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Davies, a former Southampton player struck the winning goal with just over ten minutes remaining as he headed home a cross by the Bolton captain Jay-Jay Okocha to silence his critics in the home crowd. Just ninety seconds previously the Wanderers top scorer Kevin Nolan had brought Bolton back on level terms in the game after the Saints had been leading the game for the majority after Marian Pahars had given the South Coast club a 21st minute lead.
It would be fair to say that Wanderers did not put in their most impressive performance of the season but they will be happy to have taken their second win in a week. Sam Allardyce - the Bolton manager has challenged his side to push as further up the league as they possibly can to give the club some much needed revenue to develop the side for next season's campaign.
Okocha is still no nearer to breaking his Premiership goalscoring duck but that wasn't for the want of trying as the Nigerian international rattled the Southampton crossbar in the fifth minute of the game with a fine 30-yard drive.
The home side where then forced into a change as the former England defender Graeme Le Saux pulled up with a reoccurance of a recent hamstring injury and was replaced by former Oldham Athletic player Fitz Hall.
In the 12th minute Southampton striker Kevin Phillips had the Saints first chance of the game but his tame overhead kick wasn't enough to trouble Jussi Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal.
Phillips strike partner James Beattie did however come a step closer as his header from a Paul Telfer corner on the quarter hour mark went just over Jaaskelainen's crossbar.
The home side where stopping Bolton from having any fluency on the game and where certainly on top in the games opening stages so it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 21st minute.
Southampton's Marian Pahars beat Wanderers defender Anthony Barness to the ball before lifting the ball over Jaaskelainen to make the scoreline 1-0 to the Saints whilst at the other end Antti Niemi enhanced his growing reputation in English football with a fine save at the feet of Bolton's Youri Djorkaeff and an equally impressive save to deny Kevin Davies after the player looked almost certain to bring the Lancashire side back on level terms.
On the half hour mark Republic of Ireland international Rory Delap fired high over the Bolton crossbar having escaped the attentions of Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan but this was the nearest Paul Sturrock's team came to increasing their advantage in the first period.
Anthony Barness and Djorkaeff had half chances to pull Bolton level before the break but the Saints held on going into the half time interval. Referee Steve Dunn was quite lenient with Bolton's colourful Spaniard Ivan Campo after he appeared to headbutt Southampton player David Prutton but luckily the former Real Madrid man escaped with a caution.
The opening minutes of the second half saw Trotters manager Allardyce make changes to his team as both Anthony Barness and Henrik Pedersen where withdrawn in favour of Nicky Hunt and Per Frandsen and this seemed to give the away side fresh momentum in their search for an equalising goal.
On 58 minutes Campo wasted a good opportunity to get his second goal in as many games after he fired over for Bolton following a good lay off from Davies whilst at the other end Saints substitute Anders Svensson could not find the finish to match what was a very good run by the Swedish international.
With just over 20 minutes remaining former Manchester United and Derby County defender Danny Higginbottom tested Jaaskelainen with a free kick but firstly Nolan and then Davies where to turn the game on it's head with two headed goals and in turn break the hearts of the home side who had been in fine form at St Mary's recently and had been in control for large proportions of the encounter.
The two quick goals took the wind out of the Saints who became dejected with the late Bolton rally. The result now moves the Trotters back into the top half of the table and on 47 points which is their best ever haul at Premiership level. Not since the days of Lofthouse, Edwards, Parry, Hopkinson and co have they reached such heights.
Next week will yeild a different test as Leeds United are to visit the Reebok Stadium for a war of the roses clash. The Yorkshire club desperatly need points in the bid for top flight survival, something which Wanderers know about all too well but the recent games against Wolves and Spurs has certainly given Wanderers the impotus to progress further up the table.