Source: Team_Talk
Bolton trot to DW victory
An injury-time strike from Chris Eagles put the seal on a 3-1 Premier League victory for Bolton against Wigan at the DW Stadium.[LNB] Boss Owen Coyle knew nothing more than a win would ease the pressure swirling around his side after a miserable run of 11 losses in 12 league games stretching back to last season.[LNB]Nigel Reo-Coker gave the visitors the start they so badly needed when he prodded home in the fourth minute, then David Ngog netted shortly after Mohamed Diame's superb 40th-minute equaliser.[LNB]And after Bolton had failed to wrap it up when Ali Al Habsi saved Kevin Davies' 70th- minute penalty, Eagles made sure by firing home after a mistake by Antolin Alcaraz.[LNB]Having started the game bottom of the table, Bolton's win suddenly turned the pressure on Roberto Martinez's Wigan, who have now lost five league games in a row.[LNB]Wigan never recovered from a fine start by Bolton, with Coyle's men getting a dream start in the fourth minute when Eagles crossed for Reo-Coker to prod home just ahead of the hapless Alcaraz.[LNB]Bolton's storming start continued with Pratley finding room in the box and firing a curling shot which was well saved by former Trotters goalkeeper Al Habsi.[LNB]Martinez's men gradually started to claw their way back into the the game, but it was still the visitors who had the clear-cut chances with Ngog coming close.[LNB]The home side were having to rely on set-pieces and Ben Watson came close to an unlikely equaliser on the half-hour when his dipping corner almost eluded Jussi Jaaskelainen.[LNB]But when Wigan's big chance came it was brilliantly executed by Diame, who unleashed a curling right-foot shot from outside the box which blazed past Jaaskelainen on 40 minutes.[LNB]It was a superb riposte by Diame, who had also scored for the Latics against Tottenham in their last home game and was beginning to show plenty of promise.[LNB]But Bolton went back in front in first-half injury-time when Davies dispossessed Steve Gohouri and fed Ngog, who shot home low to Al Habsi's right.[LNB]Martinez threw on Hugo Rodallega at half-time after a month out with a knee injury but Bolton had the first chance of the second period when Petrov forced a save from Al Habsi.[LNB]Emmerson Boyce shot into the side netting from a tight angle before Rodallega blasted his first effort which was blocked at close quarters by Wheater.[LNB]Rodallega came close in the 53rd minute when Victor Moses fed him at the second attempt from the right and the striker's bobbling shot was gathered well by Jaaskelainen.[LNB]Wigan's forward moves were becoming more urgent, with Moses cutting inside and clattering a low shot off the legs of Paul Robinson before narrowly missing the resulting Boyce corner.[LNB]Moses won a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box in the 67th minute after a foul by Dedryck Boyata, but Rodallega spooned his set-piece over the bar.[LNB]Boyata should have made the points certain for Bolton in the 70th minute when he met a Petrov free-kick with a low header at point-blank range but diverted it wide.[LNB]And moments later Al Habsi was almost guilty of an horrendous blunder when he spilled a harmless shot from Eagles out for a corner.[LNB]From the set-piece Caldwell was judged to have hauled down Boyata, but Al Habsi redeemed himself with a brilliant save from Davies, and Boyata blazed the rebound over.[LNB]But Bolton wrapped up victory in injury time when Eagles seized on a mistake by Alcaraz to cut inside the Wigan box and drill a low shot past Al Habsi.[LNB]
