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  • Shittu (82 og)
  • Taylor (67)
  • Date:2009-03-21
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:The Hawthorns
  • Attendance:25530
  • Referee:Webb, H

Live Commentary

90mins

Full Time: West Brom 1 - 1 Bolton. Koren's late equaliser leaves a stalemate at The Hawthorns in a game that both sides may feel they could have won.

90mins

Gary Megson is very animated on the sideline and Howard Webb sends him to the stands for the closing stages of the game

90mins

Johan Elmander leaves the field for Ebi Smolarek as Gary Megson tries o run the clock down.

90mins

A West Brom corner causes all sorts of problems and the ball drops to Martis who strikes a sweet low shot but it is blocked by a yellow shirt.

87mins

Taylor should have done better with that opportunity but Carson did very well in coming off his line and closing the gaps.

86mins

Elmander runs at the West Brom defence before squaring the ball to Taylor who is in acres of space and one-on-one with Carson but his final shot is straight at the keeper.

83mins

There is a new confidence about West Brom now but it may take something special if they are going to snatch the three points.

81mins

WEST BROM 1 - 1 BOLTON: KOREN cuts inside from the flank and hits a powerful shot from 20-yards that nestles into the bottom corner of the goal.

79mins

Morrison is seeing a lot of the ball for West Brom as Bolton invite the pressure onto themselves, but the midfielder is still finding it difficult to find any gaps in the visitors' back-line.

77mins

Bolton are getting all of their players behind the ball and it is almost impossible for West Brom to find a way through the mass number of yellow shirts.

75mins

The home side are struggling to create anything in the final third of the pitch and the home faithful are becoming increasingly frustrated.

73mins

Paul Robinson makes way for Graham Dorrans as Tony Mowbray adopts a more attacking outlook.

73mins

Borja Valero takes the field in place of Gianni Zuiverloon

72mins

Bolton look as though they are simply trying to see the game through now and will be very happy with this result if the scoreline remains the same.

70mins

West Brom go in search of an equaliser and receive an opportunity from a corner but Brunt's in-swinger is headed clear by Shittu.

68mins

The goal has multiplied the anxiety levels around The Hawthorns and the only sound is coming from the visitors end.

66mins

WEST BROM 0 - 1 BOLTON: A long ball from Jaaskelainen is headed clear by a Baggies defender but only as far as TAYLOR whose instinctive right-footed strike from the edge of the box beats Carson.

63mins

Morrison moves forward for West Brom and gets a half chance from just outside the box but his shot fails to trouble Jaaskelainen.

62mins

The West Brom defence opens up for Gardner who gets a sight of goal but Carson is equal to his long range shot.

59mins

Sebastien Puygrenier has been very impressive in the heart of the Bolton defence but is struggling with an injury now and has to leave the field to be replaced by Danny Shittu.

57mins

Tony Mowbray makes his first change of the game as Roman Bednar comes on for Jay Simpson.

54mins

Taylor picks out Davies in the box and he tries to find Elmander with a headed flick-on but the ball falls into the feet of a Baggies shirt and the home side regain possession.

52mins

The visitors win a free-kick in a decent position and send their tall players forward but Taylor's delivery is poor and doesn't beat the first man.

50mins

Ricardo Gardner goes down holding his head after an aerial collision with Jonathan Greening who picks up the first booking of the game.

49mins

West Brom win a corner and Zuiverloon gets his head on it but cannot direct the effort goal-wards.

47mins

The game has started similarly to how the first-half ended and both sides are giving away possession very cheaply.

45mins

The second-half is underway and both sides remain unchanged.

45mins

Half Time: West Brom 0 - 0 Bolton. A half of minimal opportunities comes to an end. Chris Brunt had the best of the chances though Matty Taylor also came close for the visitors on a couple of occasions.

44mins

Jaaskelainen has been in no hurry to take goal kicks in this first-half and the visitors seem happy enough to run the clock down and go in at the break at 0-0.

42mins

A clean sheet may be important for Gary Megson today but the West Brom defence has conceded 19 more goals than any other side in the Premiership and so failure to score may also be disappointing for the Bolton boss.

40mins

Taylor gets another fierce strike at goal from a training ground set piece and Carson again is on hand to parry the ball away to safety.

38mins

There is a real lull about the game at the moment and both sets of fans are waiting for something to liven things up a little.

35mins

It seems a clean sheet is the most important thing for Bolton today as Gary Megson perhaps aims to regain some of the confidence lost after the defeat last weekend.

32mins

Bolton have not had much luck at The Hawthornes in recent years - it was 1952 when they last picked up three points on the ground.

30mins

Taylor stands over a free-kick and his low strike looks as though it is creeping into the bottom corner before Scott Carson turns it around the post.

27mins

The game is becoming slightly scrappy now and both sides are finding it difficult to retain possession.

25mins

West Brom need all the points they can get at this stage of the season and this is a game that Tony Mowbray will feel they have to make the most of.

22mins

Marc-Antoine Fortune breaks into the box and slides the ball into the back of the net but the linesman's flag is raised and the goal is ruled out.

21mins

Kevin Davies hold the ball up and lays off Matty Taylor who hits a fierce shot from just outside the box but it is blocked by a West Brom shirt.

18mins

Even though Bolton have not really got going yet, Gary Megson will be happy with his side's performance after their poor defeat to Fulham last week

15mins

Chris Brunt advances into the box from the left flank and strikes a decent looking shot that flashes a yard wide of the far post.

13mins

West Brom break down the right flank and have players forward but Zuiverloon's cross is poor and sails straight behind for a goal kick.

