Bolton Wanderers 2 Everton 0

Last updated : 29 November 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Bolton scored an emphatic victory against an Everton side that are now firmly planted in the relegation dogfight.

Goals from Per Frandsen and Kevin Nolan ensured that the Wanderers had their first Reebok win against the Merseysiders, which also keeps a healthy points gap between the two teams.

Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce stuck by the side that had produced three successive clean sheets.

Opposing manager David Moyes made one change to the team that beat Wolves last time out, with James McFadden making way for full-back Tony Hibbert.

Wanderers went at the visitors at the off and the game was only two minutes old when Jay Jay Okocha found space on the left to put the ball deep into the box, Kevin Davies' resulting header going over the bar.

A few minutes later Stelios Giannakopoulos almost opened his account, but his shot from the right just missed the upright.

Wanderers went in front in the 26th minute when keeper Nigel Martin could only punch out a fierce Giannakopoulos header, Per Frandsen was ideally placed on the right to head the ball directly back into the goal.

Bolton now oozed confidence and Okocha even had time to give a show of trickery much to the delight of the home fans.

Giannakopoulos was replaced by Youri Djorkaeff on the half hour after the Greek international injured his back.

Everton showed little in the first half with only Thomas Radzinski and Thomas Gravesen showing any threat.

The second half started as the first with the home side straight onto the ball and it was less than a minute from kick off when the Wanderers increased their lead.

A cross found Djorkaeff in the middle and despite being surrounded by the Everton defence the French World Cup winner was able to flick the ball up, turn and fire towards goal with Nolan running in to head and make sure of the goal.

After that it was almost all Bolton with scintillating football making the visitors look drawn with little idea of the plot.