This is taken from wanderersways.com

The atmosphere inside the Reebok was deafening as both lined up for the kick-off. The Toon army in fine voice with 3 thousand of them behind Shay Given.

With 1 minute gone on the clock Dabizas fouled Holdsworth on the Wanderers right 40 yards out. Gardner sent in the free-kick that Given in the Newcastle goal plucked out of the air with ease.

A battle started with in the first 4 minutes as Dabizas fouled Holdsworth twice, with the Wanderers striker clashing with the Greek defender also.

First corner of the game went to Newcastle on 7 minutes with Bergsson taking the ball of Bellamy as the winger tried to get a cross in. Another corner straight away was held by Jaaskelainen under pressure.

Great work by Charlton on 9 minutes, he collected a great ball, but down to the line and whipped in a dangerous cross that was cleared for a corner.

On 11 minutes a terrible free-kick by Solano gave Gardner the chance to run with the ball. He went deep into the opponents half, looked up and saw Hansen on the Wanderers left wing making good ground. The Dane nearly missed the ball but some how headed it into the path of Southall, unlucky for the ex-Gill as Charlton also went for the ball. The attack fizzled out as both players clashed with each other.

Referee Riley took some stick of the Reebok faithful as Johnson went down under a challenge by Robert. The referee didn't blow for the incident or even stop play as the Jamaican stayed down.

17 minutes, Warhurst went down under a challenge by Speed on the edge of the Newcastle box, the referee again waved play on. Newcastle broke quickly with Bellamy bearing down on goal out pacing Whitlow, he entered the box and shot low with Jaaskelainen diving and collecting the ball with his legs.

Holdsworth was free on 20 minutes, he ran into the box with only Given to beat. He waited too long and was tackled from behind by a covering defender. A minute later the Wanderers should have scored. Holdsworth in the thick of the action again, he played a beautiful ball to the unmarked Hansen who glided in down the left of the box. The Dane curled the ball past Given's left hand and also the post in what should have been a great goal.

Speed got the first booking of the day after a late foul on Barness after 24 minutes.

Another fantastic save by Jaaskelainen on 25 minutes as Bellamy like lightening breaks after much Wanderers pressure. The Welsh strike showed Southall a clean pair of heels with the Wanderers defence no were in sight, Jaaskelainen stood up to him well and pulled of a great save.

28 minutes Shearer goes down under a challenge, referee Riley gave a free-kick that Robert blasted some how missed in front of an open goal.

On the half hour mark, Gardner robs Elliott of the ball as he was about to pull the trigger Speed took the ball of the toes of the Jamaican 6 yards out.

Solano (41 mins) scores with a knock down by Shearer at the back post from an Elliott cross on the left wing, 0-1. The Reebok were furious at the linesman for not raising his flag as Solano looked offside in the 6 yard box.

Just before half-time Holdsworth was one on one and blasted at the defender. Holdsworth not on true form would have scored a couple of goals with the chance made.

The Wanderers had much of the ball at this point and apart from a couple of Bellamy breaks, were unlucky to find themselves behind at half-time.

Half time 0-1

Wanderers straight on the attack with Charlton crossing into the middle, the ball fell to Southall on the edge of the Newcastle box, he waited for the ball to bounce and hit a cracker that Given saved well.

Whitlow cautioned for a foul after 47 minutes.

Gardner should have scored on 50 minutes after Holdsworth knocked the ball down to him from a Warhurst cross. The ball sat up well for the Jamaican, he had time to control the ball but decided to hit it on the up with Given flapping in the goal.

Bellamy received a stupid caution on 53 minutes for carrying on when he was adjudged off-side.

Newcastle should have scored on 54 minutes. Bellamy, have a good day at the Reebok, crossed from the right wing into Shearer and Speed but both the strikers couldn't get hold of the ball with Warhurst clearing the danger.

Gardner missed a clear chance after 56 minutes as Hansen sent over a cross to the unmarked player at the back post. Gardner dived in and watched the ball clear the bar with Given well beaten in the Newcastle goal.

