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  • Kick-off: 20:00
  • Venue: Fratton Park
  • Attendance: 19105
  • Referee: Rennie, U

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: PORTSMOUTH 0-1 BOLTON WANDERERS: Referee Uriah Rennie blows for full-time at Fratton Park with Bolton claiming a hard-fought 1-0 win courtesy of KEVIN NOLAN'S 22nd-minute strike.

90mins

Diouf is replaced by Stelios Giannakopoulos.

89mins

Stefanovic free-kick is blocked well by Bolton but Pompey are mounting on the pressure.

86mins

Anelka is replaced by Ricardo Vaz Te.

82mins

Johnson free-kick reaches the head of Stefanovic but his header misses the target and drifts to safety.

81mins

Frustration mounting for Portsmouth who cannot break down Bolton.

78mins

Stefanovic is booked for a reckless foul on Diouf.

76mins

Thompson effort in the box is blocked by Nolan for a corner - Speed powerfully heads the set-piece away.

74mins

Mendes is replaced by David Thompson.

74mins

Benjani is replaced by Manuel Fernandes.

73mins

Campo is replaced by Idan Tal.

72mins

Nolan arrives late and latches onto a Primus flick-on but scoops over the bar.

66mins

Kanu battling well up front for Pompey but struggling to find the breakthrough.

63mins

Fratton Park faithful getting behind their players but Bolton defending in numbers and making life difficult.

61mins

Anelka ploughing a lone furrow for Bolton with Portsmouth pinning down their opponents.

59mins

Campo tries to thread a ball through for Anelka but overhits his pass.

56mins

Taylor is replaced by Lomana LuaLua.

55mins

Speed's corner at the other end is cleared by Kanu - Diouf runs at the Pompey backline and wins another corner. Diouf collects the ball again but his lofted cross passes to safety.

53mins

Taylor's dangerous free-kick evades a crowd of bodies and passes for a dead ball.

53mins

Johnson is blocked by Ben Haim and he receives a yellow card.

51mins

Diouf crosses with Anelka lurking but Pompey defend well and look to break.

49mins

Benjani sneaks in behind the Bolton backline but scoops his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

48mins

Portsmouth pressing and probing but Bolton getting bodies behind the ball.

46mins

James almost lets an Anelka cross-cum-shot squirm through his hands and into the net for Bolton's second of the night.

46mins

Portsmouth get the second half underway looking to square the game.

45mins

HALF TIME: PORTSMOUTH 0-1 BOLTON WANDERERS: The half-time whistle goes with KEVIN NOLAN'S strike handing Bolton the initiative - but Pompey are not out of this Fratton Park thriller.

44mins

Davis right-footed from left channel from all of 30 yards - saved again by Jaaskelainen.

44mins

Pompey force a succession of corners late on but Bolton defend well.

39mins

Nolan is wrestled to the floor and Bolton can compose themselves with the clock ticking towards half-time.

37mins

Benjani almost profits from Faye blunder but his clipped effort drifts to safety.

36mins

Speed throw-in finds Davies but Stefanovic smacks the ball clear for Pompey.

34mins

Anelka latches onto Diouf's cross but his deft header is saved by James.

33mins

Mendes is alive for Pompey but Bolton are standing firm - a loose ball falls to Stefanovic but his shot is saved well by the impressive Jaaskelainen.

30mins

Diouf wins a throw-in for Bolton deep in Pompey territory but the home side clear their lines.

28mins

Campo throw-in causes panic but Kanu eventually clears and tries to set up Benjani but Jaaskelainen is alert to the danger.

26mins

Anelka almost gets in behind the Pompey defence but Campbell times his offside claim well.

24mins

Pompey compose themselves and look to build again but Bolton are making life difficult for the home side.

22mins

PORTSMOUTH 0-1 BOLTON WANDERERS (NOLAN): Tal Ben Haim free-kick into the box is cleared by Linvoy Primus but KEVIN NOLAN thunders the ball back in beyond James.

18mins

Jaaskelainen brilliantly tips a clipped Taylor effort wide for a corner after good work by Davis.

18mins

Stefanovic throw-in from the left falls to Kanu who loses possession and Bolton break.

16mins

Taylor effort deflected for a corner - Bolton defend well and Anelka finds space on the left, Diouf eventually crosses but James gathers well.

15mins

Davies whips in a cross from the left but Campbell again heads clear.

13mins

Jussi Jaaskelainen is alert to palm a Kanu effort away to safety.

13mins

Nicolas Anelka loses possession and Speed trips Glen Johnson out of frustration.

11mins

Dejan Stefanovic almost heads into his own net but David James spares his blushes.

10mins

El-Hadji Diouf breaks down the left flank for Bolton but Pompey regroup and Campbell heads clear.

9mins

Pedro Mendes tries from long range but his shot is deflected for a corner.

7mins

Campo hacks down Kanu and is promptly booked.

7mins

Gary Speed and Campo combine in midfield but the move breaks down and Bolton build again.

