West Ham United 1-2 Bolton Wanderers: Jack Wilshere On Target As 10-Man Trotters Net Vital Win

Two first half goals, including a first for Jack Wilshere, saw Bolton Wanderers secure a vital win at West Ham United, a victory that sees them leapfrog the Hammers in the table and ease their own relegation fears.

Gianfranco Zola’s men will have approached this match with confidence having won their last two home games and they made just one change from the side that lost to Manchester United last time out with Scott Parker replacing the injured Mark Noble whilst Bolton brought in Tamir Cohen for leg break victim Stuart Holden.

Yet the Hammers made a nightmare start at Upton Park with Bolton scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes; their first away goals in five league games.

Indeed Kevin Davies made it eight goals in his last ten appearances against West Ham, in the tenth minute, the striker heading home a right wing cross from Chung-Yong Lee to hand the visitors the perfect start.

The home side tried to respond immediately with Alessandro Diamanti going close with a free kick that found the roof of the Bolton net, but seconds later they were two down courtesy of on-loan Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere and some poor West Ham defending.

James Tomkins was the culprit, trying to shepherd the ball out of play but unaware of the lurking Davies who won the ball and found Cohen who headed back to Wilshere to volley home his first goal for the Trotters.

Yet it could have been even worse for the Irons as Johan Elmander spurned two glorious chances to end the match as a contest before the break.

First, midway through the first half, the Hammers failed to clear a Wilshere corner and the ball fell to the Swede yet he could only find the side netting.

The striker was handed a chance to make amends for his miss right on half time after Davies crossed and found him unmarked on the penalty spot. With only Green to beat, Elmander somehow conspired to flash his shot over the bar and again the home side escaped.

Yet West Ham did have chances of their own, particularly as half-time loomed, and it needed a late tackle by Sam Ricketts to deny Carlton Cole before Zat Knight had to clear a Diamanti shot off his own line.

Manager Zola opted to change things just after the break, sending on Kieron Dyer for Julien Faubert and within minutes of the restart the former Newcastle United man almost bagged a goal back.

A flick on by Cole found Dyer closing in on goal but he couldn’t control his finish and, instead, volleyed over the bar.

Back came Bolton, with Elmander continuing his wasteful ways having a shot blocked by Matthew Upson before again firing over the bar after good work from Lee.

With a little over 20 minutes to go, Zola sent on Mido to increase his side’s attacking threat and they were helped immensely only minutes later by the visitors who found themselves a man down.

Cohen, already booked, picked up his second yellow card of the afternoon for a trip on Parker, leaving the visitors to endure a nervy final 20 minutes as they attempted to hold onto their precious lead.

Sensing their chance, the home side poured forward and grabbed a lifeline with only minutes to go as Diamanti snatched a goal back.

From a corner the ball fell to the Italian on the edge of the box who curled a delightful left footed shot past Jaaskelainen in the visitors’ goal.

The goal set up a frantic finale with Stanislas rattling the bar but ultimately Bolton held on to move two points clear of West Ham who will be nervously looking over the shoulder now, particularly as they face difficult trips to Chelsea and Arsenal in their next two games.