Bolton Wanderers 1 Fulham 0

Last updated : 19 February 2005 By Mark Heys
A well worked goal by Kevin Davies sent Bolton Wanderers into the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup as they overcame a resilient Fulham team by a singular goal at the Reebok Stadium.

Davies powered home a shot past Cottagers keeper Edwin Van Der Saar in the 11th minute following initial good work from Henrik Pedersen and Nicky Hunt, the latter of whom made a return to the starting eleven after three weeks out injured.

The first twenty minutes saw Wanderers keep the ball very well, the passing very calm and calculated and it seemed as if they could build on the Davies effort. Fulham found it hard to keep possession in the opening period and neither Luis Boa-Morte, Andy Cole or Tomasz Radzinski where given enough service.

Indeed the first clear cut chance for the visitors fell the way of Andy Cole in the 18th minute but his shot from the left hand side of the 18-yard area flashed over the crossbar of Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop then went even closer for Fulham just a few minutes later as he fired in a drive from all of 25-yards which just dipped over Jaaskelainen's bar.

Five minutes before the interval Spanish veteran Fernando Hierro could have given Bolton an extended lead but his free kick from the left hand side bounced the wrong side of Van Der Saar's right hand post.

The second half saw Fulham pressurise the home side a lot more but they where unable to make their possession count. On the hour Tomasz Radzinski seemed certained to have levelled the match but the effort from the ex-Everton man was expertly tipped away by Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal.

On 64 minutes Fulham's lanky midfielder Diop then produced another excellent volley which dipped over the bar. This chance seemed much nearer than the one which had eluded him in the first half.

Then Bolton had two clear cut chances in quick succession which could have killed the game off completely. Firstly Jay-Jay Okocha could not make a big enough connection on his header from Fernando Hierro's left wing cross and then moments later Henrik Pedersen missed undoubtedly the easiest chance of the game by firing straight at Van Der Saar from six yards out despite having time and space.

Ex-Wanderer Claus Jensen then entered the fray for Fulham in place of the ineffective Sylvain Legwinski and was given a welcome round of applause by the home crowd.

The Danish player was in the thick of things straight off, but his cross from the left hand side of the area was not met with a final product, much to the frustration of the away side who kept plugging away in the second period.

In the closing stages Trotters skipper Jay-Jay Okocha saw his thunderous free kick gathered by Van Der Saar as Bolton looked to finally kill off any remaining Fulham hopes.

Unfortunately the game seemed to boil over a little bit in the last few minutes as both Kevin Nolan and Collins John where booked for what can only be described as a storm in a teacup. John reacted angrily to the Bolton man and seemed to want to continue his protests.

Bolton will now be hoping for a good draw in the next round as they become one of the last eight hoping for glory in the last FA Cup Final to be staged at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.