The game was played at electric pace after the beak with neither players of fans unable to catch their breath.

Disaster on 59 minutes as Jaaskelainen handles the ball outside the box, referee Riley had no option but to send the Fin off. Big Sam gambled on playing just the one keeper and lost his bet.

Hansen replaced Jaaskelainen in the nets. His first touch was to pick the ball out of the net after Robert (60 mins) had placed his free-kick into the far right hand corner of the net, 0-2.

Newcastle now had their tails well and truly in the air began to through everything they had at the Wanderers.

Big Sam decided to make a double substitution after 65 minutes taking off Barness and Southall with N'Gotty and Ricketts coming in on respectively. On 67 minutes Charlton made way for Diawara.

Wanderers and Hansen in goal had a lucky break when O'Brien headed on top of the home bar.

The home supporters who had been quiet decided to get behind the team as the defended with only 10 men, lifting the roof off the Reebok with their vocal support.

70 minutes Robert fires in a hard cross that Shearer met with force at the near post on the edge of the 6 yard box, 0-3.

Until the sending off of Jaaskelainen Newcastle not really been in the game as a force, but turned the screw against a 10 man Bolton. Shearer had done nothing all afternoon until his goal and with the away supporting thinking he's god, the name Shearer rang around the stadium.

82 minutes, Diawara did well on the edge of the Newcastle box. He found Holdsworth making a good diagonal run, the ball fell to his feet and he hit a right footer past the defence that Given collected easy on the edge of his 6 yard box.

A minute later Newcastle increased their lead as Shearer crossed the home goal were Bellamy (83 mins) tapped in, 0-4.

Distin (85 mins ) who was once a target of the Wanderers replaced Dabizas. Bellamy went off a minute later being replaced by Ameobi.

87 minutes Johnson had a blistering 25 yard effort saved well by Given.

Shearer nearly scored on 89 minutes apart from a good save by stand in keeper Hansen. The striker ran onto a Ameobi flick that Whitlow missed, he steadied himself and blasted like on Shearer does at the goal with the Dane diving well down to his right.

Final score 0-4

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2001

Answers

Anchovie Pie

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2001

From FTT Bolton:

Some nice words about our defence and for Bellamy.

Newcastle Review: Home form continues to follow same trend

A pattern is starting to form when playing at home. It starts off with us playing really well and having the measure of the opponents, chances come and go and just as we’re looking good for a win the opposition go and score then we seem to lose our way. The last two home ties have also seen the introduction of a feature called "Sam's strange decisions" which seem to have an adverse effect on the game....

Send This Article To A Friend Discuss The Article In The FTT Bolton Forum

Bolton 0 Newcastle 4 (Solano 41, Robert 61, Shearer 72, Bellamy 84) Fat Geordies who take their top off and dance about 8

Fear not Trotters, the scoreline isn’t half as bad as it sounds and the performance we put in didn’t merit the final score, fact is though, it still happened. But why? Because for the third game in a row we couldn’t put away the chances we created in a first half we probably edged. Our cause wasn’t helped though by a ref who didn’t make a correct decision all day (well, he did make one) and by Big Sam’s foolish selection of not putting a keeper on the bench, oh and Newcastle’s solid defensive display.

You saw it coming a mile off didn’t you; on Friday he announced that with Bank’s injured he would not put a spare goalkeeper on the bench so a red card or injury was inevitable. But the manner in which it came was very strange, it’s as though we all thought it might happen so Jussi felt duty bound to make it so – why he needed to come running out and do what he did still puzzles me now. By this time we were already 1-0 down but with Bo between the sticks the confidence in the defence dropped and from then on there’d only be one outcome.

It had all started so differently though. The starting line up threw in a couple of surprises, Bo was back, Southall made his first start and yet again Deano was on his own up front – why? I’m losing count of the number of times I’ve said this already this season but Deano is not the man for 4-5-1, he is not lone striker material, if we’re going to play him, play 4-4-2 or start Ricketts!! The defence remained the same, Johnson and Ricketts continued to impress, though Johnson needs to work in his final touch, and Warhurst kept his place.

