Battling Bolton frustrate Spurs

The credibility of Tottenham’s aspirations to breaking into the Premier League top four suffered a knock as Harry Redknapp’s side twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Bolton.

Croatian pair Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka produced equalisers to cancel out Ricardo Gardner and Kevin Davies’s strikes for the home side, who will feel they missed out on an opportunity to claim what would have been a third win in four matches.

Tottenham manager Redknapp opted to start with Peter Crouch up front and the on-form Jermain Defoe on the bench with protective strapping around the two fingers he dislocated this week.

Bolton, looking to build on a run that has lifted them out of the relegation zone, made one change from the side that claimed a valuable away win at Birmingham last weekend, Lee Chung-Yong Lee coming in for injured Swedish striker Johan Elmander.

And Gary Megson’s men got off to a perfect start with Gardner firing them into the lead with only three minutes on the clock.

Tottenham’s defence failed to clear JLloyd Samuel’s long throw and, after Lee’s goalbound effort was blocked, Jamaica international Gardner was on hand to fire the rebound past Carlo Cudicini.

A swirling wind was making life difficult for both sides but it was Bolton who initially mastered the conditions better, with both Tamir Cohen, with a shot that was deflected wide, and Gardner, with a long-range effort, threatening to double the lead.

On 34 minutes, Spurs were level thanks to Kranjcar’s first goal for the club. Crouch knocked down a Wilson Palacios cross and the Croatia midfielder lashed a superb shot past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Matt Taylor should have restored Bolton’s lead just before half-time, when he got clear of the Spurs’ back four but failed to score with only Cudicini to beat.

Tottenham had an equally good chance just after the restart, when Palacios lashed a close-range shot wide after Aaron Lennon’s shot had been parried by Jaaskelainen.

Defoe was thrown into the fray midway through the second half but it was Bolton who took the lead two minutes later, Davies heading in at the back post after a neat chip from Cohen.

Defoe made his presence felt for the first time with a shot that Jaaskelainen spilled into the path of Crouch, who fired his effort against the crossbar.

Tottenham’s second equaliser arrived a minute later and Bolton only had themselves to blame. Vedran Corluka was left completely unmarked as Kranjcar delivered a corner and the defender accepted the invitation to score with a powerful header.