- English Barclays Premier League
- 2 May 2012, 8:00pm
- Reebok Stadium
- Attendance: 22,349
Bolton | v | Tottenham |
1
| 4
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live commentary
FULL-TIME:Spurs stay fourth and move within a point of their rivals Arsenal after a 4-1 victory over Bolton who remain in the relegation zone with just two games now remaining. Bolton started the second half strongly and forced an equaliser, but Tottenham hit back with three goals in nine minutes to end the contest. Thanks for following our coverage.
90+2 mins:Bale forces Bogdan into a late save as the keeper turns his shot behind at the near post.
90 mins:Sandro's taken a knock to the head as he receives medical attention. Three minutes added on.
88 mins:Redknapp makes his final sub as Nelsen replaces Gallas in defence. I don't think Defoe will be too chuffed about that.
85 mins:Adebayor receives the ball just inside the Bolton area. He has Saha unmarked to his right but wants the match ball and goes for goal, curling his effort a few feet over the crossbar.
83 mins:More subs as Lennon is replaced by Saha and Arsenal loanee Miyaichi comes on for Eagles.
79 mins:Livermore replaces Van der Vaart in the Tottenham midfield. Spurs are dominating possession as they close in on their first away win of 2012.
75 mins:Eagles gets a booking for a foul on Sandro before Adebayor almost races clear again, but Bolton's defenders rush back to block his path to goal.
73 mins:Klasnic sets Petrov free down the left. The Bulgarian goes for goal and his angled shot is beaten away by Friedel before Spurs clear the danger.
71 mins:Bolton youngster Vela is booked for a reckless challenge on Lennon, who to be fair doesn't make much of it despite clearly being caught.
69 mins: SPURS WRAP IT UP!A second goal for ADEBAYOR who rounds Bogdan for a simple finish after being played through on goal by Bale. Bolton were trying to play a high line but somebody forgot to tell Ricketts who left Adebayor onside.
65 mins:Double sub for Bolton as Vela and Klasnic replace Reo-Coker and Ngog.
64 mins:Ngog spins on the edge of the Spurs area as Bolton look to get back into this match, but his effort lacks power and fails to trouble Friedel.
62 mins: NOW IT'S THREE FOR SPURS!Two goals in two minutes for the visitors! Modric's superb through ball finds Lennon down the right and his cross to the back post is tapped in by ADEBAYOR. He couldn't miss.
60 mins: SPURS BACK IN FRONTSlick counter from Tottenham! They've been under heavy pressure but Bale storms down the left and sends in a low cross which VAN DER VAART sidefoots past Bogdan into the far corner.
59 mins:Eagles goes close for Bolton, but his vicious strike from the edge of the area flies just over.
58 mins:Spurs can't get out of their own half. Bolton win three corners in succession but Spurs survive after Davies' deflected header goes over.
56 mins:It's all Bolton as they pile pressure on the Spurs defence. A loose ball drops to Petrov at the back post, but he's off balance and slices his effort well wide.
54 mins:Walker is booked for holding back Petrov. Meanwhile, Ngog appears to have recovered so will continue in attack.
52 mins:Ngog has taken a knock in the build-up to that equaliser and needs treatment. Klasnic is warming up.
51 mins: BOLTON ARE LEVEL!A long throw into the box is flicked on by Davies to Ngog. The Frenchman's neat backheel runs into the path of REO-COKER and he smacks his first-time shot past Friedel. Perfect start to the half for the hosts.
Ghetly, Bombay:"Bolton to come back and win 2-1."
47 mins:Wheater gifts the ball straight to Van der Vaart inside the Bolton half, but the Dutchman's through ball is well cut out by Ream.
46 mins:Bolton get us restarted. They need a point to move out of the bottom three. During the break I was watching replays of the build-up to Modric's goal and there was a definite handball by Sandro which led to the corner Spurs scored from. Bolton could easily have been awarded a free-kick.
HALF-TIME:Tottenham deservely lead at the break. They hadn't scored away from home in over seven hours of football before tonight, but Modric's superb strike was well worth the wait. Bolton's best chance came at the end of the half but they've struggled to create much going forward. Join us for the second half soon.
45+2 mins:Golden chance for Bolton to equalise just before the break! Davies nods a free-kick across to the back post. Boyata is unmarked on the edge of the six-yard area but he skies his volley. Awful attempt.
45 mins:Eagles lashes a long-range shot wide before the fourth official indicates one minute added on.
42 mins:The Bolton fans are appealing for a penalty as Ngog tussles with Gallas and Kaboul inside the Spurs box, but the officials aren't interested. Not for me.
