Late double sinks Bolton

Sorensen saves Frandsen's poor penalty

Bolton 0-2 Sunderland

Kevin Phillips and Jody Craddock scored two late goals as Sunderland registered their first away win of the season.

Peter Reid's Sunderland were outplayed for long periods of the match but Phillips and Craddock, with a header and tap-in respectively, punished Bolton's failure to convert earlier chances.

Bolton should have taken the lead after 64 minutes, but Thomas Sorensen saved Per Frandsen's limp penalty.

There is no doubt about it, the better team lost and Bolton can feel themselves hard done because it was a bad performance

Sunderland manager Peter Reid

A win would have taken Sam Allardyce's team back to the top of the Premiership but they slip to fourth while Sunderland move up to fifth, level on points with Bolton.

Bolton started the better and crafted the first chance of the game when Dean Holdsworth played Ricardo Gardner in.

But, having neatly spun his marker, the Jamaican smashed his shot into the side netting.

Holdsworth's early industry was almost rewarded with a goal just after the half-hour mark but his long-range left-footed shot flew just wide of Sorensen's goal.

Gardner tries to evade the Sunderland defence

Sunderland started sluggishly and were repeatedly caught off-side.

But with half-time beckoning, Sunderland created two excellent scoring opportunities.

First Jussi Jaaskelainen saved a Niall Quinn header from six yards and then a cross from Julio Arca was headed goalwards by Stanislav Varga only for the impressive Holdsworth to clear off the line.

Earlier, Quinn had put Phillips through but the England striker, far from his alert best, smashed his shot into the side netting.

Substitute

Allardyce introduced Frandsen at half-time but it was the Dane who wasted Bolton's best chance.

Referee David Elleray decided that Gardner was held back by Michael Gray and awarded a penalty. But Frandsen struck it poorly and Sorensen saved with ease.

The Sunderland players were extremely unhappy with the decision, feeling that the Bolton player had handled the ball.

I thought we played quite well and created some good chances, but we've slipped up at two set-pieces, allowing Sunderland to score two excellent goals

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce

Frandsen shot narrowly wide from 20 yards minutes after his penalty miss but the pendulum had already began to swing inexorably in Sunderland's favour.

A corner from the right after 77 minutes was flicked-on at the near post and smashed home by an unmarked Phillips from four yards. It was Phillips' 100th league goal.

With nine minutes of normal time left, Sunderland made sure of the points when Craddock headed Arca's cross past Jaaskelainen to notch his first league goal.

Gardner had an excellent shot saved by Sorensen shortly before full-time, but by this stage Bolton supporters had already starting leaving.

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Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Barness, Charlton, Whitlow, Bergsson, Warhurst, Gardner, Holden, Nolan, Johnson, Wallace.
Subs: Banks, N'Gotty, Hansen, Frandsen, Ricketts.

Sunderland: Sorensen, Williams, Gray, Craddock, Varga, Arca, Kilbane, McCann, Schwarz, Phillips, Quinn.
Subs: Macho, McCartney, Laslandes, Bellion, Thirlwell.

Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)