Bolton frustrate Newcastle

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Newcastle 0-0 Bolton

Newcastle failed to win for the fifth time in the Premiership this season as Bolton held them to a goalless draw at St James' Park.

Gary Speed hit the bar in the first half and Titus Bramble suffered a similar fate after the break.

But Newcastle did not deserve to take all three points as Bolton more than matched them.

The visitors could even have snatched the victory but Kevin Davies squandered two good first-half chances.

A point leaves the Magpies marrooned in 18th, the same position they were in before the match.

But it could have been different if Speed had managed to find the net from Laurent Robert's cross after just three minutes.

KEY MOMENTS 3 mins: Speed hits the crossbar 58 mins: Bramble heads against the bar

Instead, the ball came back off the bar, and though Robert continued to look dangerous, Bolton also began to create chances, mainly through the classy Jay-Jay Okocha.

The Nigerian hit a dipping free-kick after a quarter of an hour that Shay Given had to be alert to tip around the post.

Then 15 minutes later, his stunning pass set up Davies, but instead of heading at goal the striker tried to chest the ball down, and Jonathan Woodgate had time to make a crucial intervention.

The home crowd were becoming frustrated and the players themselves looked increasingly edgy as they failed to create any clear-cut chances.

Sir Bobby has done an excellent job for Newcastle but he has taken them as far as they can go From Jaws Have your say on 606

Indeed Bolton should have gone into the break ahead but Davies headed another good chance straight at Given.

Robson clearly had some harsh words for his side and they came out after the break piling plenty of pressure on the visitors.

Alan Shearer had his first chance straight after the restart after more good work from Robert, but the former England skipper blasted over the bar.

Newcastle hit the woodwork again after 58 minutes when Bramble's header came back the bar before Youri Djorkaeff went close with a couple of shots.

With 15 minutes left, Robson took off Solano and Speed and replaced them with Jermaine Jenas and Shola Ameobi, but it was to no avail as they failed to find a breakthrough.

Bolton, by contrast, left the field happy to have secured their first-ever point in the Premiership at St James' Park.

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Newcastle: Given, Griffin, Bramble, Woodgate, Bernard, Solano (Ameobi 79), Dyer, Speed (Jenas 78), Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.
Subs Not Used: Hughes, Caig, Bowyer.

Booked: Dyer.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Charlton, N'Gotty, Thome, Gardner, Nolan, Giannakopoulos (Pedersen 68), Okocha, Campo, Djorkaeff (Frandsen 87), Davies.
Subs Not Used: Poole, Jardel, Hunt.

Booked: Giannakopoulos.

Attendance: 52,014

Referee: Graham Barber (Hertfordshire)