LONDON: Chelsea missed the chance to go top in the English Premier League after Didier Drogba saw a late penalty saved in a 1-1 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane Sunday. Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who'd let substitute Drogba's shot go through his hands for Chelsea's 70th minute equalizer, brought down Ramires in stoppage time. But the Brazilian then produced a fine save to deny Drogba, who took the spot-kick even though fellow substitute and regular penalty-taker Frank Lampard was on the field. Had the penalty gone in and Chelsea won, the Blues would have gone top. Instead it stayed fourth, level on points with Manchester United which clashes with leader Arsenal at Old Trafford Monday. Tottenham opened the scoring in the 15th minute when the unchallenged Roman Pavlyuchenko struck from inside the box after a pass from Jermain Defoe. Drogba, on at the start of the second half, equalized 20 minutes from time when his shot somehow found a way through Gomes' hands to set-up the game's dramatic finale as Spurs regained fifth spot from Bolton, who beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 earlier Sunday. Turning to Drogba's penalty miss, Chelsea captain John Terry said: “It wasn't mentioned (who would take the penalty). Didier was brave enough to stand up and take it. You score some, you miss some.” Ten-man Bolton saw Stuart Holden snatch a dramatic late winner in a victory over Lancashire rival Blackburn. American import Holden struck in the 88th minute just seconds after Mame Biram Diouf seemed to have earned Blackburn a point. Diouf canceled out a 63rd-minute opener from Fabrice Muamba for Bolton who had Mark Davies sent off after 54 minutes for a second bookable offense. “I know I've got spirit in that dressing room and it was so evident again there, to take the blow of the equalizer and then come back and score such a wonderful goal,” said Bolton boss Owen Coyle. Disappointed Rovers manager Sam Allardyce said his side had defended “like a bunch of old women and added: “We have thrown away the chance of more points”. In Sunday's other match Wolves clinched a crucial 1-0 win over Birmingham with its first clean sheet since April. Stephen Hunt's near-post finish on the stroke of half-time was the only effort to beat England international goalkeeper Ben Foster who put in another sublime performance to keep the hosts at bay at Molineux. Despite the win, Wolves stayed second from bottom. Player dies in Nigeria A footballer in Nigeria has died after collapsing during a topflight league match. Nigerian Premier League club Ocean Boys confirmed defender Emmanuel Ogoli died after he collapsed in the 39th minute of Sunday's home game against Niger Tornadoes in Yenagoa, in southern Nigeria. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Team spokesman Eddy Ohis told the Associated Press: “We think it's a matter of heart failure but we're not sure.” Ogoli was rushed from the stadium in an ambulance as the game continued. Ohis said Ocean Boys players went to the hospital after the match “to find the body.” He said the team has requested an autopsy.
