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Last Updated: Tuesday, 4 January, 2005, 21:58 GMT
Birmingham City 1-2 Bolton
Bolton's Kevin Nolan
Kevin Nolan scored a last-minute winner as Bolton won for the first time in the Premiership since October.

Jay-Jay Okocha's long-range shot was parried by Maik Taylor, and Nolan was on hand to slot home the rebound.

El-Hadji Diouf had given Bolton a first-half lead, blasting home from four yards out after Taylor had kept out an Okocha volley.

Defender Matthew Upson had scrambled Birmingham level, but late pressure from Bolton eventually paid off.

The home side started well, forcing returning Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to slice the ball out for a throw-in with just seconds gone.

From the restart, Darren Anderton delivered a deep cross from the right, but Jaaskelainen gathered comfortably despite Emile Heskey's challenge.

Steve Bruce's team dominated the early exchanges, fashioning an excellent opportunity when Stan Lazaridis slid the ball through to Damien Johnson, but the midfielder could only drag his shot past the far post.

Wanderers hit back and almost took the lead when Stelios Giannakopoulos headed across the Birmingham goal to Diouf, who failed to control the ball inside the six-yard box.

Bolton began to grow in confidence, and when Okocha's through-ball put Nolan clean in on goal there appeared only one outcome, but Taylor dived low to his left to produce a brilliant save.

The Blues' defence was breached just moments later. Nolan's centre picked out Okocha, and although the Nigerian's volley was beaten away by Taylor, Diouf pounced to smash the rebound into the net.

Birmingham came close to equalising when Heskey raced through to test Jaaskelainen with a cleanly-struck effort, but the Bolton keeper stood up well to make the block.

After the break, Bolton were pinned back as Birmingham went in search of the equaliser. Mario Melchiot headed just over the bar from a corner, before Stephen Clemence stung the gloves of Jaaskelainen with a 25-yard shot.

Birmingham got their reward when Clinton Morrison acrobatically turned Anderton's corner onto the crossbar, and Upson reacted sharply to bundle home the loose ball.

Morrison had been lucky to escape a red card earlier in the match after pushing Bolton's Nicky Hunt to the ground in the build-up to a Birmingham free-kick.

Bolton finished much the stronger, but despite bombarding the opposition penalty area with crosses, some desperate Birmingham defending kept the scores level.

However, in the third minute of stoppage time, Okocha drilled in a stunning shot from 30-yards which Taylor pushed away into the path of Nolan, who turned the ball into an empty net.


Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Cunningham, Upson,Tebily (Gray 64), Johnson, Anderton, Clemence (Clapham 73),Lazaridis, Heskey, Morrison (Yorke 77). Subs Not Used: Martin Taylor, Vaesen.

Booked: Heskey, Upson.

Goals: Upson 66.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Jaidi, Gardner, Nolan,Speed (Hierro 76), Campo, Okocha, Giannakopoulos (Pedersen 57),Diouf. Subs Not Used: Poole, Ben Haim, Vaz Te.

Booked: Diouf, N'Gotty.

Goals: Diouf 17, Nolan 90.

Att: 27,177

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).




WATCH AND LISTEN
Interview: Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce


Interview: Bolton's Kevin Nolan




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