2
1
Played
Premier League 2009
17-Oct-2009 5:00 PM BRST
Old Trafford
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
 
90° +4
FULL TIME. It's over. Mark Clattenburg blows to signal the end of this rather cracking 2nd half! Man United endured a very nervy end to this game after looking to be coasting at half time, but they've come through to get the 3 points that sends them top of the Premier League table. MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 BOLTON WANDERERS
 
90° +2
Chance! Bolton almost almost snatch something at the death! Zat Knight rose to meet a flick on inside the 6 yard box, but his header is straight down the throat of VDS, who collects gratefully!
 
90° +2
Jaaskelainen inexplicably dithers over a back pass, and almost lets first Welbeck, then Valencia in, but gathers the Ecuadorian's attempt eventually.
 
90° +1
Long cross into the United box finds the towering figure of Knight, who can't quite get above the ball to head it back downward. He beats the ground in frustration!
 
90° +1
Ryan Giggs does brilliantly to win a corner, using all his years of experience to indulge in a little game of ball keeping by the corner flag, eating away some precious precious seconds. One last chance for Bolton perhaps!
 
89°
Klasnic goes close for Bolton! A United counterattack breaks down, and his shot from distance has VDS scrambling, but flies wide.
 
88°
More Route One pressure from Bolton! Jonny Evans did well to deal with the long ball though, before Giggs eventually clears. United almost entirely camped in their own half now!
 
87°
Berbatov is bleeding from a little cut above the right eye, which means he comes off temporarily.
 
86°
Sir Alex probably looking for some experience and calmness in the middle to see this one out. That veteran Paul Scholes coming on for Anderson.
 
86°
Substitution Anderson Paul Scholes
 
84°
6 very awkward minutes ahead for United. They look rattled! Gary Cahill has now pressed forward to support the front two.
 
83°
Substitution Patrice Evra John O'Shea
 
83°
Substitution Michael Owen Danny Welbeck
 
82°
How games can change! Bolton sense they can maybe get something from this after all, and their direct urgent play seems to be ensuring a rather nervy few minutes for the champions.
 
80°
More Bolton pressure! Klasnic has a chance to shoot from outside, but his first touch lets him down. Knight eventually gets a shot away, and is awarded a corner for a perceived deflection off Carrick. The corner is cleared by Carrick though
 
76°
Substitution Fabrice Muamba Chris Basham
 
75°
Goal Matthew Taylor
 
74°
United keep coming forward though. Lovely interchanging play between Owen and Giggs results in another corner, but it eventually comes to nothing.
 
71°
Bolton have the ball in the net, but it wont stand! Davies wins yet another header, and as Van der Sar comes out to collect the flick on, Gardner appeared to take it away from him with his hand for Klasnic to put it in. Davies has caused umpteen aerial problems tonight!
 
69°
Valencia then fires well over after the resulting corner falls to him outside the box.
 
68°
But United go straight up the other end, and Owen's lovely ball sends Valencia racing down the right. His shot is low and hard, but Jaaskelainen does well to parry powerfully.
 
67°
Sloppy play by Anderson! His back pass almost sells United short, but Ferdinand just about gets it away. Bolton are having their moments in this 2nd half, they'll be encouraged by that!
 
66°
Bolton taking a leaf out of the Stoke play book, with a long Rory Delap-like throw in causing a few problems in the United defence. They get it away eventually though with Anderson, who then charges to block away a shot from distance.
 
64°
Davies looks to have suffered a nasty gash on his face. He's receiving treatment now. Davies looking for his 50th Premier League goal for Bolton, BTW.
 
63°
Substitution Tamir Cohen Mark Davies
 
62°
United corner. Giggs' delivery is deep, and Owen has to run towards the flag to retrieve before playing Valencia, but Giggs' cross comes to nothing.
 
60°
Decent effort from distance by Tamir Cohen. He has been Bolton's leading goalscorer this season.
 
58°
United finding chances thick and fast. A long goal kick by VDS is well controlled by Owen, and Giggs eventually chips in towards Berbatov, but Owen just can't reach his flick on and Jaaskelainen catches.
 
56°
Valencia does well again down the right before floating a ball towards the unmarked Berbatov on the far post, who sees his acrobatic kick brilliantly saved by Jaaskelainen! Good football all around.
 
55°
Ryan Giggs shows great skill to turn two players inside the box, but can only shoot straight at Jaaskelainen. Sublime from the veteran winger.
 
54°
Taylor has a go with a volley from outside the area, but it flies over with VDS untroubled.
 
53°
That pair again, Valencia and Berbatov combining yet again. The flick on by Berbatov into Owen's path is exquisite, but Owen can only stab wide under pressure from Cahill. Excellent chance to put this game to bed.
 
53°
Substitution Chung-Yong Lee Ivan Klasnic
 
51°
That pair again, Valencia and Berbatov combining yet again. The flick on by Berbatov into Owen's path is exquisite, but Owen can only stab wide under pressure from Cahill. Excellent chance to put this game to bed.
 
49°
Neat turn by Ricketts forces Anderson to concede a free kick in a good position down the right for Bolton.
 
49°
The free kick is a good one by Matty Taylor. Zat Knight rises and directs goalwards, but he just couldn't find enough power to really trouble VDS, who gathers well.
 
