RSS
|
Bolton's survival hopes are still alive after a 1-1 draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Substitute Stelios Giannakopoulos gave Wanderers the lead a minute into the second half, but Steed Malbranque's goal five minutes later meant the game finished all square. The home side enjoyed the majority of the possession in the opening 45 minutes, but were frustrated by a tight Bolton backline. Robbie Keane had the first chance of the game, but he could only poke an effort straight at Ali Al-Habsi after being played in by Dimitar Berbatov. Joey O'Brien, back in the side after a hamstring injury, was forced off the field with only 20 minutes on the clock after a recurrance of the problem, with Danny Guthrie his replacement. The game still lacked any penetration and the home side were becoming frustrated with their side. Keane had another chance for Spurs just before the break, but a last ditch block from Ivan Campo forced the ball behind for a corner. Al-Habsi was beaten on the stroke of half-time, but luckily the scores remained level. A hopeful Spurs free-kick took a huge deflection off Gretar Steinsson, but the ball hit the outside of the post with the keeper routed in the middle of his goal. After a poor first half display, Bolton manager Gary Megson made a couple of offensive substitutions at the break, bringing on Stelios and El-Hadji Diouf for the ineffective Grzegorz Rasiak and Ivan Campo. The changes had an immediate impact on the game, as the visitors took the lead less than 30 seconds after the restart. After Jonathan Woodgate failed to clear, Diouf picked out the run of Steinsson down the right and the full-back's cross caused confusion inside the six yard area, allowing Stelios to poke home from three yards with his first touch. But the hosts responded brightly and were level just six minutes later through Steed Malbranque. A shot from Keane took a deflection and Malbranque stole in at the far post to put the ball past Al-Habsi and level the scores. Keane thought he had given Tottenham the lead soon after, but after good work by the Irish forward, he shot straight at Al-Habsi. Malbranque had a chance to double his tally for the afternoon, but after another good run to the back post he headed wide with men waiting in the middle. Berbatov, who had been kept faily quiet, brought a bright stop out of Al-Habsi midway through the second half as the game looked to be turning in favour of the hosts once again. Substitute Darren Bent had a great chance to win the game for Juande Ramos' side, but his lame lob was simple for Al-Habsi. Bent later had a header cleared off the line by Guthrie before an unmarked Berbatov somehow headed over in stoppage time. With games fast running out in the battle to avoid relegation, Bolton will be delighted to have taken a point from the game as they prepare to host Sunderland next weekend. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||