ANOTHER rabbit popped out of the Bolton hat last night when the First Division leaders overpowered and outshot a disappointing Tottenham to reach the quarter finals of the English League Cup.

It was Bolton's biggest win in a series of successes against teams from a higher division and suggests that Gerry Francis, the Spurs manager, needs to delve into the transfer kitty to patch up his team.

Bolton launched the kind of opening barrage that can demolish opponents and it brought them an early goal, John McGinlay putting them ahead after six minutes.

Bolton's second goal came, by contrast, in a spell of relative calm after a 19th minute free kick by Teddy Sheringham had catapulted Spurs back into the tie.

Both Bolton goals followed corners and underlined some sloppy defending by the visitors. Each time Northern Ireland defender Gerry Taggart had won the ball in the air, allowing McGinlay to apply the finishing touch on the ground.

McGinlay's second goal, like the first scored from close range, slipped between the feet of Colin Calderwood in the 37th minute. Not for the first time were Spurs caught leg less, so to speak.

Bolton had cause to complain at the award of a free kick for hands against John Sheridan that led to the Spurs goal. The home side claimed that the ball hit Sheffield Wednesday's loaned midfielder on the shoulder. It did not help their goalkeeper, Keith Branagan, when Sheringham's free kick from 20 yards hit a defender in the wall and changed direction.

McGinlay is in prolific form. His second goal was his 16th of the season and fourth in the Cup.

The visitors' unease was underlined when Jason Dozzell contrived to head an inviting cross wide when it looked easier to score. At the other end, Taggart was ruthlessly accurate when he increased Bolton's lead in the 59th minute. He moved ahead of Calderwood to head a centre by McGinlay well beyond the reach, of Ian Walker.

Worse followed for Spurs in the 73rd minute when McGinlay completed a memorable hat trick with a dubious looking penalty awarded when the Scot was challenged, by Steve Carr.

Spurs' headache increased when Nathan Blake scored the fifth from an incisive pass by Sheridan. Minutes after coming on as substitute, Scott Taylor scored from a cross by David Lee to make it six.