MICHAEL Ricketts is the equal of any striker in the Premiership.

That was the tribute Sam Allardyce paid his top scorer today - his 23rd birthday - after the Reebok Rocket took his season's total to 12 in last night's pulsating encounter with Spurs at White Hart Lane.

It was not a winner on this occasion - Wanderers eventually went down 3-2 to a late Teddy Sheringham header - but the superb strike, scored in front of the watching Sven Goran Eriksson, confirmed his status as the top scoring Englishman in the top flight and prompted his manager to proudly claim: "I don't think there's a better striker in the Premiership at the moment."

Losing the point their performance deserved with only five minutes left on the clock left the Bolton players desperately downhearted and their manager admitting his "bitter, bitter disappointment".

But despite the upset there was the acknowledgment that in Ricketts he possesses an exceptional talent whose 10 Premiership goals have earned him respect of his peers at the highest level.

"Michael just gets on with his job," Allardyce said, "and if he gets a chance, he'll score.

"It's the type of goals he gets that make him so special. They are all different and the quality of this latest one was outstanding. There was very little for him to hit and it was with his wrong foot too! But he tucked it away and it was a bit special."

Ricketts was substituted 16 minutes from the end of the game as a precaution after complaining that his hamstring was tightening - first aid which Wanderers believe could have saved him from a lengthy lay-off.

"Michael could have been out for the whole of December and that's something we can ill afford," the manager admitted.

Though delighted with his team's contribution to a highly entertaining game and with the quality of the football they played at times, Allardyce was sore at seeing his team score twice away from home and get nothing for their troubles.

"We've scored two goals in our last three away games and only managed three points (winning 2-1 at Ipswich, losing 3-2 at Aston Villa)," he added, casting a critical eye at his defence.

"That's something we've got to put right at Derby on Saturday. We need to tighten up at the back."