Super Brad saves Tottenham

LONDON (AP):

Goalkeeper Brad Friedel made a number of crucial saves to help Tottenham beat Fulham 3-1 yesterday and stay level on points with fourth-place Chelsea in the English Premier League.

Tottenham took a 2-1 lead through goals by Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon before Friedel - the Premier League's oldest player - saved from Moussa Dembele, Chris Baird, Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora and Brede Hangeland to keep his team ahead.

Tottenham substitute Jermain Defoe added a goal in injury time as Spurs' seventh win from eight matches left them trailing Chelsea on goal difference for the final Champion League qualifying berth.

"It was a bit hectic," the 40-year-old Friedel said. "From the first minute of the second half they were on top of us. There were a couple of scary moments at the end but we'll take the three points. I think it says we can do the dirty stuff as well."

Also yesterday, Bolton and Wolverhampton Wanderers each boosted their chances of avoiding relegation with home wins. Chris Eagles and Ivan Klasnic each scored twice as Bolton avenged last season's FA Cup semi-final 5-0 defeat to Stoke by the same score, while Wolves scored twice in the second half to beat last-place Wigan 3-1.

Bolton's third win of the season lifted them to 18th place, just one point and one place away from climbing out of the relegation zone. Wolves climbed four places to 13th, six points clear of Wigan - which have now lost eight in a row.

Tottenham, though, have 22 points and have played a game fewer than Chelsea. Newcastle are three points further ahead having beaten Everton 2-1 on Saturday, when leaders Manchester City and second-place Manchester United both won.

City beat Queen's Park Rangers 3-2 and United edged Sunderland 1-0.

Walker's break down

Friedel saved a glancing header from Steve Sidwell in the second minute before Tottenham took the lead when Kyle Walker's break down the right set up Lennon for a 10th-minute shot. The ball broke to Bale to the left of goal and his shot from a narrow angle went into the net via a deflection from Baird.

Bale then set up Lennon for a run down the left and the winger slalomed into the area before shooting across goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and in at the far post.

There were seven and a half minutes of injury time after Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker needed treatment to his nose following a blow from Sidwell's arm and Zdenek Grygera was carried off with a serious-looking knee injury.

Fulham got a goal back in the 57th when Ledley King headed against teammate Younes Kaboul's back for the ball to roll across the line for an own goal.

King then atoned for his error in the 74th with a sliding interception to block Dempsey's goal-bound shot.

Fulham then pushed Friedel into a string of saves, hit the post, forced Luka Modric to clear off the line and could have had an injury-time penalty when Walker handled the ball on the ground. But Spurs broke and Defoe rounded off a counter-attack with a deflected shot.

Bolton repaid Stoke for last season's 5-0 humiliation in the FA Cup semi-finals to secure a win that could kick-start their troubled season. Captain Kevin Davies also got on the scoresheet as Bolton claimed their first home points of the season.

Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was at fault for both Bolton's opening goals, with Davies putting the hosts ahead in the second minute. Begovic picked up a back pass after Glenn Whelan lobbed the ball into his own area and Klasnic tapped a quick free kick for his captain to roll it into an unguarded net.

The keeper then slid in to clear from the feet of Klasnic, but succeeded only in finding Eagles, who fired into the bottom corner from a tight angle.

Jamie O'Hara's opener for Wolves was cancelled out by Ben Watson before the interval, only for Dave Edwards and Stephen Ward to score second-half goals and clinch a victory that lifted their side away from the relegation zone.

"We've been struggling of late and to get three points off our competitors at the bottom is important," Wolves manager Mick McCarthy said. "It's a great result. I think the players go about their jobs in a right and proper manner and they did that again today."

Wolves' first win in nine games moved them up from 17th place, but condemned the Latics to an eighth successive loss.

Wigan have just five points from 11 matches and have the league's lowest scoring attack with just seven goals.