Bolton Wanderers Football News & Views on Bolton Refereed Out of Europe

For Bolton Wanderers, the 1-0 defeat at White Hart Lane which virtually ended their hopes of European competition next season must have felt like a mugging, but in one respect they have only themselves to blame. For the first 45 minutes Sam Allardyces team battered Spurs and scarcely allowed them out of their own half. In the process they created enough chances to have led by three goals at half-time, but disappointingly the nearest they came to scoring was Nakatas 8th minute shot which cannoned off a post.

It was no surprise when Spurs improved after the interval because they could hardly have played any worse, but following a frantic first ten minutes which the home side dominated, the game became more evenly balanced. Spurs goal was the result of a moment of magic from Aaron Lennon, who seized on Carricks square pass and shot low into the far corner before Bolton could react.

After that it was nearly all Bolton, but Spurs survived thanks to a combination of wayward finishing and the generosity of referee Alan Wiley, who should certainly have signalled a penalty when Dawson clearly upended Stelios Giannakopoulos in the 73rd minute and might have done so when the same defender appeared to handle in the penultimate minute of normal time.