11mins

Neither side has managed to gain much ascendancy so far as both try to claim a foothold in the game.

9mins

Gianni Zuiverloon looks for a team-mate in the box but his cross evades everyone in the box and rolls out for a goal kick.

7mins

Gary Megson is looking to get one over on one of his former sides today though he is still held in high regard by many of the West Brom faithful. His side are yet to create anything to work the home side's defence though.

5mins

James Morrison gets a decent opportunity but his finish is poor and fails to trouble Jussi Jaaskelainen.

4mins

A long ball from Jonas Olsson catches the Bolton defence off guard and Simpson tries to get a shot away from inside the box but Jlloyd Samuel puts in a crucial interception.

2mins

Bolton appear to be lacking pace at the back and the home side try to exploit this with Jay Simpson but the through ball is too far ahead of the striker.

0mins

Referee Howard Webb gets the game underway.

0mins

Mark Davies is ruled out of Bolton's trip to The Hawthorns today and Fabrice Muamba takes his place in midfield. The only other change to the Wanderers' side that was beat 3-1 by Fulham last time out sees Sebastien Puygrenier come in for Andy O'Brien

0mins

Tony Mowbray makes one change to the side that dew 0-0 with West Ham last time out as Jay Simpson is given the nod ahead of Graham Dorrans. Meanwhile Shelton Martis keeps his place in the heart of the defence with Abdoulaye Meite still injured.

Match Preview

Bottom club West Bromwich Albion will feel they have a chance to move closer to safety this weekend when they host inconsistent Bolton Wanderers.

The Trotters have lost their last two matches, against Fulham and Stoke City, but did beat Newcastle United and West Ham at the end of last month.

Their trip to the Midlands this weekend will be a test for the club after they produced one of their poorest performances of the season against Fulham last weekend, losing 3-1.

"In the end it was all too easy for them. Fulham could get their passing game together and get it into their front men. They played midweek but at times it looked like we had," commented Bolton striker Kevin Davies after the defeat.

Manager Gary Megson was equally frustrated by the performance, especially as it came at home where Bolton have otherwise impressed this term.

"We're going to have to find a way to get over the finishing line. I don't think we're going to play Brazilian-type, attractive football," he conceded.

"We're going to have to roll our sleeves up, play at a high tempo, get the second balls, get crosses in and do the things we do."

That performance gives Megson a selection dilemma as he has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, but many of those he could pick currently appear to be off-form.

Andy O'Brien was the scapegoat last week but Gretar Steinsson and Johan Elmander, among others, have been consistently poor and could be put under pressure by Sebastien Puygrenier, Mustapha Riga and Ariza Makukula.

Megson's former club, West Brom, are also relatively free of injury troubles and their performance in Monday's 0-0 draw with West Ham is likely to result in manager Tony Mowbray sticking with the same eleven.


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Match Report

Gary Megson's return to The Hawthorns turned sour as Bolton Wanderers threw away a golden chance to end their travel sickness against rock-bottom West Bromwich Albion.

Bolton manager Megson, who ended the game in the stands after being sent-off by referee Howard Webb following a late touchline bust-up with the officials, was back at Albion for the first time since being sacked in 2004.

Matt Taylor looked set to ensure it would be the sweetest of returns with a second-half goal for a Bolton side who are without a win on the road since beating Sunderland in November.

But Megson had to settle for a share of the spoils when substitute Danny Shittu deflected a Robert Koren cross into his own net nine minutes from time.

A draw was the result that neither team wanted as it leaves Bolton too close for comfort to the relegation zone while Albion are still well adrift of safety and now look certain to make an instant return to the Championship.

The only positive for both sides was that it ended a run of back-to-back defeats for Bolton and saw Albion pick up their first point in four home matches.

Bolton began the game looking like a side who had not won an away game in five months as Albion controlled the opening exchanges.

Wingers James Morrison and Chris Brunt both fired narrowly wide while Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen needed to be alert to beat Marc-Antoine Fortune to Koren's throughball.

Somewhat ironically, after Albion's early pressure, it was Bolton who then came closest to breaking the deadlock after some hard work by their captain Kevin Davies in the 21st minute.

He won the ball on the byline and fed a pass into the path off Taylor whose close-range drive was well-saved by Scott Carson.

That incident changed the course of the half and Bolton noticeably stepped up a gear and would have taken control but for Carson.

He again denied Taylor after 31 minutes when he turned a 25-yard free-kick from the former Portsmouth midfielder around the post.

From the resulting corner by Taylor, Carson was again the Albion hero, tipping away a powerful close-range header from Davies.

Taylor and Davies seemed to be in a personal duel to see who could score first but Carson was proving to be a tough nut to crack.

He frustrated Taylor again five minutes before half-time when the England keeper pushed a 35-yard free-kick past the post.

But Taylor was not to be denied and his persistence finally broke Carson's resistance in the 67th minute.

Taylor, who had again been denied by Carson two minutes earlier, capitalised after a long punt upfield by Jaaskelainen. A headed clearance by Jonas Olsson fell invitingly at the feet of Taylor who let fly from the edge of the area.

Carson was unsighted and did not see the ball until it was flying past him.

It looked good enough to earn Bolton three precious points but Albion are not going down without a fight and their persistence paid off when Koren cut in from the right wing.

His shot was going wide but luckless substitute Shittu got in the way and deflected the ball past Jaaskelainen.

Bolton still had a chance to win the game when Taylor was teed up by Johan Elmander three minutes from time but again he was frustrated by Carson.

West Bromwich Albion

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

84

Fouls

1012

Goal attempts

1114

Shots off target

73

Offsides

61

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