Bolton Brushed Aside

Kevin Doyle climbed to the top of the goal scoring charts as he netted the only goal of the game against the visiting Bolton Wanderers today.

The Royals recorded a fourth consecutive win and subsequently leapfrogged Bolton to occupy sixth place in the table, outside a Champion`s League birth by means of goal difference alone.

More than a decade after the two clubs met at Wembley Stadium in the 1995 First Division Play-off final, it was the Berkshire side who this time had the last laugh, making up for lost time with a commanding and energetic display.

Reading set a high standard from the off, calling the visiting defence into action with a number of early set pieces. After Kevin Doyle had stabbed narrowly wide from a corner, James Harper came agonisingly close to testing the scoreline with a fizzing drive that narrowly evaded Jussi Jaaskelainen`s right upright.

Jaaskelainen`s opposite number was then tested by Bolton`s authoritative captain, but Kevin Nolan`s low shot was comfortably smothered by Marcus Hahnemann. El-Hadji Diouf then headed directly at the American stopper from Nicky Hunt`s right-wing centre.

The home team were perhaps unlucky not to have opened the scoring in the 27th minute after some good work by Doyle earned his side a corner. From the resulting kick Bolton goalkeeper Jasaskelainen spilled an attempt at plucking the ball out of the air. The loose ball fell to the feet of Royal`s ace Steve Sidwell but the tireless midfielder snatched at his effort and hit the crossbar, sending the ball out for a goal kick

Starting to build some serious momentum Reading again found themselves on the attack, this time Kevin Doyle raced down the right-hand channel and beyond his marker before firing a low cross towards goal. Seol Ki-Hyeon was on hand to apply the finish but his rather casual effort hit the legs of a tracking Bolton defender and was deflected behind for yet another corner.

John Oster, deputising for the injured Glenn Little, took the resulting kick and swung a dangerous ball into the Wanderer`s box. The ball fell to defender Ivar Ingimarsson, but from only ten yards out the Icelander failed to connect convincingly and his shot bounced harmlessly wide.

Seol and Doyle again combined, this time to release Stephen Hunt but the Irishman was unfortunate not to get on the end of a neatly delivered cross. For all of Reading`s dominance the home team had nothing to show, apart from a few thoughts of what could have been.

But the Madejski Stadium crowd finally had something to cheer about when their team`s perseverance paid off in the thirty-second minute. Nicky Shorey, who has been his side`s catalyst on so many important occasions this season, took his first opportunity to venture forward and into the Bolton half. In almost invisible fashion, the left-back ghosted his way past Wanderer`s wing-man Kevin Davies and across the half way line. He then cut inside another challenge before playing an intelligent cross-field ball to John Oster who greatfully found himself in plenty of space on the right.

Oster received the ball and directed his run into the visitor`s penalty area. Stelios Giannakopoulos came in with a challenge but was quickly beaten as the former Everton and Sunderland man cut inside and then out, before hanging up a delightful cross to the back post where the Reading attackers were queuing up for an attempt on goal.

Like all good forwards it was Kevin Doyle who reacted quickest as he met the cross with a firm header at the far post, sending the ball back across goal. Jasaskelainen could only flap at the shot as Doyle`s well directed header ended up in the corner of the net, triggering joyous celebration amongst Reading`s players and fans alike.

The move sealed Doyle`s eighth goal of the season and the Irishman`s fifth in as many games for both club and country, and was exactly what the Royal`s play deserved.

Hungry for more, Reading surged forward in search of a second goal, but it was Bolton who had the two more notable efforts before the teams went in for the half time break.

Steve Sidwell was needed in his own box to block a well-hit shot from Senegalese midfielder El-Hadji Diouf before Kevin Nolan saw his effort run well wide.

The Wanderers re-appeared early after the interval, signaling that their manager Sam Allardyce must obviously not be pleased with his side`s part in the first half.

And the big man would not be any happier with their start to the second half.

From the left Stephen Hunt stood the ball up to the back post where John Oster was lurking. The Welshman was only seven yards out, but miscued badly and a good chance bounced harmlessly over.

Then the former Arsenal and Real Madrid man now with Bolton, Nicolas Anelka broke free but towering Royal Ibrahima Sonko showed excellent recovery pace and the colossal defender forced the striker wide, the move petering out into nothing.

After conceding a corner, Reading failed to clear the cross and the loose ball fell to Kevin Nolan just inside the area. The midfielder hit a weak shot that fortunately skewed wide, despite traveling through a very crowded penalty box.

The Bolton captain`s frustration was evidently growing, and in the fifty-fourth minute he received a yellow card as a result of a badly timed challenge through the back of Steve Sidwell.

Sam Allardyce had seemingly witnessed enough and resorted to making a double switch just after the hour mark. The ‘gamesmanship` of El-Hadji Diouf was replaced with the raw talent of the Portuguese Ricardo Vaz Te, and the seasoned professional Gary Speed made way for Ivan Campo. The latter being the only change from the side that lost 1-0 to Chelsea in midweek.

There was a flurry of half-chances at both ends, with neither goalkeeper really being tested. Nolan saw his header sail straight at Hahnemann before some neat organisation from the Royals caught as many as five Bolton players napping in an offside position from a set-piece.

After another rough challenge from the Wanderers, this time on Seol Ki-Hyeon, the Korean was replaced by the charismatic figure of Leroy Lita. Have only been on the field for a matter or minutes, Leroy came as close as anyone before him to adding to the scoreline.

As the visitors committed men forward, Reading looked dangerous on the break and the ball found its way to Lita who was available on the left. The striker, clad in bright yellow boots, cut inside of his man before turning and firing a venomous low-drive at the Bolton goal. Jasaskelainen reacted sharply to get down and push the ball away from what seemed a certain goal.

Vaz Te stabbed another half-chance wide before the impressive but tiring John Oster was replaced for the final few minutes by Icelander Brynjar Gunnarsson.

In the dying moments Bolton`s day went from bad to worse as they won a late corner. Goalkeeper Jasaskelainen charged down field and into the opposite penalty box in an attempt to try and grab his side a somewhat undeserved equaliser.

As the ball was sent into the area, Hahnemann rose highest and plucked it from the air. With every player in maroon attacking, the American saw an opportunity to bowl the ball out to Lita who was all alone up front.

As he was just about to release, the ball was stolen from Hahnemann`s grip by means of a glove from his opposite number, which sent the Royal`s stopper to the ground. Being so late in the match the referee opted to produce only a yellow card, but questions were certainly being asked about how such unsporting conduct was able to remain on the field.

he decision had no significance however, as the whistle was blown shortly after and Reading were left to celebrate yet another three points in a run that stretches to four straight wins.