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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Tottenham v Bolton, FA Cup quarter-final

We went minute-by-minute from White Hart Lane, as both sides competed for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this evening’s action. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

Tottenham 2-0 Bolton (FT)

Sunderland 0-2 Everton (FT)

Hello, and welcome to this evening’s liveblog. A coveted place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup awaits the winner of this game.

Emanuel Adebayor is odds-on favourite to be the first goalscorer. You can check out all the match odds here.

And here are the teams for tonight’s game:

Tottenham: Cudicini, Walker, King, Nelsen, Assou-Ekotto, Modric, Livermore, Parker, Bale, Adebayor, Van der Vaart. Subs: Friedel, Kaboul, Saha, Giovani, Defoe, Kranjcar, Rose.

Bolton: Bogdan, Alonso, Boyata, Knight, Ricketts, Reo-Coker, Mark Davies, Pratley, Eagles, Klasnic, Miyaichi. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Sanli, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Ngog, Ream, Vela.

I should also point out that the game is kicking off 15 minutes late due to traffic congestion. It now starts at 19.45.

On the subject of Tottenham, Craig Burley says “whenever Lennon’s not played, they’ve had trouble”. He has a point.

Missing the winger has often led to Modric being played on the right. With Modric in the centre, they have a win percentage of 75%. However, when he is absent or moved to another area of the field, their win percentage is 33% (by my calculations anyway).

The main man, Adrian Russell, has just mentioned this liveblog, so I figure I should return the compliment. You can find it here (pssst, please stay here).

The White Hart Lane faithful have just paid a respectful moment’s applause for the ground staff who helped out Fabrice Muamba in the first abandoned game between these two teams.

We’re underway here…

Great pass from Modric to Bale, whose snap shot is collected by Bogdan at the second attempt.

Tottenham, perhaps due to renewed confidence following their improved performance against Chelsea last week, have begun well.

Great double save by Bogdan – first from Livermore, who had been played through on goal by Adebayor, and then from Modric on the rebound.

A race between two of the quickest players in the Premier League – Kyle Walker and Zat Night – ensues, with the latter eventually cutting out the former’s cross and clearing it away for a corner.

Good exchange of passes between Bale and Adebayor, but the angle is far too tight for the big striker to trouble the goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Modric blasts another chance miles over – think that particular match ball may be a write off.

Bolton make a rare venture into the Spurs half, winning a corner, which the home team subsequently deal with relatively easily.

Bogdan has just made his sixth and seventh save of the game, keeping out Bale and Adebayor respectively – the goalkeeper is keeping them in it at the moment.

Players and coaches paid tribute to the White Hart Lane ground staff earlier.

Darren Pratley has had to go off injured, hurting himself while tripping up Gareth Bale – instant karma, if ever I saw it.

He’s replaced by Tim Ream.

Tottenham still aren’t quite playing with the zest of earlier in the season. It could be either of at least three things – their relatively new formation, a lack of confidence, or end-of-season tiredness. It’s difficult to say.

However, as I type that, Bale fizzes a shot that goes only inches to the wrong side of the post.

Beautiful play from Tottenham. Bale crosses to Adebayor, who dummies, allowing Parker to go through on goal. The midfielder, though, somehow misses from close range.

In tonight’s other FA Cup tie, Everton have gone ahead against Suderland, with a goal from Jelavic. There’ll be a Merseyside Derby in the semis if that result stays the same.

It’s currently 12-0 to Tottenham as far as shots on target are concerned, which gives you a fair idea of their dominance.

Steve Staunton is in attendance. He’s doing some scouting work for Martin O’Neill apparently.

HALF TIME: TOTTENHAM 0-0 BOLTON

So it’s very much been Spurs versus Adam Bogdan so far. I’m not sure Bolton even registered a shot during that first half.

Here’s a quick match report of tonight’s other game so far:

The second half is underway…

Van der Vaart has just hit the bar from a free kick on the edge of the box, as Spurs’ dire luck in front of goal continues.

You get the feeling that Tottenham could do with more than one striker on the pitch at the moment – both Defoe and Saha are on the bench.

Bolton are beginning to frustrate Spurs, as evidenced by the one or two hopeful punts upfield thst the hosts have produced in recent minutes.

Ledley King almost scores his first goal in six years, heading Van der Vaart’s cross onto the roof of the net.

Eagles’ shot deflects just over, as Bolton threaten to score a goal that would be totally against the run of play.

Incredible stuff! Brilliant through ball from Adebayor to Van der Vaart, who inexplicably hits it straight at the goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Jermain Defoe starts warming up, unsurprisingly.

This is becoming a joke at this stage. Adebayor is played through on goal and Bogdan parries his shot away for a corner, from which Livermore heads over the bar.

Jermain Defoe appears stripped and ready to go, and the crowd cheer his presence vociferously.

Bolton get their first shot on target, as Klasnic fails to test Cudicini from a difficult angle.

Defoe replaces Parker, which presumably means Spurs will revert to a traditional 4-4-2.

GOAL FOR TOTTENHAM!

To say it’s been coming is somewhat of an understatement. Ryan Nelsen rises highest amid a plethora of bodies to head home from a corner.

Ironically, Bogdan was nowhere to be seen when that cross came in and probably could have done better.

GOAL FOR TOTTENHAM!

Defoe plays a lovely weighted pass to Bale, who slots it into the corner when one-on-one with Bogdan.

Meanwhile, Vaughan has put Everton very much in the driving seat against Sunderland – they’re now 2-0 up.

Tottenham have looked far better since the Defoe substitution. The diminutive striker has undoubtedly made a substantial impact on the game.

Substitute Rose breaks free down the left, but fails to find a lurking Defoe, overhitting his cross.

GOAL FOR BOLTON!

Kevin Davies evades his marker and latches on to a cross to slot into the net.

GOAL FOR TOTTENHAM!

FULL TIME: TOTTENHAM 3-1 BOLTON

Substitute Louis Saha fires it into the corner of the net from the edge of the box with virtually the last kick of the game, sealing Spurs’ victory in the process.

So that’s that. Bolton’s luck ran out after Bogdan’s 14 saves, and Tottenham prevailed following Harry’s substitutions.

Bale says Tottenham have a “great chance” to win the FA Cup now.

Meanwhile, Adam Bogdan gets the man-of-the-match award for obvious reasons.

“What does Jermain Defoe have to do to get in the starting line-up?” A legitimate question from ESPN’s Robbie Savage.

Meanwhile, his colleague Craig Burley says Tottenham are favourites now.

Tottenham (and Adebayor in particular) enjoy celebrating a goal (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/Press Association Images).

Owen Coyle commends Bolton’s spirit but admits that the better team won.

And just to confirm, Everton have beaten Sunderland 2-0. They now face Liverpool in the semis.

The keeper was “amazing for them,” says a relieved Harry Redknapp. He also says Ryan Nelsen is “a role model for any young footballer”.

Right, that’s it from me. Thanks for reading. Roll on the semis.

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