4mins

Kanu sets up Benjani who chests the ball down to Sean Davis but his shot strikes the post.

3mins

Ivan Campo free-kick sent in but Kevin Davies is adjudged to have pushed Dejan Stefanovic.

2mins

Matthew Taylor corner whipped in and Sol Campbell spurns early chance to force the opener after heading into the ground.

1mins

Benjani Mwaruwari almost sneaks in behind the Bolton backline but Abdoulaye Meite clears for the visitors.

1mins

Bolton get the game underway - with Portsmouth 90 minutes away from booking top spot in the Premiership.

0mins

The two teams await kick-off at Fratton Park with high-flyers and unchanged Portsmouth looking to take pole position in the Premiership - while Bolton, with Kevin Davies fit and included, will also be wanting to take maximum points.

Match Report

Kevin Nolan's first-half goal was enough to defeat Portsmouth who failed to return to the summit of the Premiership in former chairman Milan Mandaric's last game at the club.

Nolan pounced on Linvoy Primus' clearance on 22 minutes to smash a volley past the outstretched arm of David James and end Pompey's perfect defensive record.

It was hard on the hosts who created the lion's share of the chances but failed to capitalise on the oceans of possession they had throughout the game.

An emotional Fratton Park began the evening with a send-off for departing chairman Mandaric who ended his eight-year association with the club after the summer takeover by Alexandre Gaydamak.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp kept faith with the same eleven that defeated Charlton last week.

Despite his goal heroics at The Valley, Lomana LuaLua started on the bench and there was no place for Andrew Cole, who made his first team debut in the midweek Carling Cup victory over Mansfield.

Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce made two changes from the side that played Middlesbrough with Nicky Hunt coming back into defence and Kevin Davies returning up front.

Searching for their first Premiership away win since December, Bolton began the game with a conservative approach - Davies playing in a withdrawn role and Nicolas Anelka left to forage up front on his own.

Pompey had Allardyce's men on the back foot from the start, with Sol Campbell connecting with Matt Taylor's in-swinging corner in the third minute. The former Arsenal man rose highest but could only direct his header wide of the far post.

More was to come though when Kanu and Benjani combined to set Sean Davis up with a clear sight of goal.

Benjani's angled knock-down landed at the feet of the midfielder but, to the dismay of the home support, his volley beat Jussi Jaaskelainen only to rebound back off the post into the Finnish international's hands.

Jaaskelainen was called into action again on 14 minutes when Kanu dallied with the ball on the edge of the area and with minimal backlift took a pot-shot at goal. It looked a relatively comfortable save for the Bolton keeper but he must have seen the ball late as he parried it away to safety.

Gary O'Neil then skipped round Tal Ben-Haim, in his unfamiliar position of left-back, and was able to cross for Taylor who was desperately unlucky to see his right foot volley turned round the post.

As Pompey continued to dominate going forward it was almost inevitable Bolton would take the lead.

Ben-Haim's long distance free-kick was headed away by Primus into the path of Nolan on the edge of the area, and the Bolton skipper wasted no time in sweeping the ball into the corner of James' net.

The approach was decidedly route one, but it proved to be the first goal Portsmouth conceded in 472 minutes of Premiership football this term.

Try as they might to hit back Bolton's back four was resolute until Dejan Stefanovic nipped inside Nicky Hunt on 34 minutes, causing Jaaskelainen to dive low across his goal.

Glen Johnson unwittingly put Benjani clear as he clipped the ball over the top and, as Abdoulaye Faye and Jaaskelainen lost communication, the Zimbabwean nipped in only to see his attempted lob drift harmlessly wide.

On the stroke of half-time Davis burst through from midfield, darting round Ivan Campo and Gary Speed, before unleashing a 20-yard strike which Jaaskelainen was again forced to parry away.

The second half began with Anelka causing an early scare, as the Frenchman out muscled Campbell on the far touchline and drilled a rasping cross-cum-shot which James almost parried into his own net.

Benjani was guilty of the miss of the game after he ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Abdoulaye Meite before shaking off the Ivorian defender. As Jaaskelainen advanced, the former Auxerre man, despite having the time to pick his spot, lashed his attempted finish high and wide into the stands.

LuaLua was introduced just before the hour mark to try and breathe some life into a wilting Pompey attack, with Taylor sacrificed.

It was Bolton though, looking dangerous on the break, who almost put the game beyond doubt when Davies' attempt to play El-Hadji Diouf in was only just thwarted by Campbell.

David Thompson and Manuel Fernandes came on as Redknapp searched for an equaliser but Bolton continued to hold firm.

LuaLua's craft gave some much-needed width and creativity, but too often he overplayed it and left the home fans crying out for a pass.

The impressive Johnson continued his good form by rampaging down the right side, but Faye and Meite proved the equal of his many crosses.

The on-loan Chelsea right-back did have a sight of goal 15 minutes from time but blazed his effort wide of the far post and Bolton breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Portsmouth

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

112

Fouls

813

Goal attempts

134

Shots off target

71

Offsides

12

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