skip to content

  • Kick-off: 14:00
  • Venue: Craven Cottage
  • Attendance: 19768
  • Referee: Poll, G

Live Commentary

90mins

A late consolation goal for Bolton was too little too late as McBride's double help Fulham pull a little clearer of trouble down in the bottom half of the table

90mins

Fulham fail to deal with a simple cross which Kevin Nolan collects to provide Bolton with some hope

88mins

Carlos Bocanegra is booked for his foul on Kevin Davies

86mins

Joey O'Brien is booked for his foul on Tomasz Radzinski

83mins

Kevin Nolan receives a yellow for dissent shown towards the linesman

80mins

Kevin Davies leaves his boot a little too high and catches Alain Goma to provide Fulham with a free kick

77mins

Kevin Davies has a chance but shoots straight into the keepers hands

74mins

Steed Malbranque tries a long-range shot which misses to the left of Bolton's goal

68mins

Jay-Jay Okocha brings down Steed Malbranque who was through on a break which leaves Graham Poll no option but to produce the card

67mins

Gary Speed's inswinging corner is cleared at the near post by Carlos Bocanegra

66mins

Moritz Volz has a go from the right side of the six yard line which Jussi Jaaskelainen easily catches

65mins

Collins John beats the offside trap and is clear of the Bolton defence but Ricardo Gardner makes two excellent challenges to eventuallly win the ball and clear the danger

63mins

Fulham have a corner which Liam Rosenior takes quickly but Jussi Jaaskelainen makes a strong challenge and catches the ball

61mins

Luis Boa Morte is replaced by Sylvain Legwinski

59mins

Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye leaves the field with a bleeding cut and is substituted by Martin Djetou

52mins

Hidetoshi Nakata who has had a quiet game is replaced by Jay-Jay Okocha

51mins

Graham Poll runs over to give Liam Rosenior a booking following his challenge on Joey O'Brien

50mins

Steed Malbranque drills a fiercesome shot from 18-ayrds out which forces an excellent save out of Jussi Jaaskelainen

47mins

Steed Malbranque makes a punishing run beating three men before making a cross into the danger area which is headed clear by the Fulham defender

46mins

The game gets restarted after the break

45mins

Kevin Davies is booked for unsporting behaviour

45mins

McBride's double takes Fulham into the break with a two goal advantage over a rattled Bolton side

44mins

El Hadji Diouf is booked for a foul on Moritz Volz

41mins

Tal Ben-Haim makes a rash challenge on the on-rushing Steed Malbranque and is cautioned by Graham Poll

38mins

Gary Speed appears to have said something to the ref and is booked for dissent

35mins

Straight back down the other end Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye unleashes a 20-yard volley which misses to the right of Fulham's goal

34mins

A tremendously well hit 20-yard strike from Collins John which misses just left of goal

32mins

Radhi Jaidi leaves the field and is replaced by Bruno N'Gotty

30mins

Steed Malbranque makes a bursting run into the box but his shot is blocked and goes out for a corner

29mins

Gary Speed plays a clever chip into the box for Kevin Davies to head which he does but straight into the arms of the Fulham keeper

23mins

Jussi Jaaskelainen goes down with a cut over his eye from a trailing boot but he is patched up and play continues

18mins

McBride hits a superb volley from a high cross to double his tally and give Fulham a two-goal lead

15mins

Kevin Davies lays off Kevin Nolan who shoots from 20-yards out but doesn't quite hit the ball square and Crossley makes an easy save

13mins

Bolton have a free kick out to the right wing which Gary Speed crosses into the area for Mark Crossley to punch the ball clear

10mins

Tal Ben-Haim floats a dangerous free kick into the Fulham box which Alain Goma clears with a strong header

8mins

Tomasz Radzinski and Brian McBride exchange a lovely one-two to give Tomasz Radzinski a shot on goal which is deflected out for a corner

4mins

Tomasz Radzinski plays a wonderful through ball to Brian McBride who opens the scoring for Fulham

3mins

An early threat from Bolton as Joey O'Brien's cross is headed over the bar by Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye from only six yards out

0mins

The game gets underway

Match Report

Brian McBride hit a superb first half double to give Fulham their third home win in a row.

The west Londoners are desperate to gain consistency to kick them up the table, and their American international hitman struck a clinical brace within the first 20 minutes to put the game beyond Bolton.

Mark Crossley returned in goal following a hamstring injury, and manager Chris Coleman reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with McBride and Collins John leading the attack.

Bolton made four changes from their UEFA Cup side in midweek, as Gary Speed, El Hadji Diouf, Kevin Davies and Radhi Jaidi all started for Sam Allardyce's side.

Jaidi did not start well - in fact his afternoon became a nightmare. Within five minutes Fulham took the lead as McBride grabbed his first of the game.

A perfectly weighted through pass from Tomasz Radzinski caught Jaidi in no-man's land, and McBride ran through to poke the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The Cottagers were full of spark as they aimed to complete their third successive home victory, and Radzinski's link-up play with McBride was causing trouble for the Wanderers backline.

Kevin Nolan hit Bolton's first shot of the afternoon on 14 minutes, but his effort from outside the area was easily held by Crossley.

Moments later John almost managed to double the lead for Fulham. He latched on to a through ball from Steed Malbranque and rounded Jaaskelainen. Unfortunately for the Dutchman he pushed the ball a fraction too wide and was unable to convert his chance from a tight angle.

Bolton's back line was looking far from comfortable and another mistake by Jaidi allowed McBride to double his account for the afternoon.

The Bolton central defender did not put his head on a long goal kick by Crossley, and as the ball bounced over his head McBride hit a superb volley past Jaaskelainen and into the net.

It was McBride's sixth goal of the season, and Jaidi was substituted on 31 minutes as boss Allardyce brought his days work to an early end and introduced Bruno N'Gotty.

An eye injury to Bolton stopper Jaaskelainen brought a five-minute stop in play, and disrupted Fulham's rhythm. Bolton almost took advantage as a Gary Speed corner fell on to the head of Kevin Davies on 28 minutes, but Crossley held his attempt on goal.

Malbranque and John had further sights of goal but were unable to add a third before half-time, and Bolton emerged for the second period desperate to score an early strike to give them hope.

Their possession counted for nothing however, as they failed to break down the Fulham defence, which was being supported brilliantly by Senegal international midfielder Papa Bouba Diop.

Malbranque and Moritz Volz had further chances before the hour mark, but Jaaskelainen held on to efforts from both to give Bolton continued hope of gaining something from the game.

Davies was presented with the perfect opportunity on 75 minutes, but the striker hit his shot straight at Crossley from ten yards.

Nolan took advantage of poor communication in the Fulham defence to give Bolton a lifeline in the last minute of normal time, although Sylvain Legwinski may have got the final touch, but Wanderers could not salvage an equaliser.

After the full-time whistle Bolton striker Diouf was sent off by reffere Graham Poll after he received a second yellow card for dissent.

Fulham Team

Bolton Wanderers Team

Fulham

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

36

Fouls

1718

Goal attempts

105

Shots off target

32

Offsides

16

advertisement

advertisement