Resurgent Newcastle United condemned Bolton Wanderers to their
first Barclays Premiership defeat in eight attempts as Alan Shearer
returned from injury to hit the goal trail once again.
Only French aristocrats Marseille had beaten Wanderers in their
previous 12 games in all competitions, but Nolberto Solanos
exquisite 34th-minute free-kick and Shearers bullet header 11
minutes later put them firmly on the back foot.
Shola Ameobi made it 3-0 with 21 minutes remaining, but Kevin
Davies pulled one back on 71 minutes and the home side had to
survive a concerted fightback in which Kevin Nolan had a late
effort chalked off for handball.
However, survive it they did to send home the Geordies among a
crowd of 52,012 smiling again after singing caretaker boss Glenn
Roeders name in delight at a fifth victory in six games.
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has been touted as one of the main
candidates for the vacant job at St James Park, but he left the
north-east knowing his current side had left it too late to make
their mark on the game.
But Roeder greeted Boltons challenge by setting out to nullify
their strengths and bring those of his players to bear, and he
could hardly have been more pleased with the way his plan worked
out during the opening 45 minutes.
With Davies operating as a lone striker and dropping back into
midfield whenever his side lost the ball, the centre of the field
was crowded.
Abdoulaye Fayes role in front of the back four allowed Stelios
Giannakopoulos the freedom to roam, and with the men around them
more than comfortable on the ball, they passed and moved
fluently.
However, when they did get to within striking distance of Shay
Givens goal, they came across a stubborn Newcastle defence intent
upon keeping a fifth clean sheet in six games.
Only once was their any cause for concern, when Robbie Elliott got
his head to Nolans 24th-minute shot and deflected it against the
post, but most of the trouble came at the other end.
Emre was unfortunate to see an improvised 17th-minute effort come
back off the upright and Ameobi completely missed his kick after
Celestine Babayaro and Charles NZogbia had combined to carve open
the visitors defence 12 minutes before the break.
But salvation arrived seconds later when Solano, the man whose
double last weekend saw off Everton, curled a superb free-kick past
Jussi Jaaskelainen to give his side the lead.
The second goal, which arrived on half-time, said everything about
the quality of the players Roeder has at his disposal.
Scott Parkers quick feet bought him time and space in a tight spot
on halfway and allowed Emre to find Babayaro on the left.
His pass inside Joey OBrien gave NZogbia time to pick out Shearer
at the far post, and although Jaaskelainen got a hand to his bullet
header, he could not keep it out.
Allardyce replaced defender Bruno NGotty with striker Henrik
Pedersen at the break in a bid to give Davies greater support, and
his side finally started to make an impression in the final third
of the field.
But Newcastles new-found resilience at the back was matched by a
growing potency in attack and the visitors found themselves
repeatedly under pressure at the back.
Remarkably, the diminutive Emre managed to climb above former
Magpie Gary Speed to head the ball on for NZogbia to race away
with Solano in support on 55 minutes, although the teenager took
the wrong option to allow the cover to arrive and snuff out the
attack.
Newcastle started to assume control once again as the half wore on
with Jaaskelainen at times the only man standing between them and a
third goal.
That duly arrived on 69 minutes when Ameobi controlled Emres shot
in front of goal and hammered it home, but when Davies slid home
Radhi Jaidis header two minutes later, the alarm bells started to
ring.
Given had to pull off a superb save to deny substitute Pedersen a
second two minutes later and Nolan had an 87th-minute strike ruled
out for handball as Bolton went for broke, but it proved too
little, too late.
