Trotters edge five-goal thriller

Davies nets twice to break Spurs' hearts

Last updated: 31st January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Trotters edge five-goal thriller

Puygrenier with the opening goal of the game

Man of the Match: Kevin Davies. The club's long-serving striker was a handful for Spurs afternoon and capped a fine display with an invaluable brace.

Moment of the Match: Harry Redknapp's half-time introduction of Darren Bent has looked a masterstroke, but the crucial moment has to be Davies' 87th minute winner for Bolton.

Gaffe of the Match: Kevin Davies was brave in getting his head on Matthew Taylor's late corner, but David Bentley will be disappointed with his efforts to keep the ball out at the near post.

Talking Point: How will Spurs cope with Defoe? Can Pavlyuchenko and Bent score the goals to fine Spurs to safety or does Redknapp need to sign another striker?

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Bolton threw away their second two-goal advantage in a week against Spurs but came away with three points thanks to Kevin Davies' late winner.

Bolton forged ahead when Sebastien Puygrenier headed home Mark Davies' pin-point free-kick with just over half an hour played at The Reebok.

Spurs looked dead and buried on 64 minutes when Kevin Davies side-footed home into the far corner of the net after a great flick-on by Gary Cahill.

However, Spurs rocked Gary Megson's side with a quick-fire brace. Darren Bent netted a double off the bench to level matters with 15 minutes remaining.

With both sides looking for that all-important winner it was Bolton who triumphed. Kevin Davies got his head on Matthew Taylor's inswinging corner that David Bentley failed to keep out at the near post to settle the contest.

Harry Redknapp's men almost started on a high when Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen spilled Bentley's second-minute effort but Bolton hit back with Kevin Davies heading just over Carlo Cudicini's bar.

Just wide

Jlloyd Samuel's foul on Bentley gave the visitors a dangerous free-kick on the right in the 13th minute and, from the former Blackburn man's set-piece, Roman Pavlyuchenko flashed a header across the face of goal.

Mark Davies' knock-on gave Ariza Makukula a shooting chance in the 17th minute but he prodded his effort harmlessly wide in a distinctly underwhelming start.

Bolton could have snatched the lead in the 22nd minute when Gretar Steinsson counter-attacked well down the left and crossed for Mark Davies, who flashed a clear header just wide from eight yards.

Jaaskelainen redeemed himself for his earlier error when he did well to block a rising shot on the turn from Bentley in the 25th minute but it was the home side who were starting to get forward with more purpose.

Gardner dispossessed Vedran Corluka on the Bolton left and set up Kevin Davies in the box, who should have done better, before Taylor hit a low left-foot shot from long range that Cudicini held well.

And Bolton were rewarded for their ambition in the 31st minute when Mark Davies flung in a well-directed free-kick and Puygrenier jumped in the box to head a powerful opener past Cudicini.

Without the injured Jermain Defoe, Redknapp's men were lacking cutting edge up front, a fact illustrated in the 39th minute when Aaron Lennon broke down the left but found nobody in the box waiting for his eventual cross.

Food for thought

Pavlyuchenko was left to resort to a rising long-range effort, which failed to trouble Jaaskelainen, but with Bolton still enjoying most of the possession, the half-time whistle gave Redknapp plenty to think about.

Knowing he could ill afford a repeat of the first 45 minutes, Redknapp was forced to adopt a more attacking approach to the second half with Bent and Fraizer Campbell introduced after the break.

Lennon wriggled into the box in the 47th minute but his efforts came to nothing while at the other end Fabrice Muamba found himself with a shooting chance but snatched his effort wide of target.

Makukula spooned an effort over the bar from a crowded box in the 55th minute as the home side continued to hold the upper hand, Jaaskelainen left untroubled by another long-range attempt by Pavlyuchenko.

And Bolton went further ahead in the 64th minute with a well-worked goal as Cahill headed the ball onto Kevin Davies, who beat Benoit Assou-Ekotto and slammed a rising effort across Cudicini and into the keeper's top-right corner.

It looked like Spurs were heading for another dismal defeat before Bent swept home the simplest of chances from a Pascal Chimbonda cross in the 73rd minute - then poked the equaliser through Jaaskelainen's legs.

Mark Davies came close to snatching the lead back for the stunned home side in a frantic finale before Kevin Davies finally pounced to win a see-saw clash with his 87th-minute header.

Bolton WanderersTeam StatisticsTottenham Hotspur
3Goals2
11st Half Goals0
5Shots on Target7
6Shots off Target5
2Blocked Shots5
2Corners8
13Fouls13
1Offsides2
0Yellow Cards1
0Red Cards0
70.6Passing Success76.7
34Tackles22
73.5Tackles Success81.8
49Possession51
46.6Territorial Advantage53.4
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