Bolton Wanderers 5-0 Stoke City
Posted: Sunday 6th November 2011
Tags: Match Reports, Premier League, Stoke City, Chris Eagles, Ivan Klasnic, Kevin Davies
Bolton ended a run of seven consecutive home league defeats with a 5-0 victory over Stoke City, their biggest ever win at the Reebok Stadium.
Kevin Davies opened the scoring for Wanderers with just two minutes on the clock. After Asmir Begovic had conceded a free-kick from a back-pass, Ivan Klasnic reacted smartly and laid the ball off for Davies to tap into the empty net.
Chris Eagles doubled Bolton's lead midway through the half with Begovic again at fault. A poor clearance from the Stoke goalkeeper fell at the feet of Eagles and the former Burnley midfielder reacted superbly, drilling the ball home from the left wing.
After assisting the opening goal, Klasnic got himself on the scoresheet just after the hour as Owen Coyle's side added to their lead.
Eagles picked out the run of Paul Robinson and after seeing his run to goal blocked off, he squared the ball to Klasnic who found the bottom corner via the fingertips of Begovic and the inside of the post.
Klasnic was involved again on 73 minutes as he latched on to a ball from Kevin Davies and he poked the ball through to Eagles to dinked the ball over the unrushing goalkeeper to score a fourth.
The Croatia international then completed the scoring with nine minutes to go, capitalising on a flick from David Wheater to complete a reversal of last season's 5-0 defeat at Wembley.
Wanderers had lost 13 of their 16 league outings since that humiliating affair at the end of last season and they set about gaining their revenge as early as the second minute.
Glenn Whelan played a harmless ball back to Matthew Upson, who left it for Begovic to claim. However, instead of using his feet, the Potters 'keeper picked the ball up with his hands, prompting referee Howard Webb to whistle for a back-pass.
Whilst arguing the decision, Begovic handed the ball to Klasnic and the Croatia international laid the ball off to Kevin Davies to strike into the empty net and give the hosts the lead.
Stoke hit back and almost found an equaliser just five minutes later as Peter Crouch's scuffed shot hit Gary Cahill before being clawed away by the outstretched arm of Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Wanderers went straight back down the other end and Begovic was brought into a smart low stop to deny Mark Davies, who took aim at goal from 25-yards.
They didn't have to wait long to double their advantage, though, and once again, Begovic was at fault.
The Stoke goalkeeper failed to deal with a routine back-pass from Robert Huth and his poor clearance fell straight to Eagles, who showed superb technique to bring the ball down and fire a low strike into the far corner of the net.
Kevin Davies glanced an Eagles free-kick just wide on the half hour but it was the visitors who came closest to scoring before the break, with Jaaskelainen doing well to keep out a header from Crouch in first-half stoppage time, ensuring the Trotters went in 2-0 up at the interval.
Potters boss Tony Pulis will have tried to rally his troops in the dressing room and they created the first opportunity of the second period, as Cameron Jerome headed narrowly wide from a Jonathan Walters cross.
Begovic did well to block at the feet of Fabrice Muamba at the other end before Stoke hit back with a long-throw from Rory Delap that was nodded goalwards by Huth, only to be headed off the line by Mark Davies.
Klasnic sliced a free-kick off target on 56 minutes, before he got on the scoresheet with his fourth of the season just after the hour mark.
With Robinson running inside, Eagles played the ball to the feet of the full-back and he found Klasnic on the edge of the area. Klasnic needed no second invitation and sent a first-time strike past Begovic and in off the post.
Stoke boss Pulis reacted by making a triple substitution with 68 minutes on the clock, opting to bring Danny Higginbotham, Kenwyne Jones and Dean Whitehead on in the places of Jermaine Pennant, Andy Wilkinson and Whelan.
The changes failed to make any impact on the game, however, and Wanderers added a fourth five minutes later.
Kevin Davies outjumped Jonathan Woodgate to nod a bouncing ball to Klasnic. He played a superb ball into the path of Eagles and he dinked the ball over the uncoming Begovic to score his second of the game.
Bolton fans reacted with chants of 'We Want Five!' and the players responded to the calls, with Eagles coming inches away from sealing a hat-trick as he saw a free-kick deflected wide.
The fifth goal did arrive on 81 minutes, though, as Wheater headed an Eagles corner goalwards and it was turned in by Klasnic.
Wanderers were denied a sixth as Begovic dove at the feet of Muamba five minutes from time and substitute Tuncay came within inches of netting against his former club moments later after some brilliant play by the excellent Joe Riley, who later left the field to a standing ovation.
Crouch sent a speculative half-volley over the bar at the other end but it was about all the visitors had to offer as Bolton ran out deserved 5-0 winners and exorcised the ghosts of their Wembley nightmare.
Despite the scoreline, the three points is not enough to lift Bolton out of the Premier League relegation zone as they remain in 18th. Next up for Coyle's side is a trip to West Bromwich Albion in a fortnight.
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Riley (Knight 90), Cahill, Wheater, Robinson, M Davies, Muamba, Reo-Coker (Pratley 88), Eagles, Klasnic (Tuncay 85), K Davies
Subs Not Used: Bogdan, Petrov, Ngog, Kakuta
Goals: K Davies 2, Eagles 23,73, Klasnic 61,81
Stoke City: Begovic, Wilkinson (Higginbotham 68), Woodgate, Upson, Huth, Pennant (Jones 68), Delap, Whelan (Whitehead 69), Walters, Crouch, Jerome
Subs Not Used: Sorensen, Diao, Shotton, Palacios
Booked: Walters
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 20,028