48°
Yellow Card Kevin Davies
 
47°
free kick in a very dangerous position for United! Kevin Davies takes down a marauding Evra right on the left hand edge of the box, and earns a booking for his troubles. Evra meanwhile is down requiring treatment.
 
47°
Resultant free kick is a great delivery by Giggs towards the far post. No one attacked it with any real conviction though, and Bolton scramble clear.
 
46°
Immediately United win a corner, as Valencia's deep cross is headed behind by Ricketts. Bolton manage to get the corner away though.Immediately United win a corner, as Valencia's deep cross is headed behind by Ricketts. Bolton manage to get the corner away though.
 
 
It's half time at Old Trafford. Man United look to be cruising here. It could have been different had Davies converted his gilt-edged chance early on, but at the moment, it's looking like normal service has been resumed at OT. Manchester United 2-0 Bolton. Half time at OT.
 
45°
The linesman has just signalled 1 minute of added time at the end of this first half.
 
44°
Taylor punts another free kick into the United box, and the ball eventually falls to Muamba outside the box, but he's closed down as he goes to shoot and Van der Sar collects comfortably.
 
42°
Nearing half time now. A Bolton goal right now would set us up for a cracking 2nd half! United still stroking the ball around nicely though
 
37°
Old Trafford sounds inexplicably rather quiet at the moment! That veteran Giggs does well in the middle before looking to play Evra in behind, but the linesman's flag is up. Ooh that was close!
 
33°
GOAL! United are 2-0 up! Bolton gave the ball away, and United broke with speed through Evra down the left. His chipped ball found Owen, who then found Valencia on the right. He plays a neat one-two with the overlapping Gary Neville before firing into the net past Jaaskelainen. That's his first United goal. He'll be pleased with that, the Ecuadorian.
 
33°
Goal Luis Antonio Valencia
 
32°
Davies causing all sorts of problems now! He chested down effortlessly against Jonny Evans before teeing up Taylor again, but his effort is dragged wide. Two warnings in quick succession for United!
 
29°
Samuel wins a free kick for Bolton in a dangerous position just outside the area. Taylor takes the free kick, but sends it straight into Van der Sar's arms.
 
27°
That was the first sign of the danger the tricky Lee poses there. United's Ji-Sung Park will no doubt have briefed Sir Alex and the staff on him, as he captained Korea's 2-0 win in midweek where Lee set up both goals.
 
26°
Davies wins a free kick ff Evans, which Taylor delivers. United clear comfortably though.
 
25°
Korean Chung-Yong Lee does very well on the right to evade two United players before setting up Davies on the edge of the box, who rather inexplicably tries to find Taylor with a chip which floats harmlessly to Van der Sar. He had room to shoot there.
 
23°
United come forward again, and Valencia's drive from outside the box is parried for a corner. The resulting corner from Valencia is poor though and comes to nothing.
 
18°
This game has settled down just a bit now. Both teams looking to keep the ball down and build slowly. Another patient move culminates in an Anderson's cross that's just a little too deep, but Valencia wins a corner. From the resulting corner, ball falls to Carrick on the edge of the box, but he can't direct it goalward.
 
17°
Bolton go straight up the other end, and Taylor has a pop from distance, but can only send it high into the stands.
 
17°
Ryan Giggs takes advantage of a slip by Ricketts to enter the box after a good ball behind by Anderson, but his low cross is cleared.
 
15°
Bolton will be encouraged by that. United's wide men still managing to get behind the Bolton back line a little too often for Megson's liking, I'm sure.
 
14°
Terrific chance for Bolton! Terrific cross by Ricketts towards the far post, where Davies just peeled away from Ferdinand but can only direct his header wide.Just the man Megson would've wanted that chance to fall to too!
 
12°
Chance for Berbatov! Good play by Valencia down the right before he sets up Berbatov on the edge of the area, whose acrobatic volley looked to deflect off an evasive Michael Owen before going wide!
 
8°
Bolton look to compose themselves after the initial frantic start.
 
5°
United are all over Bolton at the moment! Piling the pressure on with two corners, the second of which sees Berbatov set up Giggs with a brilliant lay off,whose cross is met by Evans only to see his goalbound header clawed away by Jaaskelainen onto the post!!
 
5°
Own Goal Zat Knight
 
4°
GOAL! United have scored with virtually their first attempt! Good work down the left releases Evra sprinting into the box. His chipped cross is met by Owen, whose header is deflected into the net by Zat Knight.
 
2°
Bolton have begun just as you would expect. Kevin Davies looking to cause problems up front right away with his quite considerable strength.
 
 
And we're under way. Bolton get things started in this primetime clash.
 
 
Bolton will be hard to break down though, and will be looking to push on from last week's creditable draw against Spurs.
 
 
United will be looking to recover from their 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland last week. A win here will take them top of the Premier League, a point ahead of Chelsea who have just been beaten 1-2 at Villa Park.
 
 
Major team news for Manchester United: Berbatov and Owen start up front while Van Der Sar returns in goal. For Bolton, its an unchanged line up from last week's draw with Tottenham with Davies up front as the lone striker
 
 
Welcome to our live coverage of Manchester United vs Bolton. Kickoff at Old Trafford is almost upon us.
 
 
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