins in seven in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou's team struggled against Swedish qualifiers Elfsborg in the Europa League.
The loss of yet another player to injury did not help the mood inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as substitute Radu Dragusin joined the club's spiralling casualty list.
Then 20-year-old Dane Scarlett headed Spurs ahead before 19-year-old Damola Ajayi - just three minutes and 39 seconds into his debut - produced a confident finish to make it 2-0.
Tottenham were already heading for a win and a place in the last 16 when Mikey Moore produced the finish of the night, a low shot after a clever run.