Spurs star: It won’t be so easy to beat Bolton this time

Scott Parker says Bolton will have learned valuable lessons from their defeat at White Hart Lane earlier in the season.

And the England captain is expecting a very different test on Saturday as Spurs host the Trotters in the FA Cup quarter-final.

Harry Redknapp’s hosts beat Bolton 3-0 in north London in December, and are favourites to see off Owen Coyle’s struggling side again this weekend.

However, Parker is expecting Wanderers to “come with their game plan” after their last experience in N17.

And, having survived a scare against Stevenage in the fifth-round replay at the Lane last week, the midfielder insists there is no danger of complacency in the Tottenham ranks.

“The FA Cup’s our main priority really – or one of them at least,” said Parker. “Obviously we want to get third place, or to get into the top four – that’s our goal – and certainly the FA Cup is right up there.

“We’ve got a home tie now against Bolton and, if we win, we’ve got a trip to Wembley, which would be brilliant. Hopefully we can try to win the cup.

“I expect it will be quite similar to the Stevenage game last week. Bolton have come here already this year and we beat them quite convincingly, so I’m sure they’ll come here with their game plan.

“It will probably be very different to the game we had here in the league. These games are always difficult – I don’t think I’ve ever played in an FA Cup game which isn’t.

“We’ll be prepared and, as always when you get to this part of the season, you need to keep grinding out results, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Follow me on Twitter @BenPearceSpurs