- Pogatetz (78)
- Steinsson (8), Taylor (10), Elmander (78)
- Date:2008-11-22
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:The Riverside Stadium
- Attendance:24487
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-Time: BORO 1-3 BOLTON. It's all over at the Riverside and Bolton thoroughly deserve their win.
89mins
Boro corner, Downing takes but Gary Cahill clears for Bolton. Four minutes of added time has just been displayed by the fourth official.
88mins
Ricardo Gardner replaces Gavin McCann for Bolton.
88mins
Gary Cahill clears of the line for Bolton after O'Neil took a decent shot, Boro have been guilty of some poor finishing today.
87mins
Jaaskelainen takes a free kick from deep in the Bolton half, his long ball falls to Smolarek who gives it to McCann, he takes a long range shot but its poor.
85mins
Boro look well beaten now and they don't sem to have any ideas at all.
82mins
Johan Elmander replaced by Ebi Smolarek for Bolton.
80mins
Gavin McCANN booked for Bolton.
78mins
BORO 1-3 BOLTON. Crazy, nothing happens for an hour then you get two goals in a minute. Muamba plays a wonderful ball to ELMANDER who controls it with his chest and volleys a sweet left-footed strike past Turnbull.
77mins
BORO 1-2 BOLTON. Bolton failed to defend the corner, it fell to POGATETZ who buries the ball for Boro.
76mins
Andrew Taylor makes way for Julio Arca. Boro win two corners in succession.
73mins
Marvin Emnes replaces Afonso Alves who has been poor today.
73mins
A neat move from Bolton, Davies, Nolan and Elmander combine well to set up Taylor but his shot is poor and doesn't trouble Turnbull.
71mins
Davies and Elmander combine well to play in Muamba but his shot goes wide. I've been very impressed with Muamba today but he needs to work on his shooting which has been poor.
69mins
Nolan is booked for a foul on Johnson. Referee Martin Atkinson is going a bit card crazy at the moment.
67mins
Digard wastes the corner, he takes it short to Adam Johnson but McCann takes the ball off him and clears for Bolton.
65mins
Jlloyd Samuel is booked for a foul on Adam Johnson. Boro's free-kick is quite near the right corner flag and Downing takes an inswinging kick but Bolton clear for a corner.
63mins
Downing takes a right footed shot but it really is poor and Bolton have a goal kick. Jaaskelainen really does take an age over this and with just under half an hour to go Bolton are in no hurry.
62mins
Cahill booked for a foul on Downing.
61mins
Andy O'Brien brough the ball down on his chest and a cry of handball went up around the Riverside. There was no way that was handball and it shows how desperate Boro are getting.
59mins
Going into the last half hour and I can't see Boro getting back into this now, there just isn't enough invention in their attacking play and I'd say Bolton were more likely to score another.
57mins
Jeremie Aliadiere makes way for Adam Johnson.
56mins
Well if Alves' first free kick was bad this one was diabolical. Boro won another free kick and his strike shocking.
55mins
Should have been 0-3! Elmander played a wonderful ball to Muamba but his shot was poor and off target, it was easier to score.
54mins
It's all Boro here but they're struggling to break down the Bolton defence. Boro have just had a penalty appeal after Tuncay went down under a challende from A O'Brien but it looked fair to me.
53mins
Aliadiere takes a shot for Boro from just outside the Bolton penalty area but Cahill blocks and then clears for the Wanderers.
51mins
Boro free-kick after Muamba brings down O'Neil and is booked. It's in a good place for a shot and Alves takes it but blasts the ball way too high.
49mins
Elmander caught offside after Cahill played a long ball up to him. Bolton still look good and they're searching for a third instead of sitting back.
47mins
Boro corner after Cahill blocked Hoyte's cross. Downing takes but Davies does well to sheild the ball out of play for a Wanderers goal kick.
46mins
Muamba goes at the Boro defence again, he finds Jlloyd Samuel but Boro break it down. You get the feeling there is going to be another goal here and whoever it goes to it will be an important one.
