• Date: Sat 18 October 2008
  • Venue: Reebok Stadium
  • Ref: Webb, H
  • Attendance: 24,778

Bolton Wanderers vs Blackburn Rovers

Team Lineups

Bolton Wanderers

Jussi Jaaskelainen
Jlloyd Samuel
Andy O'Brien
Gretar Steinsson (Joey O'Brien, 77)
Gary Cahill
Gavin McCann
Matt Taylor (Riga Mustapha, 86)
Fabrice Muamba (Ricardo Gardner, 70)
Kevin Nolan
Kevin Davies, K
Johan Elmander

Blackburn Rovers

Paul Robinson
Christopher Samba
Ryan Nelsen
Stephen Warnock
Andre Ooijer
Danny Simpson
Brett Emerton
Kerimoglu Tugay
Carlos Villanueva (Matt Derbyshire, 62)
Jason Roberts (Benni McCarthy, 78)
Robbie Fowler (Keith Andrews, 74)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

The final whistle goes at the Reebok Stadium and its a stallmate between the two clubs, although it could have been a different story had Andy O'Brien got his header on target from 2 yards.

90

Gardner takes a corner in the dying seconds but wastes it and sends it over everyone and it drifts out of play at the far post.

90

McCarthy springs the offside trap to go through on goal but he can't find Derbyshire with the pull back and Bolton can clear, Rovers finishing the stronger side.

89

Cross in from Emerton finds McCarthy who from a tight angle can only hit the ball into the side netting, good chance to win it there.

86
Substitution
 

Last throw of the dicxe for Bolton with Riga coming on for Mattew Taylor.

84

Joey O'Brien lofts a freekick into the penalty area looking for a white shirt and nearly finds Elmander but Robinson comes out to claim the ball under pressure.

82

Emerton with a corner for Blackburn and the Rovers players appeal for a hand ball but Howard Webb decides there was nothing wrong with the Bolton clearance.

77
Substitution
 

Joey O'Brien comes on for Bolton as Gretar Steinsson is forced off with a hamstring injury.

77
Substitution
 

Rovers make another change with Benni McCarthy coming on and Jason Roberts going off.

77

Elmander sets up Taylor for another chance but yet again the former Pompey man can't hit the target and sends it wide.

76

Taylor with yet another corner for Bolton, this time its Emerton who heads it away as Bolton continue to push Blackburn back.

73
Substitution
 

Keith Andrews comes on for Rovers as Robbie Fowler heads off.

72

Roberts has another chance to put Blackburn ahead but a great sliding block from Cahill prevents Jaaskelainen having to make a save.

71

Bolton go very close through Taylor after some great build-up play, but the former portsmouth man can only send it the wrong side of the post.

69
Substitution
 

Ricardo Gardner comes into the fray to replace Gavin McCann.

68

McCann with another corner for Bolton which is headed towards goal by davies but he can't get it on target, another chance goes begging.

67
Yellow Card
 

Kerimoglu Tugay goes into the book after he handled a cross field pass from Muamba.

65

Rovers finally get out of their own half to win a corner, this one is taken by Emerton but its over the head of Nelsen and Bolton can clear.

63

Taylor takes the corner which Samba does well to head away again, he has been a rock at the back for Rovers today.

63

McCann tries his luck from a long way out and it has to be deflected over the bar, Nelsen getting something on it.

62
Substitution
 

Carlos Villanueva is pulled off despite having a good match and on comes Matt Derbyshire.

60

Bolton continue to pile on the pressure and win another corner, Taylor to take again but this time Robinson comes through the crowd to punch it away and relieve some of the pressure.

58

Bolton win another corner which Taylor takes towards the near post and from close range O'Brien can only send his header wide, nearly as bad as Roberts miss earlier.

56
Yellow Card
 

Carlos Villanueva gets himself a booking after flattening Davie, not an easy thing to do.

55

Jaaskelainen pumps a freekick foward from just inside the Bolton half but its straight down the throat of Robinson as the Trotters continue their aerial bombardment.

51

From the resulting freekick McCann pulls it back for Samuel but his effort ends up in the stands, poor shot really.

51
Yellow Card
 

Simpson goes into the referee's book after blocking a Taylor cross with his hand.

49

Rovers with another great chance, Roberts goes through on goal but instead of heading for goal the striker opts to pull it back for Fowler and the chance goes begging.

46

Steinsson nearly gets a second yellow after a lunging tackle to give away a freekick, fortunatley Howard Webb keeps his cards in his pocket this time and the Icelan international can count himself lucky.

45

Bright start from Bolton, straight from kick off Elmander tries his luck on the turn but can only send it wide, decent effort though.

