Everton 2-0 Bolton

Last updated : 22 March 2010 By Les Roberts

 

This is one of those fixtures that tests the resolve of every match-going fan as you just know that, despite Everton's resurgence and Bolton's indifference, it's going to be a dog of a game!
And so it proved to be as, true to form, Bolton kicked and punched their way through what looked destined to be a frustrating 0-0 draw.
The first casualty of this was Victor Anichebe who had to go off after just 15 minutes after being clattered by Paul Robinson.
Up until that point the game's only real chance had fallen to the young Nigerian but he took one touch too many after being played  through by Mikel Arteta and the opportunity was gone.
At the other end Bolton nearly went ahead after a neat passing move - orchestrated by Jack Wilshire - resulted in Kevin Davies going one-on-one with Tim Howard by the Everton 'keeper did well to keep the barrel-shaped striker's effort out.
And that was about it for a dreadful first half that the referee saw fit to extend by a full five minutes - not that it made much difference as it appeared that everyone had gone downstairs for a pint anyway by about 20 past three!
Unfortunately there's a mad rule that says you can't have a bevvy during the second half of the game so it was with a heavy heart and an even heavire bladder that we were ushered to our seats to see what dramas would unfold during the next 45 minutes.
And sure enough none did until the 70th minute when it all went tits up for the Trotters.
Yakubu was played through by Steven Pienaar and the big Nigerian cleverly cut across the path of Bolton's Gretar Steinsson who, inevitably, brought him down just outside the area.
The Icelandic defender, who looks like an extra from Romper Stomper, was the shown the red card and everyone sensed that the game was up for Bolton from that point.
Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines all stood around the resulting free kick and it was the Spaniard that planted a curling effort just inside Jussi Jaaskelainen's right-hand-post to put the Blues one-nil up.
Leon Osman then replaced Yakubu and nearly doubled Everton's lead but he could only hit the crossbar after following up John Heitinga's low shot.
Osman did help to put the game beyond doubt in the 90th minute after his maizy run - that's the only way to describe it - took him to the byline and within about two inches of Jaaskelainen's gloves where he cut the ball across goal for Pienaar to slot home.
It was hardly worth getting out of bed for but it was our seventh home win on the bounce so we can't complain really!

Then you hear the pissing down rain and it just sounds cold outside so you pull the covers over your head and hope everything will be better if you can just get five minutes more sleep.

Then you realise it's Bolton at home in just under three hours....oh for fuck's sake!

This is one of those fixtures that tests the resolve of every match-going fan as you just know that, despite Everton's resurgence and Bolton's indifference, it's going to be a dog of a game!


And so it proved to be as, true to form, Bolton kicked and punched their way through what looked destined to be a frustrating 0-0 draw.


The first casualty of this was Victor Anichebe who had to go off after just 15 minutes after being clattered by Paul Robinson.


Up until that point the game's only real chance had fallen to the young Nigerian but he took one touch too many after being played  through by Mikel Arteta and the opportunity was gone.


At the other end Bolton nearly went ahead after a neat passing move - orchestrated by Jack Wilshire - resulted in Kevin Davies going one-on-one with Tim Howard by the Everton 'keeper did well to keep the barrel-shaped striker's effort out.


And that was about it for a dreadful first half that the referee saw fit to extend by a full five minutes - not that it made much difference as it appeared that everyone had gone downstairs for a pint anyway by about 20 past three!


Unfortunately there's a mad rule that says you can't have a bevvy during the second half of the game so it was with a heavy heart and an even heavire bladder that we were ushered to our seats to see what dramas would unfold during the next 45 minutes.


And sure enough none did until the 70th minute when it all went tits up for the Trotters.


Yakubu was played through by Steven Pienaar and the big Nigerian cleverly cut across the path of Bolton's Gretar Steinsson who, inevitably, brought him down just outside the area.


The Icelandic defender, who looks like an extra from Romper Stomper, was the shown the red card and everyone sensed that the game was up for Bolton from that point.


Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines all stood around the resulting free kick and it was the Spaniard that planted a curling effort just inside Jussi Jaaskelainen's right-hand-post to put the Blues one-nil up.


Leon Osman then replaced Yakubu and nearly doubled Everton's lead but he could only hit the crossbar after following up John Heitinga's low shot.


Osman did help to put the game beyond doubt in the 90th minute after his maizy run - that's the only way to describe it - took him to the byline and within about two inches of Jaaskelainen's gloves where he cut the ball across goal for Pienaar to slot home.


It was hardly worth getting out of bed for but it was our seventh home win on the bounce so we can't complain really!

romperstomper