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Goals from Gary Speed, Nicolas Anelka and substitute Daniel Braaten gave Bolton a comfortable 3-0 victory over Reading at the Reebok Stadium. The Trotters went into the game still looking for their first points of the season and responded well. Bolton opened up Reading as early as the sixth minute, a counter attack saw El-Hadji Diouf release Gavin McCann and but for a poor first touch, he could have opened his account for the club. They were to wait until the 24th minute for their next opportunity. Nicolas Anelka cut inside from the left and fired towards the top corner forcing Marcus Hahnemann into a good save and with Diouf reading to tap-in the rebound, Bikey cleared his shot to safety. However, the hosts took the lead just after the half-hour, Diouf's corner picked out Gary Speed to head home his first goal of the season. That was pretty much all that was offered in the first half and Bolton came out the stronger of the sides after the break with McCann forcing Hahnemann into another save from close range. The travelling Reading fans thought they'd equalised on 53 minutes when Ulises De La Cruz found an opening from inside the area but his shot hit the side netting. Bolton had given away leads in their previous two outings, but they didn't look like it would happen for a third game running, and when Anelka tried a shot from 25-yards, the Trotters were beginning to get into their stride. On 55 minutes, Anelka's hard work paid off when he doubled the host's advantage. The Frenchman was played through on goal and after beating off a challenge from De La Cruz, rounded Hahnemann and tapped into the empty goal. They could have added to their lead just after the hour. Diouf twisted and turned De La Cruz inside-out before providing a cross which Scott Golbourne did well to head over his own bar. Anelka thought he'd made it three just moments later, but his goal was disallowed for offside after a chipped cross from captain Kevin Nolan. Daniel Braaten came on for Mikel Alonso for the final 15 minutes and the Norwegian international completed the scoring in stoppage time by volleying home a good cross from Anelka for his first goal in English football since his move from Rosenborg. Bolton are now out of the bottom three, ahead of Fulham on goal's scored and travel to Radcliffe Borough for a re-arranged friendly at dinner-time this Bank Holiday Monday. |
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