Nolan beauty fires Wanderers to third in the Premiership

Last updated : 25 September 2005 By Chris Rabbitt

AFTER THE LUCK and good fortune that brought about last Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers were looking today to build on that with another three points that would keep up the heat on the top of the Premiership.

 

And after results earlier in the day, Sam Allardyce’s players knew that a win against Portsmouth here today would lift them to third in the table, above bitter rivals Manchester United.

 

The game was decided midway through the first half with a perfectly-timed overhead volley from the boot of Kevin Nolan that proved decisive at the Reebok Stadium.

 

The first half began at pace with both sides looking to gain an early advantage, and either side could have been in front as early as the opening ten minutes. Firstly Kevin Nolan cleared the Portsmouth crossbar with a volley after a flick-on from Kevin Davies, then Dario Silva missed the target, heading over after a cross from Laurent Robert.

 

Play was rather scrappy after this, with neither side really able to get a grip on the game. Then came the game’s major moment. After a previous cross was headed away, Henrik Pedersen flung the ball back into the penalty area towards Davies, who headed back across goal for Kevin Nolan to emphatically put Bolton in front with a quite magnificent bicycle kick that no goalkeeper would have had a hope of saving.

 

From then on Bolton looked for the large part in relative control over the game’s proceedings. The home side very nearly doubled their lead just a few minutes after the goal. Hidetoshi Nakata, making his first start for Bolton, went close with a clever back-heel after a cross from Jay-Jay Okocha, Nakata’s shot going just wide.

 

Half-time saw no changes by either side, but Bolton came out for the second half looking just as comfortable as when they ended the first. Pressure was never put on at any real frightning pace by the Wanderers, but they kept the ball well enough and did much to ensure Jussi Jaaskelainen wouldn’t be tested half as much as he was last Sunday against Man City.

 

With about quarter of an hour to go in the game Kevin Nolan had a glorious opportunity to double his tally for the day, and put the game beyond reasonable doubt after being sent totally clear of the Portsmouth defence with a ball from Kevin Davies. However Nolan’s shot drifted disappointingly wide amidst groans from the home crowd.

 

Portsmouth, incensed by this, started to come out of their shell a little more as the game drew to a close. And they did worry the Bolton backline somewhat in the final ten minutes or so, and claimed three or four corners that, on another day, may well have been bundled in for 1-1.

 

Bolton’s defence however held firm, and Sam Allardyce’s team march on up to third in the Premiership table. The Bolton boss will be delighted with the start his team have made to the new campaign, picking up 14 points from a possible 21.

 

For Portsmouth however it appears to be another season of struggle ahead and unless French boss Alain Perrin can get his disheartened troops to gel and form a unit together, they may well be slipping into the Coca-Cola League come the end of this campaign.

 

Final score from the Reebok, Bolton 1 Pompey 0