Newcastle had the first goal scoring opportunity of the game with Leon Best the man getting in on the action for the hosts. They attacked down the right before feeding the ball into Best, who touch a touch on the right hand edge of the penalty area before aiming a shot for the bottom left hand corner. Jussi Jaaskelainen didn’t look troubled as the ball zipped narrowly past his far post.
They continued to push forward with Ryan Taylor doing well to keep a sliced clearance from Stephen Harper in play on the right wing. Taylor then exchanged passes with Kevin Nolan before continuing the attack down the right. He crossed into the front post area where Peter Lovenkrands got a foot onto it to divert it towards the near post. Jaaskelainen reacted wonderfully to tip it round his post to deny Newcastle the lead.
His good work wasn’t rewarded though, as Newcastle’s opening goal came from the resultant corner. Bolton cleared the initial cross and Chieck Tiote collected the ball on the left wing. He was closed down slowly and was able to shift the ball onto his right foot and pick out the unmarked Nolan in the center, who nodded the cross past Jaaskelainen and into the far corner of the goal to put his side 1-0 up within 12 minutes.
Newcastle continued to push forward and were denied a penalty as Leon Best charged through on goal. Nolan found space between the back four and midfield before playing a through ball for Best. The Newcastle forward was brought down just as he was about to shoot and the referee looked at his assistant but he was flagging for offside and the play was brought back for a Bolton set piece.
Minutes later Jose Enrique weaved his way down the left flank before sending a wonderful cross into the penalty area. Lovenkrands got across his marker and flung himself at the ball but couldn’t make a connection. The loose ball found its way to Best who belted it goal wards but was denied by a great block by David Wheater.
Newcastle continued to attack down the left as Jonas Gutierrez used Best’s run as a screen and cut inside before slipping the ball into the left hand side of the box. Lovenkrands got onto the end of it and played it square with a first time pass for Nolan. Newcastle’s captain went for goal but was denied by an excellent block by Marcos Alonso.
The hosts were looking increasingly likely to extend their lead so it came as a surprise when it was Bolton who found the next goal of the game. Tiote lost possession in his own half and Bolton quickly worked the ball inside to Danny Sturridge on the edge of the box. He skipped past his marker before smashing it into the bottom right-hand corner to level the score.
The first incident in the second half was the dismissal of Taylor, who had been a late introduction to the starting 11 after Joey Barton withdrew at the last minute. There didn’t seem to be much wrong with the challenge but Elmander was down in a heap and Taylor was holding his face as the referee brandished his red card to reduce Newcastle to 10 men.
Chances were few and far between from this point, as Newcastle looked to hold onto the point and Bolton struggled to find a way through the defensive line. Alan Pardew moved to reinforce his defense by bringing on Steven Taylor in place of Gutierrez as well as withdrawing the tiring Lovenkrands in favor of the energetic Nile Ranger.
The remainder of the second half fizzled out with no more meaningful chances on goal until stoppage time when substitute Kuqi headed home from a left wing cross. The rapture of the home fans was swiftly brought to an end as the assistant blew for offside to deny the home fans a late reprieve.
American midfielder Stuart Holden had another solid outing in the middle of the park for Bolton.
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Newcastle United 1-1 Bolton Wanderers: In-Form Daniel Sturridge Earns Point For Bolton