Second half
 

Bolton get the second half underway knowing that they could have been two behind, will that be enough to spur Megson's men onto a second straight victory?

Half time
 

There goes the half time whistle at the Reebok Stadium and Paul Ince might feel his side should be ahead after hitting the bar through Villanueva and Roberts glaring miss. as it is its all square.

45

Bolton claim they should have a penalty after a Steinsson cross is headed straight up in the air and as davies goes to reach it Ooijer has his arms all over the forward but Howard Webb decides he has done nothing wrong.

43

What a miss! Great cross from Emerton which finds Roberts unmarked in the six yard box but he can only head it over, should have hit the target at the very least though.

41

Another good chance for Blackburn after an Emerton freekick finds Samba in the penalty area who, unmarked, only manages to head it wide, the defender should have done better though.

40

Taylor whips in a great cross which lands in the path of Elmander but its swept away by Nelsen with the Swedish striker bearing down on it.

38

Great chance for Blackburn, Villanueva with a briliant strike from the edge of the penalty area and beats Jaaskelainen but it clips the top of the crossbar and goes over, good effort.

36

Roberts goes through on goal after a nice through ball from Tugay but a late flag halts the former West Brom striker in his tracks, very tight decision.

34

Good chance for Emerton after the freekick found the Australian, but his volley from the angle of the penalty area is high and wide, Rovers on top at the moment.

34
Yellow Card
 

Gretar Steinsson becomes the first name in the referee's book after a crunching tackle with Villanueva.

33

Another corner for Blackburn after Taylor nearly put through his own net when the ball sliced off his boot but it comes to nothing for the visitors.

31

Rovers win a corner which is taken in by Villanueva after McCann headed away the Chilean's freekick, this time the corner finds its way back to the corner taker who picks out Ooijer but he slips and Bolton clear.

28

Steinsson gets forward from his full back position and gets a nice cross in but again Rovers defend well, this time Tugay heads it away from danger.

25

Elmander with a glorious chance for Bolton but an excellent sliding tackle from Simpson prevents the Bolton forward getting enough power on his shot and the ball trickles through for Robinson.

24

O'Brien sends a freekick from inside their own half up to the edge of the Rovers penalty area where Samba does well to head it away.

21

Rovers win a corner after good work from Villanueva, the Chilean takes the resulting corner which Davies does well to reach to nod it away.

18

From the resulting corner McCann whips in another great ball and finds the head of Cahill who can only send it just over the crossbar.

17

Best chance of the match for Bolton, Taylor's freekick goes all the way across the face of goal and Robinson is forced to palm it away at full stretch, good save.

16

Tacklings flying in left and right, typically derby with Steinsson on the end of a crunching Ooijer tackle.

14

Ooijer finds himself forward and delivers a cross intowards Fowler but its dealt with well by O'Brien who heads it away, nice build up play from Blackburn before hand.

12

Cahill gets on the end of a long freekick and heads it towards goal from a long way out, Davies tries to help it along with his head but can't reach it and Robinson is left with a simple save.

10

Warnock has a speculative effort for Blackburn but its a poor effort and ends up dragging it well wide of the goal.

9

Taylor has another chance from a freekick this one a little closer to the Rovers goal but ends with the same result, Robinson plucking the ball out of the air.

8

Taylor takes a freekick for Bolton from midway inside the Rovers half but its a poor one and bounces through for Robinson to take.

5

McCann volleys a long ball forward and the Rovers defence hesitates before heading it back to Robinson whilst Taylor tries to charge it down.

3

Fowler drives towards the edge of the penalty area and tries a speculative shot but can only hit Muamba before the Trotters can clear it away

1

Taylor takes the corner, swinging it in towards the far post where Cahill heads it back across goal but Nelsen can clear it away from danger.

Great start from Bolton with Muamba getting past his man and whipping in a great cross, which Rovers deflect behind for the first corner of the game.

Kickoff
 

Referee Howard Webb, from Yorkshire, gets this 139th Lancashire derby underway here at the Reebok Stadium with Bolton looking to avenge the last minute defeat they suffered in last seasons fixture.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Blackburn XI: Robinson, Simpson, Nelsen, Samba, Ooijer, Emerton, Villanueva, Kerimoglu, Warnock, Fowler, Roberts

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Blackburn were dealt a big injury blow yesterday when Steven Reid was ruled out for the year but are boosted by the return of Paul Robinson, Benni McCarthy and Vince Grella to the squad while Robbie Fowler gets a first start.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Bolton XI: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, McCann, Davies, Nolan, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Bolton have no new injury concerns with Gretar Steinsson shaking off the knock they picked up playing for Iceland in the international break whilst Matt Taylor makes his first start since recovering from an injury.