Premier League - Early Bolton goals stun Boro

Eurosport - Sat, 22 Nov 19:53:00 2008

Two goals in the opening ten minutes gave Bolton a lead which proved to be unassailable for Middlesbrough in a 3-1 win at The Riverside.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 Premier League Bolton's Matthew Taylor, Kevin Nolan and Gavin McCann celebrate victory over Middlesbrough. - 0

A Matthew Taylor free-kick found the head of Gretar Steinsson - ghosting in at the back post - in the eighth minute, to net the opener.

The same pair then combined two minutes later to double the lead - Taylor taking Steinsson's pass in his stride, before finding Ross Turnbull's far post with a composed finish.

Gareth Southgate's side had a chance to hit straight back through Gary O'Neil after the midfielder's volley beat the onrushing Jussi Jaaskelainen, but Kevin Nolan made a vital intervention on the line to clear the danger.

Middlesbrough's dismal first half performance was epitomised by the hapless and frankly abysmal performance of Afonso Alves, who squandered numerous chances and generally looked uninterested.

Muamba should have made it three in the 56th minute after Johan Elmander's rampaging run into the &lsquoBoro half, but the midfielder dragged his shot wide with just Turnbull to beat.

Southgate's side finally clawed their way back into the game when Emmanuel Pogatetz - who had not scored previously for 19 months - struck his half-volley crisply past Jaaskelainen in the 77th minute from Downing's corner.

But only a minute later, Bolton's two-goal lead was restored, as the tireless Johan Elmander cushioned the ball on his chest inside the &lsquoBoro box and fired past Turnbull.

Boro had a further flurry of chances in the 86th minute, but their finishing continued to be erratic -Jaaskelainen parried Tuncay's initial effort and O'Neill had his shot blocked, before the Finnish keeper made a fine stop from Arca's follow-up.

Bolton held on, despite five second half bookings, and moved up to 12th place in the Premier League table, just two places behind their opponents, whose inept performance ended an unbeaten run of five games.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 11 of 11

Sort comments by: Most recent
  1. Fair play to Bolton, they got the job done and that’s all that matters, no complaints from me.
    Cameron w...I have a question for you (I will make it as simple as you are.... you're obviously a barcode fan)....what does the "W" in your name stand for.....hang on, no need to answer that one son...I think we can all guess ;o )

    From Boro CJ, on Tue 25 Nov 9:44AM
  2. tangentga
    you've had a few of 'those days' haven't you.
    Tell me people of 'the boro', how come you will have an extra 8,000 people at your plastic ground next game - hit and miss fans, a dis-credit to the English Premier League. The sooner you are replaced by a bigger club such as Wolves, Leeds United or Bristol City the better.

    From cameron w, on Mon 24 Nov 8:49PM
  3. The second goal was pure football as for the third it was a joy to watch. The only time you eat us is when Mike Riley plays for you.

    From trotter, on Mon 24 Nov 8:17PM
  4. sue, yes you need the physicality of it, but its also a game of skill, finesse, passing and talent. Look at the top sides, they can all pass a team off the park, we're not a top team, we can't. However, we try and play the game the right way. Bolton have settled for a maximum goal of mid table mediocrity. You never hear anyone saying "Oh, I'm looking forward to that Bolton game on tele, that'll be good to watch". You've said it yourself by the terms you use in your post, you turn every game into a battle, not a football match

    From tangentga@..., on Sun 23 Nov 9:22AM
  5. thugs? a team of doormen? Kick and rush? its a physical game you @#$%. best team won.
    No retreat no surrender. Make the rebok todays rorkes drift.

    From sue h, on Sun 23 Nov 4:56AM
  6. About a month ago I would have recommended a bet on Bolton to go down but they are fighters with a great tradition and I do not want to see it. Great improvement and good luck to you all there. Boro trying hard as well, mid table at best I would say

    From taff, on Sat 22 Nov 11:23PM
  7. try looking at the bigger picture dickweed, we're 10th, that's 7 places higher and 9 points better off than this time last season.
    bet yr a pleasure to get stuck next to at a party, yr the sort of person a twin would disown!
    how are Bolton getting much better with Andy Johnson? could have sworn he was at Fulham!
    As for it being a stunning performance, well, if that's what you call stunning, oh dear!
    Look at the stats
    70% possession for Boro, 25 shots for Boro, 3 times as many accurate passes. Just one of those days

    From tangentga@..., on Sat 22 Nov 7:36PM
  8. Yes keep going 'boro' you are most definitely 'heading in the right direction'; slid 2 places today by my reckoning - yes, that is sooooooooooo the right direction.

    From cameron w, on Sat 22 Nov 7:05PM
  9. u really are a @#$% aren't u cameron. what is this fascination with how big a crowd is? Are u a geordie? 50,000 there and they're 4th bottom, so what's the deal?
    Bolton are a glorified Sunday League team, fill the team with thugs and kick and rush. I'd rather give up football than have to watch that every week!
    There was only one team interested in actually playing football there today, and that team didn't win, which is a pity for football as much as it is for Boro.
    Keep going Boro, yr heading in the right direction. It's a defeat, but it's one defeat in 6, that sort of form will keep us right

    From tangentga@..., on Sat 22 Nov 6:20PM
  10. Oh deary, deary me!
    Erm we didn't exactly get to march far did we girls!!!!
    You sad deluded fools, i told you so.
    As for the attendance, 24,487 - it is laughable, a bit like your manager really.
    'Marchin' on', 'Top-8', 'Uefa Cup Place' - i've heard all this codswallop coming from 'the boro' this week; wake up and smell the coffee girls.
    Newcastle United to prolong the run next week . . . . the 'boro successive defeats' run!
    'Marchin On', ha - what a wheeze!

    From cameron w, on Sat 22 Nov 5:55PM
  11. BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON, BOLTON.
    HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA.....

    Smoggies are RUBBISH ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,

    1-3 at home ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha........

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Sat 22 Nov 5:36PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account