39 mins:Spurs attack again as Lennon's driven cross from the right is hooked clear by the home side.
37 mins: SCREAMER FROM MODRIC!What. A. Hit. A corner is purposely pinged to Modric who is lurking about 10-15 yards outside the Bolton area. The midfielder brings it down on his chest and then fires an unstoppable half-volley into the top corner. Absolutely stunning strike. That will add another £10m to his price tag.
36 mins:Shooting chance for Van der Vaart who finds space inside the Bolton area, but his effort is palmed away by Bogdan before Tottenham win a corner.
35 mins:First real chance for Bolton. Petrov's cross from the left just evades a sliding Davies, but Eagles pulls the ball back to Ngog from the back post and his shot is saved at point-blank range by Friedel.
31 mins:Walker arrives at the scene, but it's Van der Vaart who takes the free-kick, bending his effort around the wall and just wide of the Bolton goal. Decent attempt.
30 minsSpurs have a free-kick in a central position, about 25-30 yards from the Bolton goal. Walker might fancy this after his set-piece exploits against Blackburn a few days ago...
27 mins:Bolton haven't showed much threat going forward and after working the ball out wide to Petrov, the Bulgarian stumbles over his own feet, wasting a chance to send a cross into the middle.
24 mins:Bale bursts away from Boyata and races down the left before breezing past a tentative Wheater challenge and drilling a dangerous ball across goal, but there's no Spurs player arriving to tuck it home.
Lone ranger:"It's all about 4th! From the bottom and from top. Spurs to win 3-1."
21 mins:Spurs have been the stronger side so far with Modric dominating the midfield and Lennon looking lively down the right wing. Ngog and Davies have been isolated in the Bolton attack.
18 mins:The corner comes to nothing as Bolton's defence get a breather. Toon goal-machine Cisse has scored at Stamford Bridge so as things stand, Newcastle would leapfrog Tottenham into fourth.
17 mins:Excellent skill by Lennon who waltzes between a couple of white shirts from the byline, plays a one-two with Adebayor and then blasts his first-time shot just over from 20 yards. The replays show it took a deflection so Spurs have a corner.
13 mins:Adebayor almost gets in behind the defence after being picked out by Van der Vaart inside the Bolton area, but his control is poor and the ball runs through to Bogdan.
12 mins:Double save by Bogdan! Bale's swirling shot from outside the area is fumbled by the Bolton keeper, but he recovers magnificently to block Van der Vaart's follow-up before Bolton clear.
10 mins:Modric's clever pass releases Lennon who gets in behind Ricketts down Tottenham's right and pulls the ball back into the box, but Reo-Coker is there to clean up for the Trotters.
7 mins:Gallas concedes a free-kick inside his own half for shoving. Eagles decides to have a pop despite it being a good 35 yards out, and his shot is blocked by Van der Vaart who had formed a one-man wall!
5 mins:Petrov tries to make something happen down Bolton's left, but his cross into the box is hacked clear by Gallas.
2 mins:Spurs force an early corner which Van der Vaart whips into the mixer, but his teasing delivery flashes across the six-yard box and out of play.
0 mins:Tottenham, wearing their black kit, get us underway. Keep your comments coming in during the match.
Claire, Bolton:"Tonight is a must-win game for us to have any chance of staying up. I am going for 3-2 to Bolton."
1955:An emotional Muamba walks out to the pitch and is greeted by a rousing reception from both sets of fans. He's struggling to hold back the tears as his name rings around the stadium. Muamba's fiancee, Shauna, watches from the crowd. The teams are now on their way out.
Nick G, Evesham:"With all the England job sorted Harry can focus on finishing what he started at Spurs. Should be a comfy win tonight 3-0. Bale to score first."
1948:Fabrice Muamba has just been interviewed at the ground, 47 days after collapsing when these two teams met in the FA Cup at White Hart Lane. Muamba says he's been overwhelmed with the support and still has seven boxes of cards to get through. He's also been thanking the Spurs medical team and chatting to Harry Redknapp. Great to see him smiling after what he's gone through.
1942:As for Tottenham, it looks like 'Arry will be sticking around after all following Roy Hodgson's surprise appointment as England manager. A win tonight will keep Spurs fourth ahead of Newcastle and Chelsea (who are in action against each other), and lift them to within a point of rivals Arsenal. So plenty to play for at both ends of the table.
