Source: Team_Talk
Classy Klasnic sees off Potters
olton handed Stoke a dose of their own medicine as the Trotters earned their first home Premier League success of the season with a 2-1 win.[LNB] Comeback kings City looked to have salvaged a point when Rory Delap ended a 21-month goal drought in the 48th minute to cancel out Lee Chung-yong's opener midway through the first half.[LNB]But from Gretar Steinsson's deep throw into the area in the second minute of injury time, 77th-minute substitute Ivan Klasnic fired home the winner.[LNB]Klasnic, though, went from hero to villain moments later as he was dismissed for two bookable offences in a matter of minutes after his goal.[LNB]It was a chaotic, turbulent finish to a game that also saw rival fans clash in one corner of the Reebok Stadium before police and stewards intervened.[LNB]Prior to that, and for two of the top flight's lesser lights, it was an entertaining affair.[LNB]From both teams, up until the rashness of the final minutes, there was a desire to play football, to search for an opening rather than pump aimless long balls forward in the hope of catching a break.[LNB]Ahead of Lee's opener, Stoke looked a side on the rise after a run of three wins and a draw from their previous four league matches.[LNB]Their play exuded the greater degree of confidence, and arguably they should have taken a 15th-minute lead from an inswinging corner by Matthew Etherington.[LNB]But despite piercing Bolton's six-yard box, neither Robert Huth nor Abdoulaye Faye were able to apply the finishing touch required at the far post.[LNB]Three minutes later, as a gap opened up in Bolton's defence, winger Etherington was left smacking his forehead in disgust with himself as a low 18-yard shot lacked power and was safely gathered by Jussi Jaaskelainen, who should have been more severely tested.[LNB]As the midway point of the half approached Bolton had conjured little in response, so it is fair to say Lee's strike came out of the blue.[LNB]After playing a one-two with skipper Kevin Davies, Lee was lucky to see a follow-up attempted pass ricochet off Faye into his path.[LNB]The Korean needed no second invitation as he quickly pounced on the loose ball to stab a first-time effort past Sorensen from 19 yards.[LNB]Not for the first time this season it left Stoke being asked to come from behind, and they were almost level just after the half-hour only for Jermaine Pennant's dipping 25-yard free-kick to strike the top of the crossbar.[LNB]At that stage, with chances flowing at both ends, Fabrice Muamba should have made it 2-0, only for his first-time drive to narrowly clear the bar after he had been teed up by Davies.[LNB]After referee Peter Walton ignored furious penalty appeals from Stoke as a loose ball had rolled over the arm of an unaware Zat Knight, Bolton again wasted the chance to increase their lead.[LNB]In injury time Thomas Sorensen initially produced a superb one-handed save in turning aside a rasping drive from Martin Petrov.[LNB]From the ensuing corner to the far post, Davies missed a sitter as he steered a header wide when the ball should have been nestling in the bottom corner of the net.[LNB]It proved costly because within three minutes of the restart Stoke were level. From Etherington's corner, Huth's knockdown arrived at the feet of Delap who volleyed home from five yards.[LNB]Just before the hour Stoke almost completed another comeback as Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters combined to set up Dean Whitehead for a first-time effort which Jaaskelainen saved with his legs.[LNB]Wanderers, though, were far from out of the picture as Davies was again the supplier shortly afterwards with a flick-on from a long ball for Johan Elmander, whose steered effort through the six-yard box was inches beyond the far post.[LNB]After a looping Danny Collins header from a deep Pennant cross also failed to fall inside the far post moments later, the game appeared set to peter out.[LNB]But a rash of substitutions, including Klasnic, proved pivotal for Bolton as the striker pounced to steal the points and end a run of three successive home draws, only to blot his copybook with his red card after an altercation with Whitehead and a foul on Huth.
