20 Monday, August 18, 2008 theboltonnews.co.uk/wanderers Premiership W First half 14 mins – Another cross 18 mins – Elmander 29 mins – Jaaskelainen from Steinsson is headed drives a fierce shot makes a reaction save to action shots narrowly wide by Ta ylor. narrowly over the bar. deny Leon Cort. Wanderers (4-5-1) JUSSI JAASKELAINEN MADE one smart stop from Leon Cort. The Finn will be unhappy at losing his clean 6 sheet late on. GRETAR STEINSSON WHETHER he meant it or not WHITES UP AND RUNNING – the Icelander nearly ripped the roof off the Reebok with 7 his right-wing effort. GARY CAHILL Megson’s boys are HAD to be on his mettle early on but coped with Stoke’s long throws and set pieces in 7 an unflappable manner. fired up and give ANDY O’BRIEN SOME timely interventions in the first half, the experienced Stoke early less centre-half kept his nerve 7 even when faced with the threat of Ricardo Fuller. BY 2.45pm on Saturday WANDERERS JLLOYD SAMUEL afternoon, the fact 75 per cent of football pundits had tipped STOKE CITY JUSTIFIED his selection Wanderers for relegation had ahead of Gardner with a done more to fire-up the solid performance. Always 6 willing to push on down the dressing room than any team- left past Matt Taylor. talk GaryMegson could wish to muster. JOEY O’BRIEN There was something pleasantly Faultless performance in familiar as one by one, the usual midfield. The Irishman suspects trotted out Bolton’s name wasted nothing in terms of 8 when pressed for the teams they the early stages of the game. But possession. thought were doomed to failure. the newly-promotedside did not The new season had well and truly appear to have aPlan B, especially KEVIN NOLAN arrived. given their two main attacking Fast-forward acouple of hours and threats, Liam Lawrence and UNLUCKYnot to score after the doubters were alittle less Ricardo Fuller,were restricted to some wonderful interplay vocal and alot less visible. second-half cameos because of a with Johan Elmander. Tidy 6 lack of match fitness. and creative when given Stoke lived up to their billing as more scope to go forward. ‘the most physicalside in the Their arrival did spark the Potters Premier League’ –but they were into life, but by then the damage FABRICE MUAMBA welcomed at the Reebok by the had been done. past masters. Once Wanderers had adapted to RAN the engine room well. If Muamba can add goals to Bolton had been walking that walk the aerial onslaught, they went his athletic prowess, he 8 for some considerable length of about winning the battle in could prove a top buy. time. midfield. Fabrice Muamba and Joey O’Brien steadily exerted Any lingering negativity from last their authority and, after firing a MATTY TAYLOR season’s struggles was wiped out in 11 first-half minutes as few warning shots across the TUCKED in from his the wing Wanderers raced into athree-goal boughs, Gretar Steinsson at times to take up some lead. It was almost as if the unleashed acannon of battleship dangerous positions. Might 6 proportions. well have scored a goal on opening day defeat against another afternoon. Newcastle United last August had The Icelander later admitted only been played in reverse. “an idiot” could think he could JOHAN ELMANDER Megson is no stranger to the score from the touchline, but as pessimists –however,one in his effort sailed past abemused PLEASING debut for the particular riled him enough to Thomas Sorensen and nestled into Swede. A goal on his debut the top right hand corner of the and a display that suggests 7 produce one of his famous there is plenty more to come “doughnut” put-downs in alight- net, he was only too happy to take from the new dad. hearted post match press the applause. conference. Visibly deflated, Stoke never KEVIN DAVIES He wasn’t crude enough to name recovered their shape. Welcomed Ryan Shawcross names but this reporter The second was vintage Bolton. and Leon Cort to the Premier understands former Chelsea GaryCahill’s looping free-kick League with a typically 7 striker-turned radio pundit Tony from just inside his own half found robust display. Cascarino might well have claimed aclever runbyKevin Davies, who an unexpected assist with his must have been surprised by the SUBSTITUTES acerbic comments before the space he was afforded as he game. Wanderers’ club record nodded the ball neatly into the Subs: McCann (for Elmander 74). signing Johan Elmander looked bottom corner. Not used: Al-Habsi; Cohen; Shittu; McCann; Gardner; anythingbut “an £11million flop.” Johan Elmander got in on the act Riga; Hunt. It was Stoke’s big day too and their before half-time to put the game fans turned out in force, many still beyond doubt. Joey