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  • Nolan (33), Helguson (58)
  • Date:2008-02-02
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Madejski Stadium
  • Attendance:21893
  • Referee:Dowd, P

Live Commentary

90mins

Bolton secure their first away win of the season with a well organised, disciplined performance. Reading had their moments but eventually succumbed to their sixth defeat on the bounce.

88mins

Oster has made a difference for Reading since he came on - his latest cross finds Doyle but the ball just skips away from him.

85mins

Nolan has the ball in the back of the Reading net but the linesman flagged Davies offside in the build up.

82mins

Great play by Reading as Oster sends in a curling cross but Doyle's header goes over the bar.

78mins

Shorey plays in a great ball but it flies off Cahill's head and spins out to Jaaskelainen.

77mins

A lovely run by Oster sets up Hunt but he's fouled by Samuel.

74mins

And Reading make their final change as Long comes on or Lita.

72mins

Bolton make their third and final change with Cohen coming on for Guthrie.

71mins

Harper is replaced by Sonko.

70mins

Hunt hasn't given up on this though and a typically bustling run is only just stopped by Steinsson for Reading's 11th corner.

68mins

It's looking more and more like Bolton are about to get their first away win of the season.

66mins

And Bolton boss Gary Megson also makes some changes as Diouf and Samuel come on for Helguson and Taylor.

66mins

A tired looking Kitson is replaced by Oster for Reading.

64mins

And Jaaskelainen is at it again - this time getting a hand to Hunt's low drive.

62mins

Cisse is the next Reading player to test Jaaskelainen but it's the same result as the Bolton keeper parries the defender's effort.

60mins

Matejovsky plays in Hunt and his cross finds the head of Doyle but Jaaskelainen manages to fall on the ball. Doyle should have done better.

57mins

Bolton go two up against the run of play. Helguson beats the offside trap and slots the ball through Hahnemann's legs from 12yards.

56mins

Matejovsky slides in Hunt and the Irishman skips around Cahill but his cross is too close to Jaaskelainen

54mins

Ingimarsson has two pile-drivers blocked by O'Brien. The second shot fizzes just past the Bolton upright.

53mins

Reading have suddenly burst into life. Hunt, Kitson and Lita combine well and Cahill is forced to clear for a corner. The home team are turning the srew here.

51mins

So close for Reading. Lita's near post flick from Shorey's corner was heading for the back of the Bolton net but Guthrie did well to knee it clear.

50mins

Excellent defending by Cahill. Bolton's new signing side stepped Lita then cooly turned and cleared his lines. He's having a fine debut.

49mins

Helguson drives in a shot from the edge of the Reading box but the effort squirms wide of the target.

47mins

It's a quite subdued atmosphere here - the Reading fans seem to be in shock at Bolton first half dominance.

45mins

No changes as the second half gets underway. Lita and Kitson are both on yellow cards but Reading need goals here.

45mins

Phil Dowd brings the first half to a close and Reading are probably grateful. The away side have dominated and Steve Coppell's men will have to up the tempo if they are to get back into this game.

42mins

Both of Reading's strikers are on yellow cards now after Kitson goes through the back of Gardner.

41mins

Hahnemann was fouled as Taylor whipped in his corner. Free kick to Reading.

40mins

Bolton force their third corner of the game - they're really going for the jugular here.

38mins

Murty does well to ease Taylor off the ball. It was a fantastic cross by Davies and the Reading defender had to be alert.

36mins

The game has really turned here. Reading looked in control early on but it's all Bolton at the moment.

34mins

Nolan puts Bolton one up. The Reading defence switched off as Davies directed his header back acorss the box and the Bolton captain slid the ball home from twelve yards. Great finish.

32mins

Lita is booked for dissent after Matejovsky and Campo go nose-to-nose. It was a needless booking and he shouldn't have got involved.

31mins

Helguson bangs in a right-footed drive from edge of the box but his shot flies wide.

29mins

Taylor tries his luck from the edge of the penalty area but Shorey does well to block his effort.

27mins

Bolton have upped the tempo here. A low drive across the Reading box from Guthrie hits Ingimarsson and just bobbles up and over the bar. The away side haven't let that penalty miss effect them.

25mins

It's a good strike by Taylor but Hahnemann does brilliantly to palm the ball away and Shorey hacks clear from Davies.

24mins

Penalty to Bolton!! Matejovsky brings down Steinsson. It looked a definite spot kick on the replay.

23mins

Taylor delivers a great ball in from the corner kick but Cisse just manages to head it clear in the six yard box.

22mins

Good approach play by Bolton for the first time in this match. Helguson did well to play the ball passed Hunt looking for Guthrie but Cisse cleared for a corner.

19mins

Lita wriggles free in the Bolton box but Jaaskelainen does brilliantly to race off his line and thwart the Reading striker.

17mins

A barnstorming run by Doyle is halted by O'Brien who smashes the ball out for a Reading corner. The home side are just starting to take control of the this game.

15mins

Good positioning by Jaaskelainen as he punches clear under pressure from Lita

13mins

Davies goes into the book after hacking down Hunt.