46mins
Boro get the second half underway and they'll be looking for more to get right back into this.
45mins
Half-Time: BORO 0-2 BOLTON. Bolton look very impressive here and Gareth Southgate has some work to do at the break. He doesn't seem like much of a shouter to me but I'm sure he'll have a few choice words for a couple of his players.
45mins
Chance just before half-time for Boro, Andrew Taylor gets a shot away after Jlloyd Samuel had fluffed a clearance but the effort's a good three yards wide.
43mins
Nolan sends in a hopefull ball into the Boro penalty area but theres no one near it and Boro clear through Hoyte.
41mins
Poor ball from Gavin McCann gives Boro the ball but Matt Taylor wins it back, quite a tight battle this now and Bolton are giving the ball away a bit too cheaply sometimes.
39mins
Boro on the attack and Tuncay has just shot wide from inside the box. Bolton putting a lot of men behind the ball, which you can't blame them for, which looks to be frustrating Boro.
35mins
Downing hits a long range shot for Boro but it's a weak effort and easy for Jaaskelainen to save.
33mins
Samuel's foul on Tuncay gives Boro a free kick in a dangerous place, O'Neil takes but O'Brien heads clear and then clears again when Downing tries to send it back in.
31mins
Digard takes a shot for Boro but it's very poor and Bolton manage to get the ball away through Kevin Nolan.
28mins
Boro have controlled the last 5 minutes in terms of possesion but they've not been able to create a chance, it's easy to see from this performance why Bolton have one of the best defences in the league.
25mins
Alves puts a wicked cross into the Bolton box but Jlloyd Samuel gets an important block in to deny Boro a chance.
24mins
Boro straight on the counter and they won two corners in quick succession but failed to make anything of the pressure.
23mins
Bolton have won another free kick, Taylor takes again but this time Turnbull claims the ball in the Boro goal.
22mins
Digard is booked for Boro for a foul on Kevin Davies, in a similar position to where Bolton scored their opener from.
21mins
Boro having plenty of the ball but without really getting forward, Bolton defending well and but Boro have pace and will always be danderous.
17mins
Poor ball from Gary O'Neil, really was a waste as he was in a good position. Bolton by far the better side.
14mins
Boro look totally shell shocked, Wheater has just been forced to play the ball back to Turnbull in the Boro goal and the Wanderers are giving them no time on the ball at all.
12mins
Absolutely brilliant game here, Tuncay's cross is met by Gary O'Neil, his volley beats Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal but somehow Nolan is there to clear off the line.
10mins
BORO 0-2 BOLTON. This time Steinsson sets up TAYLOR, who smashes a wonderful shot past Ross Turnbull and Bolton are on fire today.
8mins
BORO 0-1 BOLTON. From the free kick, which Taylor takes, STEINSSON heads it past Ross Turnbull. That all came from a brilliant pass from Muamba which forced the foul on Elmander, Taylor's free kick itself was a textbook example of how to hit a ball.
7mins
Pogatetz gives a free-kick away for a foul on Elmander and is booked.
5mins
Alves was moving forward for Boro but Gary Cahill did enough to put him off, both sides playing well here and Taylor has just put a cross in for Bolton but it was too long.
3mins
Boro break down the right through Aliadiere but Alves is caught offside, he's looked bright this season Aliadiere and could be a danger today.
1mins
Wonderful opportunity for Bolton right at the start, A long throw in is flicked on by Kevin Davies but Turnbull is equal to Gary Cahill's effort in the Boro goal.
1mins
It's underway at the Riverside. Bolton look to have lined up 4-5-1 Boro look to be playing a 4-4-2 with Alves and Tuncay up front.
0mins
About 10 minutes to kick off at the Riverside and it should be a good game between Boro and Bolton. Southgate has installed a good attacking policy at Boro while Bolton have, on paper, the 5th best defence in the league.