To start with we played good football, the passing was good and we looked dangerous on the attack, but Newcastle’s impressive defence always seemed to have the last word with a number of tackles that came just as one of our lads was about to get a shot in. At the other end it was the impressive Bellamy who was causing us headaches, his pace was a problem and twice Jussi had to pull of good saves to deny him. From our point of view, if we could put a chance away it would lead on to more as the confidence in front of goal would flourish, as it was though, Newcastle took the lead.

A cross from Robert came in and Shearer rose at the back post and looked to be heading the ball goalwards, instead though he’s nodded it down to Solano who poked the ball home. That’s alright though, we could all see he was offside and when the linesman waves his flag them Geordies will stop cheering. Hang on though, the linesman isn’t raising his flag. Warhurst has gone over to ask why and his curiosity has earned him a yellow card. Somehow the referee’s monkey, sorry, assistant has failed to spot that Solano was at least two yards ahead of his marker and this goal will stand. Who says ref’s are inconsistent? This one wasn’t, he made bad decisions all day and this one was no different.

With us chasing the game you’d have thought half time would’ve been a good opportunity to get Ricketts involved to give us some physical presence up front in an attempt to try and unhinge Newcastle’s resolute defence. Instead though, the side remained unchanged but right from the off made it clear their intention was to come at them with Nicky Southall’s rasping drive coming before many fans had made it back from the bar. Gardner then came close twice and it wouldn’t be long now till that equaliser came.

Then came the pivotal moment of the game, a ball upfield saw Shearer chasing the ball toward the box, there was a defender with him so it didn’t look too dangerous but just to be on the safe side Jussi decided to come and collect it. Now I’m not sure if he ran out too fast or if he misjudged the bounce but he came out of the box and prodded the ball, he didn’t even catch it! Maybe he realised what he’d done and tried to stop himself from catching, but it wasn’t enough and the ref uncharacteristically made the right decision in showing red.

So who would it be to go in nets? Who would be the next John McGinlay? Well Bo wouldn’t have been my first choice but the way in which he raced over to get Jussi’s gloves suggested that, with the keeper situation, this outcome had been taken into account in the pre- match team talk, I’d have preferred one of the academy keepers to have been put on the bench, but what do I know. Perhaps Bo felt if he didn’t take the duty he would fall victim to the inevitable substitutions and wanted to get 90 minutes in, and maybe be the hero, but with a free kick on the edge of the box and Robert standing over it we all knew his first touch would be picking the ball out of the net.

After that it was a question of how many – you expected Newcastle to shoot on sight. Two changes soon came; N’Gotty came on for Barness and Ricketts for Southall. This seemed strange; I thought Big Sam would’ve gone ultra defensive for a spot of damage limitation but this, if anything was a change that favoured attack. When Diawara came on for Charlton it seemed that we were going to go on fighting in an attempt to get a point!! However, the defence’s confidence was low with Bo in the sticks and they seemed to just let Newcastle go about their business when they attacked. Shearer could’ve been marked better when he powered a header home and the ball shouldn’t have got to Bellamy’s feet when he slotted home the fourth, though that would’ve denied him a well deserved goal – I thought he was a crap player at Coventry, but this is clearly not the case and we were particulary impressed by him.

Bo did manage to pull off a couple of good saves and all credit to him for taking the responsibility on – but he should never have had to. Big Sam refused to take the blame for the defeat and in his defence you could argue whether or not a keeper would’ve made any difference to the result (although it may have kept the scoreline down). However, I think he should take some blame, it was naïve not get a keeper on the bench.

The forfeit system in place now means the players will have to undergo the sheep testicle routine. Quite ironic really, Big Sam drops a b*ll*ck and the players are the ones who have to eat them.

Dave Ashworth, Bolton FTT editor

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

"Quite ironic really, Big Sam drops a b*ll*ck and the players are the ones who have to eat them."

Shouldn't that be eat "it"?

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2001