Tottenham clambered five points clear of the Premiership relegation dogfight thanks to Danish midfielder Allan Nielsen's eye for goal.

But Spurs keeper Espen Baardsen survived a furious Bolton penalty appeal and then produced a wonderful second half save to somehow keep out a right footed Jimmy Phillips rocket.

Nielsen made the vital breakthrough just seconds before half time, sweeping home Clive Wilson's cross after a surging run by Frenchman David Ginola and then spent a spell in the second half searching for a missing contact lens which he had to have cleaned before he could continue.

But Bolton, now 12 games without a win found themselves still deep in trouble near the foot of the table after a frenetic struggle at White Hart Lane in which they called into question the eyesight of referee Peter Jones after only 90 seconds.

Striker Dean Holdsworth crashed down in the box after Baardsen rushed from his line trying to repair a sloppy piece of defending by Wilson but Leicestershire official Jones ruled there was no contact and brushed off the angry protests of at least half a dozen Bolton player who surrounded him.

Bolton tempers overflowed in a spate of bookings for Nathan Blake, Holdsworth and former Spurs star Chris Fairclough.

But what really finished them off was a quite sensational save by Baardsen 15 minutes from the end when the Spurs reserve keeper stretched every sinew of his 6ft 5ins frame to turn away a curling effort by defender Phillips.

The ball seemed destined for the far corner until the young Norwegian diverted it with his fingertips for a corner.

Spurs had enough chances to have won comfortably but there was always the threat of the Bolton counter and Baardsen thanked his lucky stars just after the hour when Jamie Pollock's header came straight to him after the Bolton midfielder was left completely unmarked to launch himself at Phillips' pinpoint cross.

Jurgen Klinsmann's return to the Spurs attack, just four weeks after breaking his jaw at Barnsley in the FA Cup, provided a mighty tonic for the London side and he looked sharper than in any of the seven previous games before the injury in which he scored only one goal.

But Klinsmann should have doubled his tally instead of hooking high over the top from close range in the 34th minute after a spectacular miskick by Pollock sent the ball spiralling back into the danger area from a corner.

Sixteen minutes earlier Chris Armstrong had missed a similarly inviting opportunity set up by a penetrating surge by right back Steve Carr. His right foot drive missed the near post by inches.

But bang on half time the busy Nielsen, back in the team and establishing himself again after breaking a bone in his foot earlier this season, made no mistake when sweeping Wilson's low cross into the far corner after a typical solo burst of genius by Ginola paved the way.

The enigmatic Frenchman continued to inspire Spurs with his individual skill but was too often guilty of over elaborating and there was a blow for Christian Gross' team when Armstrong, trying to bundle home Sol Campbell's powerful header eight minutes after the break, collided with Branagan and had to be carried off to rejoin the lengthy Spurs injury list.

Twelve minutes later, however, a brilliant double handed stop by Irish keeper Branagan prevented Ruel Fox closing up the game for Spurs and Ginola might have twice added to the tally before being replaced by £2.3million new signing Moussa Saib in the closing minutes.

Teams

Tottenham: Baardsen, Calderwood, Fox (Brady 87), Nielsen, Armstrong (Howells 54), Carr, Ginola (Saib 85), Wilson, Campbell, Klinsmann, Berti.

Subs Not Used: Grodas, Mabbutt.

Booked: Nielsen.

Goals: Nielsen 45.

Bolton: Branagan, Cox, Frandsen, Fairclough (Johansen 80), Pollock (Gunnlaugsson 69), Blake, Thompson, Bergsson, Todd, Phillips, Holdsworth.

Subs Not Used: Ward, Sheridan, Strong.

Booked: Fairclough, Holdsworth, Blake.

Att: 29,032

Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).