STUART PEARCE’S MANCHESTER CITY will be cursing their luck tonight after they took no points from a match in which they deserved all three. City hit the woodwork an incredible five times during the match, and when they did hit the target they found Jussi Jaaskelainen an immovable object between the sticks.
Bolton fans will feel this victory here today positively proves the phrase ‘what goes around, comes around’ and after being on the losing end of a match like this against Everton at the Reebok a few weeks ago, they will be delighted that this time they nicked the points.
City dominated the game for the most part, and Bolton goalkeeper Jaaskelainen was called into action in the opening quarter of an hour as Antoine Sibierski struck a volley towards goal, but Jaaskelainen was equal to it.
The visitors didn’t fashion many opportunities during the match, but Kevin Davies should have given Bolton the lead after 18 minutes when a Henrik Pedersen cross was headed too close to David James in the Man City goal.
Home supporters were left wondering how they had not taken the lead on the half hour mark when a Sibierski header struck the Bolton bar with Jaaskelainen beaten. Joey Barton’s cross was directed towards goal by the Frenchman, but the score stayed 0-0.
Sibierski once again showed his prescence in the air a few minutes later as a whipped cross from Danny Mills was headed towards goal but the Bolton stopper managed to claw it away for a corner.
The half-time break came and went with City comfortably on top, and just lacking the elusive killer finish. Sam Allardyce replaced the Senegalese midfielder Faye with Ivan Campo during the interval, but it appeared to make no difference as the home side began the second half as they ended the first.
The woodwork was again Bolton’s saviour soon after the break, a Joey Barton effort cracking the post after Barton beat Bruno N’Gotty for pace to make the space.
City were now piling on the pressure, and Claudio Reyna thought he’d scored when his surging run into the penalty box helped him reach a pass from Darius Vassell, but his shot was deflected agonizingly wide by the right foot of Jaaskelainen.
‘Big Sam’ made his second substitution of the game introducing Hidetoshi Nakata to the fray after he made a decent impression on Thursday night in the UEFA Cup, replacing El-Hadji Diouf.
For the third time in the match the home side were stunned as they were denied by the woodwork, Kiki Musampa this time cannoning a left-foot shot off the Bolton bar. By now it really was looking like the luck was with Bolton, and the City crowd were getting visibly anxious.
As the half wore on the frustrations of having not scored yet were clearly having an effect on the Man City players, and Bolton played on this, enjoying more and more possession, and appearing more settled. They even had a couple of efforts at goal themselves.
Kevin Davies had time to measure up a volley from a good way out, but struck well wide of the target. Davies and Nolan then combined well to carve out an opening for Nakata, but he could only blaze it over the bar.
City seemed buoyed by this attacking intent from Bolton, and pushed more men forward in an attempt to seal the win late on. Jussi Jaaskelainen was called on time and again as the final ten minutes counted down. But City fans must have thought they were the victims of some sort of conspiracy when Sun Jihai’s left-foot curler struck the bar, and became the fourth effort of the afternoon to hit the woodwork.
And as so often happens in matches like these, Bolton finally got the slice of luck they needed. Henrik Pedersen was sent forward and his cross – to a penalty box with only Man City players in – was blocked by the hand of Richard Dunne, who immediately knew his mistake as referee Martin Dean pointed to the penalty spot.
City supporters watched in disbelief as Gary Speed sent David James the wrong way to secure victory for Bolton, in the 94th minute. And virtually from the kick-off the final whistle was blown and Bolton recorded possibly their most luckiest of victories in years.
Stuart Pearce’s side missed the chance to go 2nd with defeat here today, but he will know that they deserved something, probably everything from the game today. Bolton now go above City in the table on goal difference, and now lie in 4th.
Next Saturday the Whites host Portsmouth in Saturday’s 5.15pm kick-off, and then it is over to Bulgaria for the long-awaited first away trip in the UEFA Cup.
Final score from the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City 0 Bolton 1