Bolton Wanderers 1 Tottenham 4ON AN evening of uplifting emotion that restored Fabrice Muamba to a football stadium for the first time since a cardiac arrest threatened to end his life, Tottenham Hotspur managed successive league wins for the first time since January.
Muamba had walked on to the pitch here to receive a rapturous reception from both sets of fans. They had also been the witnesses to his collapse on the White Hart Lane turf during the sides’ FA Cup quarter-final on March 17th.
After all the emotion these two sides began trying to resolve their respective ambitions at opposing ends of the table. Bolton desperately required a win to lift them clear of the relegation zone while Spurs hoped for the victory that would consolidate their challenge for Champions League football.
It was Harry Redknapp’s side who entered the break in the lead, though Bolton had rallied by that juncture, with Dedryck Boyata crashing a close-range shot over the bar moments before Mike Dean blew for half-time.
Before this, after 25 minutes, Gareth Bale collected possession near half-way and skated through the Wanderers midfield and defence down his familiar left corridor, reaching the by-line before skimming a ball across Adam Bogdan’s goal that cried out for a finish. Bale had earlier forced a sharp save from Bogdan and he was forced to spring back up instantly to make the second from Rafael van der Vaart.
Owen Coyle had sent out his side in a 4-4-2 formation with Kevin Davies and David Ngog as the central strikers and Chris Eagles and Martin Petrov out wide to provide the service to them. But it was a defender, Boyata, who produced Bolton’s only example of width as the half entered its closing phase: the right-back moving down the left side of the Spurs area and delivering a centre that neither Davies or Ngog were on hand to finish. This, though, did rouse his team. Petrov smacked in a cross that was returned by Eagles and this time Ngog connected and Brad Friedel made virtually his first save of the match.
Almost immediately Spurs scored – a 25-yard humdinger from Luka Modric that gave Bogdan no chance.
Bolton began dominating possession after the break and after some neat interplay from Reo-Coker and Tim Ream, Bolton surged towards Spurs goal and forced a throw-in down the right. From it Kevin Davies headed into the area, Ngog flicked it on, and Reo-Coker smashed his to the net.
Bolton forced a corner and Eagles then skimmed the roof of the net. But then two sucker punches killed off Bolton. First, Van der Vaart passed to Bale before he made a 40-yard run to complete a one-two with the Welshman that ended with the ball in Bogdan’s net. That was on the hour. Two minutes later Emmanuel Adebayor had Spurs’s third and he added his second on 69 minutes – Bale slipping the ball to him to round Bogdan and finish.
Guardian Service
BOLTON WANDERERS: Bogdan, Boyata, Wheater, Ream, Ricketts, Eagles (Miyaichi 83), Reo-Coker (Vela 65), Mark Davies, Petrov, Ngog (Klasnic 65), Kevin Davies. Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Alonso, Knight, Sordell. Booked: Vela, Eagles.
TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker, Gallas (Nelsen 87), Kaboul, Rose, Lennon (Saha 84), Sandro, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart (Livermore 79), Adebayor. Subs not used: Cudicini, Giovani, Defoe, King. Booked: Walker.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