O’Brien found Stoke City pinching themselves in the queues his runwith radar-like precision, outside the ground scarcely leaving him to roll out the well- believing their Premier League worngoal celebration used by all (4-4-2) dream had become areality. new dads when they grab agoal. Arousing rendition of their club Brazil striker Bebeto has alot to THOMAS SORENSEN . .6 anthem Delilah followed the kick- answer for after unleashing that ANDY GRIFFIN . .7 off and, judging by the Potters’ one on the public at the World Cup SEYI OLOFINJANA . .5 direct approach, it is asafe bet in 1994. LEON CORT . .6 those supporters will see little of Fans were treated to aspot of GLENN WHELAN . .5 the ball on the Green Green Grass opera at the break, but the second of Home at the Britannia this half failed to scale the same RICHARD CRESSWELL . .6 season. heightsasthe first. MAMADY SIDIBE . .5 Stoke certainly possess apotent Kevin Nolan could have added a DAVE KITSON . .7 weapon in RoryDelap’s long fourth when he played amajestic RYAN SHAWCROSS . .6 STRONG: Wanderers defender Andy O’Brien holds off the challenge off Mamady Sidibe throw,used ad infinitum during one-two with Elmander to slice RORY DELAP . .6 ANDY WILKINSON . .6 Second half 48 mins – Great counter 67 mins – Fuller heads 71 mins – Olofinjana 74 mins – Nolan should Subs: Lawrence (for Whelan 56) 6; Fuller (for attack as Elmander cuts Cresswell’s cross straight heads Lawrence’s whipped have scored after playing a Sidibe 64) 6; Dickinson (for Wilkinson 77). Not action shots inside and curls a shot wide. at Jaaskelainen. free-kick a yard over. one-two with Elmander. used: Simonsen; Pericard; Diao; Amdy Faye. p Wanderer theboltonnews.co.uk/wanderers Monday, August 18, 2008 21 34 mins – Steinsson hits a 41 mins – Gary Cahill’s deep 45 mins – Joey O’Brien rocket on the half-volley to free kick is flicked past puts a header on a plate for Goal! find the top cornerGo. al! Goal! Sorensen by Davies. Goal! Elmander to score. P AND RUNNING s are give sson RS . .3 Y . .1 NOLAN V OLOFINJANA A SOLID, if unspectacular, contribution from the Wanderers skipper. Linked up well with Elamander, of the game. But especially when nearly grabbing an ed side did not Plan B, especially excellent fourth goal, but the ain attacking industrious Olofinjana held his own wrence and in the centre of the park. ere restricted to os because of a ess. spark the Potters en the damage had adapted to ght, they went ebattle in Muamba and adily exerted d, after firing a CAHILL V sacross the teinsson KITSON on of battleship WANDERERS’ young defender just er admitted only gets better with every game. hink he could Coped admirably with the aerial uchline, but as bombardment Stoke threw at the ast abemused home side, especially early on. nand nestled into The fact that Kitson’s most dcorner of the meaningful contribution was oo happy to take clearing the ball off his own line says it all. Stoke never hape. vintage Bolton. ping free-kick is own half found evin Davies, who urprised by the rded as he eatly into the got in on the act oput the game ey O’Brien found ELMANDER V r-like precision, SHAWCROSS lout the well- ation used by all SUPERB debut from Bolton’s new hey grab agoal. striker, full of intelligent running, beto has alot to hard work and, most importantly, a unleashing that goal. at the World Cup The Sweden international gave MY BALL: Wanderers new boy Fabrice Muamba battles with Stoke City’s Richard Cresswell for possession Shawcross, the highly-rated former dtoaspot of Manchester United defender, a k, but the second open the Stoke defence but as the when, for once, Wanderers’ in the Premier League for the betting that Stoke will be relegated torrid afternoon. but, after this showing, few ethe same skipper sent an improvised back- defenders dropped off from Carl visitorsbut one Megson was only If Elmander can perform like this st. heel towards the net, Ryan Dickinson’s deep cross but it too happy to dish out to his good present at the Reebok would share Shawcross was able to nip back arrived too late to get his side friend Pulis. his optimism. every week, he will prove a good dhave added a buy. ayed amajestic and clear it off the line. back into the game. The Whites boss still insists that ForWanderers, it was as if last ander to slice Fuller added alate consolation It was aharsh introduction to life he would not waste apenny season never happened. mins – Nolan should 79 mins – Ta ylor hits a 88 mins – Cresswell’s 90 mins – Lawrence 90 mins – Griffin’s cross scored after playing a shot on the turn which deep cross clips off the top booked for a foul on from the left is headed past two with Elmander.