Kevin Davies saved Bolton's blushes with a dramatic late header to sink shell-shocked Spurs after the home side looked set to throw away a two-goal lead for the second time in four days.

Davies and Sebastien Puygrenier had seemingly set the home side soaring towards all three points before two goals in as many second-half minutes from Tottenham substitute Darren Bent.

But, just when history looked set to repeat itself after the midweek draw at Blackburn, Davies pounced to nod home Matt Taylor's 87th-minute corner in a dramatic Reebok Stadium finale.

It looked like Bent was going to round off a week of speculation about his White Hart Lane future by finally hitting the headlines for the right reasons following the month-long loss of fellow striker Jermain Defoe to injury.

But, ultimately, boss Harry Redknapp will be left looking for a temporary replacement for Defoe after a defeat that sends his side back to the brink of the relegation zone.

Redknapp's men almost started on a high when Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen spilled David Bentley's second-minute effort but Bolton hit back with Kevin Davies heading just over Carlo Cudicini's bar.

Jlloyd Samuel's foul on Bentley gave the visitors a dangerous free-kick on the right in the 13th minute and, from the former Blackburn man's set-piece, Roman Pavlyuchenko flashed a header across the face of goal.

Mark Davies' knock-on gave Ariza Makukula a shooting chance in the 17th minute but he prodded his effort harmlessly wide in a distinctly underwhelming start.

Bolton could have snatched the lead in the 22nd minute when Gretar Steinsson counter-attacked well down the left and crossed for Mark Davies, who flashed a clear header just wide from eight yards.

Jaaskelainen redeemed himself for his earlier error when he did well to block a rising shot on the turn from Bentley in the 25th minute but it was the home side who were starting to get forward with more purpose.

Gardner dispossessed Vedran Corluka on the Bolton left and set up Kevin Davies in the box, who should have done better, before Taylor hit a low left-foot shot from long range that Cudicini held well.

And Bolton were rewarded for their ambition in the 31st minute when Mark Davies flung in a well-directed free-kick and Puygrenier jumped in the box to head a powerful opener past Cudicini.

Without Defoe, Redknapp's men were lacking cutting edge up front, a fact illustrated in the 39th minute when Aaron Lennon broke down the left but found nobody in the box waiting for his eventual cross.

Pavlyuchenko was left to resort to a rising long-range effort, which failed to trouble Jaaskelainen, but with Bolton still enjoying most of the possession, the half-time whistle gave Redknapp plenty to think about.

Knowing he could ill afford a repeat of the first 45 minutes, Redknapp was forced to adopt a more attacking approach to the second half with Bent and Frazier Campbell introduced after the break.

Lennon wriggled into the box in the 47th minute but his efforts came to nothing while at the other end Fabrice Muamba found himself with a shooting chance but snatched his effort wide of target.

Makukula spooned an effort over the bar from a crowded box in the 55th minute as the home side continued to hold the upper hand, Jaaskelainen left untroubled by another long-range attempt by Pavlyuchenko.

And Bolton went further ahead in the 64th minute with a well-worked goal as Puygrenier headed the ball onto Kevin Davies, who beat Benoit Assou-Ekotto and slammed a rising effort across Cudicini and into the keeper's top-right corner.

It looked like Spurs were heading for another dismal defeat before Bent swept home the simplest of chances from a Pascal Chimbonda cross in the 73rd minute - then poked the equaliser through Jaaskelainen's legs.

Mark Davies came close to snatching the lead back for the stunned home side in a frantic finale before Kevin Davies finally pounced to win a see-saw clash with his 87th-minute header.

Teams

Bolton Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill,Puygrenier (Andrew O'Brien 79), Samuel, Taylor, Mark Davies,Muamba, Gardner, Kevin Davies, Makukula (Smolarek 61).

Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Riga, Shittu, Basham, Obadeyi.

Goals: Puygrenier 31, Kevin Davies 64, 87.

Tottenham Cudicini, Corluka (Chimbonda 67), Dawson, Woodgate,Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Zokora (Jenas 46), Palacios, Lennon,Modric (Bent 46), Pavlyuchenko.

Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Bale, Huddlestone, Campbell.

Booked: Dawson.

Goals: Bent 73, 75.

Att: 21,575

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).