Match Preview
Middlesbrough will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to six games when they entertain Bolton Wanderers at the Riverside.
Gareth Southgate's side have risen into the top half of the Premier League table as a result of their fine form, impressing on their last two outings to win 2-1 at Aston Villa and draw 1-1 at Everton.
Southgate said after the strong showing on Merseyside: "The Chelsea defeat was a great lesson for us and we saw what the very best are capable of doing and the standards that we have to aspire to.
"But we have taken eight points from our last four away games and we are unbeaten in five since losing to Chelsea. That is as good a run as anyone else in the division.
"That tells you something about the league. We are showing our resilience and we are responding to every challenge that has been set."
Egyptian duo Mido and Mohamed Shawky both miss out for Boro, while Robert Huth is a doubt due to an ankle injury, as is Chris Riggott, who limped out of the draw at Goodison Park early in the second half.
Emanuel Pogatetz is hoping to shake off a knee problem to feature.
Bolton lost out 2-0 at home to Liverpool last time out, having won their previous two games at Hull City and at home to Manchester City.
Gary Megson's side are still just one point above the drop zone and central defender Andy O'Brien has urged his colleagues to tighten up to avoid another relegation fight.
He told the Bolton News: "It was disappointing to concede two against Liverpool in the way we did and I know what I did wrong for the second of them.
"We have got a settled back four, but we have conceded some very soft goals.
"As a team, we just need to cut out those odd mistakes and try and nick one at the other end. Once we get that balance, we'll shoot up the league."
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
Middlesbrough's hopes of extending their good run were shattered by an in-form Bolton Wanderers side that never looked back after scoring twice in the opening ten minutes.
Boro began the match full of expectations after an unbeaten five-match run. A win appeared to be on the cards as Bolton have been struggling to score goals in recent games. The Lancashire side, however, shook the home team with an early two-minute, two-goal salvo.
Middlesbrough skipper Emanuel Pogatetz was booked in the seventh minute for a foul. It proved an expensive challenge because Bolton went ahead with the resultant free-kick.
Matt Taylor crossed from the right to the far post where Gretar Steinsson connected with a header and the ball ended up in the back of the net as Kevin Davies challenged for it.
Before Boro had recovered Taylor had increased the lead from Steinsson's pass although Gareth Southgate would have been annoyed about the lack of a challenge on the scorer.
David Wheater headed wide for Middlesbrough as the home side piled on the pressure in a bid to get back into the match.
However, Bolton's well-drilled defence handled everything that was thrown at them and there was no chance of a breakthrough before the interval. Middlesbrough fans became frustrated and there was some booing at the half-time whistle.
Boro began the second half with an all-out assault against the packed defence. Bolton refused to panic though and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was rarely called into action.
The visitors in fact had a great chance to increase the lead but Fabrice Muamba shot wide with an opening created by Johan Elmander.
Middlesbrough sent on substitute Adam Johnson at the expense of former Arsenal forward Jeremie Aliadiere and then withdrew ineffective Brazilian striker Afonso Alves and sent on Marvin Emnes in a bid to save the game.
Skipper Pogatetz lifted the crowd when he crashed the ball into the net following an overhead Wheater kick.
Bolton however crushed any hopes of a point-saving rally when Elmander almost immediately restored their lead.
It was the first goal by the record £10million signing since the opening game of the season against Stoke City.
Bolton manager Gary Megson would have been happy with the display of his team but it is back to the drawing board for Southgate.
The Boro boss, no doubt, will be hoping for a vastly improved display in the north-east derby against Newcastle United next Saturday.
Middlesbrough Team
Bolton Wanderers Team
Middlesbrough | Bolton Wanderers |
Corners
| 8 | 0 |
Fouls
| 10 | 15 |
Goal attempts
| 18 | 11 |
Shots off target
| 13 | 6 |
Offsides
| 5 | 3 |



90mins
About two minutes left now and Bolton have looked well worth the win away from home.