Bolton battered their way to the most significant victory since they returned to the top flight at the Reebok Stadium last night. Newcastle, playing their third game in six days and looking as weary as boss Kenny Dalglish predicted they would, saw their own hopes of closing the gap on leaders Manchester United take a savage blow.

Bolton have gained a reputation for a blood and thunder assault on the big boys, and Newcastle were not to be spared.

The victory, by far the best result of their season, takes them soaring out of the bottom three - dumping Spurs in the drop zone - and pushes Colin Todd's boys up to the heady heights of midtable.

One thundering goal from Nathan Blake after 22 minutes proved to be the eventual clincher, and it was fitting that the battering ram of a striker should grab the glory for the awesome way he led Bolton from the sharp end.

Per Frandsen created the chance with a decisive ball in from the right. Blake set himself, took the ball down with his chest and took one step before blasting his shot past Shaka Hislop.

It was a goal of confidence and venom, his eighth of the season and served notice that Bolton are prepared to fight for their lives.

Newcastle had the skills, but allowed themselves to become immersed in a war of ferocious tackles, just the sort of combat Bolton love.

Newcastle started with urgency in the first half, before becoming tentative and unsettled by the strength and pace of Bolton's game.

After just five minutes Keith Branagan could only scoop out a long-range shot from Des Hamilton, and had to dive at the feet of the onrushing Temuri Ketsbaia in the six yard box.

Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson got away from Mark Fish, Andy Todd and Mike Whitlow to find space for a low drive that Branagan again found difficulty in holding.

But apart from a twisting, high speed run from Keith Gillespie, that finished with a drive held by Branagan, Newcastle spent much of the first half on the back foot.

Blake almost scored after just eight minutes with a back heel from Frandsen's cross that hit Stuart Pearce in the six yard box and bounced behind.

Blake was a constant handful - strong, determined and hard to knock off the ball - and the Welshman is a defender's nightmare in this mood.

Not only did he score a fine goal, he found space and time, by drifting wide, to cause Newcastle all manner of problems.

One superb, searching low cross from out on the right that bent in behind the Newcastle defence, eluded Dean Holdsworth's far post lunge by inches.

Italian Alessandro Pistone, for once, did not take kindly to Blake's bullish approach and rather stupidly got involved in a long running, gesticulating row with the Welsh striker.

Newcastle upped their own tempo after the break and fought fire with fire. So much of Bolton's play depends on the non-stop tackling from the likes of Frandsen, Jamie Pollock and Alan Thompson, and, if you don't stand your ground and fight back, you have no hope.

Referee Neale Barry's control was constantly on a knife-edge. He let far too many lunging tackles from behind go unpunished, and it was not long before the likes of Pearce, Darren Peacock and David Batty were entering into the spirit of things.

Batty's 60th-minute free kick was stabbed wide by Hamilton and Pearce drove in a 25-yard free kick that Branagan plucked down.

It took Barry a long time but eventually he booked Pearce for one of a string of ferocious challenges on Blake, who spent much of the second half on the deck.

Eventually, Dalglish changed things and tried to inject some guile, in the shape of John Barnes, into the dogfight, and the former England man tested Branagan with two low shots.

But Bolton were not to be denied. The sheer effort and passion of their play warranted the points and they greeted the final whistle as if they had won the Cup.

Dalglish later criticised Bolton for making his team play three times in six days.

After last Wednesday's Champions' League defeat in Barcelona, Newcastle came back to beat Crystal Palace in the Premiership on Saturday but found tonight's task too much too soon.

"When the game was arranged we didn't have the Champions' League fixture against Barcelona," said Dalglish.

"We asked Sky and the Premier League to change it and they agreed, but unfortunately Bolton didn't want to change it, so we had to play.

"The boys gave everything they had, but the edge was taken off after the match at Barcelona and against Crystal Palace. Tonight the only thing that was missing was a bit of care with the final pass and a bit of cutting edge."