11mins

Doyle does well to release Lita but Steinsson, Bolton's man of the moment, out-muscles the Reading forward and clears the danger.

9mins

Doyle and Shorey both have long range shots blocked by Steinsson. The Bolton defender is a busy man.

7mins

Hunt races 30 yards to pinch the ball from Nolan but his pass to Kitson is cut out by Steinsson. It was an important clearance by the Bolton defender as Kitson looked ready to pounce.

5mins

Cahill is forced to clear the ball from Doyle to give Reading the game's first corner - but Shorey's delivery is too close to Jaaskelainen and the Bolton keeper collects the ball.

3mins

Campo launches a long throw into the Reading box looking for Davies but Harper manages to hook it clear.

1mins

Referee Phil Dowd gets proceedings underway. The official has issued nine red cards this season. Let's hope he has a quiet afternoon.

0mins

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Gardner, Guthrie, Nolan, Campo, Taylor, Helguson, Davies

0mins

Bolton manager Gary Megson hands a debut to £5m defender Gary Cahill. On-loan striker Grzegorz Rasiak is on the bench.

0mins

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Ingimarsson, Cisse, Shorey, Doyle, Harper, Matejovsky, Hunt, Lita, Kitson

0mins

Reading welcome back striker Dave Kitson from illness and he starts - while Shane Long also returns but must make do with a place on the bench.

Match Preview

Reading meet Bolton Wanderers at the Madejski Stadium this weekend in a game which will have a big bearing on who gets relegated this season.

Both sides are struggling badly after finishing in the top eight last term and look set to be involved in the battle to stay out of the bottom three until the last day of the season on May 11.

The Royals are 16th in the table after losing at Chelsea on Wednesday, their fourth successive reverse following post-Christmas setbacks against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Bolton's initial revival when Gary Megson replaced Sammy Lee in October has come to an end and the midweek stalemate against Fulham extended their recent run to only one victory in their last six Premier League matches.

Bolton have still to win away from home this term, taking only three points from their 11 matches on their travels and scoring only seven times in the process.

Meanwhile, Reading have maintained an important habit of beating their relegation rivals at home this term, and victories against Wigan Athletic, Derby County and Newcastle United have helped Steve Coppell's side stay out of the bottom three.

Coppell could bring new signing Jimmy Kebe into his side after the former Lens midfielder was forced to miss the Chelsea game with a hamstring strain while Shane Long is available after serving his suspension for picking up five bookings.

John Oster has recovered from an ankle problem and could feature but Brynjar Gunnarsson, Michael Duberry and Glen Little remain on the sidelines.

Heidar Helguson could make a rare start for Bolton after coming off the substitute's bench in midweek after recovering from an ankle problem while recent signings Matt Taylor and Gretar Steinsson are again expected to feature.


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Match Report

Despite missing a first-half penalty, Bolton won the bottom of the table battle to condemn Reading to their sixth successive defeat.

It was Bolton's first away win in the league this season and they deserved their success against a Reading side that lined up in an attacking formation, but looked out of sorts and can have no complaints about the result.

The only bright spot for Reading was the form of Czech international Marek Matejovsky on his first home start.

New boy Gary Cahill made an equally impressive debut for Bolton and together with Matt Taylor formed a strong physical partnership in defence.

Bolton's opening goal came after play had been held up by a lengthy argument over a free-kick.

Reading felt that Ivan Campo had gone to ground too easily and then complained that Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was taking the free-kick from the wrong place.

Reading striker Leroy Lita protested at such length that he was booked for dissent as he tried to get the ball pushed back nearer Bolton's goal.

Eventually Jaaskelainen took a long free-kick down Bolton's right-flank where Kevin Davies held off the challenge of Kalifa Cisse to head the ball right across the penalty area.

Skipper Kevin Nolan gave his marker James Harper the slip with a run into the area that was timed to perfection and he slid the ball past Marcus Hahnemann into the Reading net.

Earlier Bolton had missed a wonderful chance of going ahead from the penalty spot.

Matejovsky brought down Gretar Steinsson and Taylor took the spot-kick, but Hahnemann dived to his left to punch the ball away with both fists.

At the start of the second half, Bolton pulled every defender back into their own penalty area as Reading piled on the pressure but then broke away to score a shock second.

Nolan's through ball found Taylor, whose flick-on struck Reading skipper Graeme Murty on its way through to Heidar Helguson.

Reading claimed offside but were ignored by referee Phil Dowd and Helguson calmly tucked the ball away to put clear water between his side and Reading.

Reading boss Steve Coppell tried a re-shuffle, bringing of striker Dave Kitson, pushing Kevin Doyle up front and bringing on John Oster in midfield.

Both sides had players back from the Africa Cup of Nations in the morning and Reading's Ibrahima Sonko and Bolton's El Hadji Diouf came off the bench as part of a flurry of substitutions midway through the second half.

Reading continued to storm forward and Jaaskelainen made a good save from a Nicky Shorey free-kick, but that was as much as the home side could muster as they found themselves in deeper trouble near the foot of the table.

Reading

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

133

Fouls

1416

Goal attempts

108

Shots off target

34

Offsides

34

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