Bolton Wanderers (4-5-1/4-3-3)
JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 7
Beaten by a super strike
ANTHONY BARNESS ... 7
Kept Davies in check
GUDNI BERGSSON ... 7
Never troubled until the goal
MIKE WHITLOW ... 7
Walking a disciplinary tightrope
SIMON CHARLTON ... 8
Shone against his old club
BO HANSEN ... 5
Hitting the post capped an unhappy afternoon
PER FRANDSEN ... 7
Influential, impressive until his injury
PAUL WARHURST ... 8
Lots to offer but frustrated at the end
KEVIN NOLAN ... 6
Struggled to impose himself
HENRIK PEDERSEN ... 7
A serious threat first half
MICHAEL RICKETTS ... 6
Plenty of endeavour but no joy
Subs: Nicky Southall (6) for Frandsen 50, Dean Holdsworth (5) for Ricketts 67, Ricardo Gardner for Nolan 78. Not used: Akinori Nishizawa, Steve Banks.
Southampton (4-5-1)
PAUL JONES ... 7
Beaten twice but saved by the post
TAHAR EL-KHALEJ ... 6
Found Pedersen a handful
CLAUS LUNDEKVAM ... 7
Survived a late penalty appeal
DEAN RICHARDS ... 8
Looked good but £10m worth ...?
WAYNE BRIDGE ... 8
His superb surging run set up the goal
KEVIN DAVIES ... 6
Could not get the better of Barness
MATT OAKLEY ... 6
Angered Holdsworth with a late tackle
ANDERS SVENSSON ... 7
A threat but Warhurst won this duel
JO TESSEM ... 6
Made little impact on the game
RORY DELAP ... 7
Worked hard, wasted a rare chance
JAMES BEATTIE ... 6
Bergsson and Whitlow were in charge
Subs: Marian Pahars (7) for El-Khalej 69, Chris Marsden for Tessem 86. Not used: Francis Benali, Scott McDonald, Neil Moss.
Referee: David Pugh (Merseyside).
Attendance: 24,378.
Goal: Pahars 77 mins.
Shots/headers on target: Wanderers 4, Southampton 6.
Corners: Wanderers 3, Southampton 2.
Fouls committed: Wanderers 11, Southampton 17.
Offsides: Wanderers 5, Southampton 3.
Bookings: Wanderers - Whitlow 78 (foul on Beattie), Warhurst 82 (dissent); Southampton - El-Khalej 16 (foul on Pedersen).
Man of the Match
SIMON CHARLTON
NO-ONE did more to impose himself on the game than the Saints' old boy, who has looked Premiership calibre in every game he has played. Didn't deserve to be on the losing side.
Magic Moment
IT was a bad goal from Wanderers' standpoint but the combination of Bridge's surging run and Pahars' super strike was the footballing highlight of an otherwise uninspiring game.
Moan of the Match
THE injury that robbed the game of its most creative force - Per Frandsen. Nothing vindictive, just a clip from a slightly late Richards tckle but Wanderers were never the same again. 5 mins Frandsen hits the post with a quick free kick after El-Khalej's clumsy challenge stops Pedersen in his tracks. 11 mins Pedersen turns an inviting pass inside for Ricketts, whose shot on the turn flies high and wide. 15 mins Frandsen floats in a gem of a pass, cutting out Lundekvam, but Ricketts' control lets him down with only Jones to beat. 16 mins Jones palms away Frandsen's free kick after Pedersen troubles El-Khalej once more. 29 mins Ricketts robs Lundekvam and sends Pedersen away but the cross is poor with Frandsen and Hansen waiting. 32 mins Saints' first serious threat sees Beattie head a Bridge cross narrowly wide. 34 mins Delap's shot takes a double deflection, leaving Jaaskelainen stranded as it flies wide. Half-time: Wanderers 0, Southampton 0 50 mins Frandsen limps off. 52 mins Saints' fans claim "penalty" but Barness' challenge on Davies is faultless. 68 mins Hansen pounces on an El-Khalej clearance and agonises as his shot strikes the foot of Jones' left hand post; Svensson breaks but Delap shoots wildly. 73 mins Beattie cuts in from the right and tests Jaaskelainen with a firm left-footer. 76 mins Charlton shows great anticipation to stifle Pahars as Saints counter-attack once more. GOAL! 77 mins Bridge darts in, evading tackles, to set up Pahars, who takes a touch with the right before striking an unstoppable left footer. 89 mins Penalty appeals (mainly from desperate fans) are turned down as Lundekvam appears to handle the ball in a challenge with Pedersen. Full-time:
Wanderers 0,
Southampton 1
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