1935:Wolves have already slipped through the Premier League trap door but which two other teams will join them in the Championship next season? Bolton are one of five sides fighting for survival but only need a point to move out of the relegation zone. Fans of Blackburn, QPR, Wigan and Villa will be praying for a favour from Spurs tonight.
1918:Both sides are unchanged from the weekend, which is something you don't see too often nowadays. Makes my job a lot easier. Full line-ups to your right.
1915:Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of tonight's Premier League showdown between Bolton and Tottenham at the Reebok Stadium. Team news in a tick...
- English Barclays Premier League
- 2 May 2012, 8:00pm
- Reebok Stadium
- Attendance: 22,349
| Bolton | v | Tottenham |
1
| 4
|
match report
Emmanuel Adebayor struck twice as Tottenham won 4-1 at struggling Bolton to maintain their hold on fourth spot in the Premier League.
In the week their manager Harry Redknapp learned he would not succeed Fabio Capello as England manager, Spurs played more like the side they were before the speculation he would become national boss began.
Bolton's Nigel Reo-Coker cancelled out a stunning strike from Luka Modric at the Reebok Stadium but three goals in nine minutes from Spurs, one from Rafael van der Vaart and Adebayor's double, ended the contest.
The victory took them within a point of third-placed Arsenal but left Bolton in deep relegation trouble.
It was an emotional night for the hosts with Fabrice Muamba returning to the ground for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup tie between the same two teams in March.
The Trotters midfielder accepted a standing ovation from all sides of the ground as he was introduced on the pitch before kick-off but attention then shifted to Bolton's battle against the drop.
The hosts' failure to make the most of a dominant spell after Reo-Coker's equaliser proved costly as they slipped to a defeat that leaves them in the bottom three.
They showed determination and composure early on in what was their game in hand but it was Spurs who had the first serious opportunities when Adam Bogdan was forced into a double save.
Bogdan, outstanding in the rearranged cup game against Spurs, parried a long-range drive from Gareth Bale and then reacted quickly to deny Van der Vaart.
Bale made a cutting charge into the area and pulled the ball back from the byline but there was no-one on hand to turn in.
Bolton pieced together a nice move to release Dedryck Boyata in the box but the right-back could only pick out Brad Friedel while David Ngog was unmarked in front of goal.
Bolton made another swift counter-attack as Martin Petrov broke clear down the left and whipped in a low cross which just evaded Kevin Davies.
Chris Eagles picked up possession and found Ngog but the Frenchman's shot was smothered by Friedel.
Spurs took the lead with Modric's spectacular strike after 37 minutes.
The visitors won a corner after Bogdan saved from Van der Vaart and the ball was put behind despite suspicion of handball from Sandro.
Bolton fans were incensed but Van der Vaart was allowed to chip to Modric outside the area and the Croatian chested down before blasting a swerving shot into the top corner.
Bolton should have been level before the break.
Eagles first shot wide with a long-range effort before Boyata put a golden opportunity over the bar from a stoppage-time corner.
Bolton had a scare early in the second half as David Wheater gifted possession to Van der Vaart but Tim Ream snuffed out the counter-attack.
The Trotters pulled themselves back level with a well-worked equaliser in the 51st minute.
Kevin Davies headed on Boyata's throw-in to Ngog and his backheel rolled perfectly for Reo-Coker, who fired a low shot past Friedel.
The goal lifted the crowd and Bolton upped the tempo.
Petrov found himself in a good position but scuffed a shot wide and three corners in quick succession caused some anxiety in the Spurs box.
Eagles was the next to take aim after another throw was hurled into the area but his effort went narrowly over.
Bolton paid for their failure to make the most of that spell as Spurs launched two quick counter-raids to score twice in as many minutes.
Bale first stretched the defence and Van der Vaart finished brilliantly as the Welshman slid an inviting ball into his path.
Barely seconds later, Lennon got behind the defence as he raced on to a long ball from Modric and squared for Adebayor to tap home.
Bolton briefly rallied but the game was put beyond their reach as Bale sent Adebayor clear and the on-loan Manchester City striker casually rounded Bogdan to score.
Tensions were evident as Bolton substitute Josh Vela crudely brought down Aaron Lennon, sparking a row on the touchlines between Spurs assistant boss Joe Jordan and Bolton manager Owen Coyle.
Redknapp appeared to step in as peacemaker and Vela was booked.
Bolton endured more frustration as Petrov crossed and both Kevin Davies and Eagles failed to trouble Friedel.
Adebayor tried his luck from distance in search of a hat-trick but chipped over.
Spurs played out time to record their first win at the Reebok Stadium and the travelling fans chanted their support of Redknapp.
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