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Bolton at pains to show off status
By Alyson Rudd | |
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Bolton (0) 0 Man Utd (0) 0 ON THE outskirts of Bolton you would never have guessed it, but this is FIFA's Fair Play weekend. FIFA might like to consider that formalising an attitude they would hope is ever present is bound to fall foul of a jinx, and so it proved at the Reebok Stadium, where the players found themselves sucked along by an intense atmosphere and the notion of fair play was hardly uppermost in their thoughts. There were few dangerous tackles. It was more a case of verbal spite and petty shove. There was so much off-the-ball skulduggery that much of the first half bore more resemblance to a bitter council meeting than an actual football match - and at one point, it looked as if more than just two players would be dismissed from the action. It was no coincidence this game finished goalless - the players simply did not give themselves the full 90 minutes in which to create one. In the event, both Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United should be reasonably content with a point. United fared poorly last season in those Premiership games which followed their European exploits and Bolton have to know they can hold the champions at home if they are to survive in the Premiership. While United had the midweek distraction of the Champions' League, Bolton were in Coca-Cola Cup action against Leyton Orient with one eye on this match against "the cultural and economic phenomenon that is Man United" - at least, that is how the club programme described Alex Ferguson's side. The hyperbole was appropriate; United did humiliate Bolton 6-0 on their last meeting on home ground in the Premiership 18 months ago. But that was in the humble environs of Burnden Park. Bolton now operate out of what, by comparison, is virtually the Empire State Building. The Reebok Stadium is, like all other modern football constructions, lacking in soul, but it is hugely aspirational and its very existence seems to imply Bolton will avoid relegation this season regardless of what happens out on the pitch. Latest on-the-field developments for Colin Todd's team included two debuts: Mike Whitlow signed from Leicester City and Mark Fish's paperwork was finally completed. The South African defender once looked on the verge of signing for United but developed his craft in Serie A instead. Todd paid Lazio £2 million for him and it was immediately obvious why. The tall, tanned centre-half strolled about the Bolton penalty area as if it was his personal property and was keener than anyone to dash upfield when Bolton attacked on the break. On 25 minutes, he was presented with his first real chance of scoring on his debut but headed Scott Sellars' corner-kick wide of goal. Bolton were fashioning the more clear-cut chances and Per Frandsens was unlucky to see his free-kick from 25 yards out clip the crossbar. But, slowly, off-the-ball incidents threatened to undermine the contest and in the 33rd minute, both Nathan Blake and Gary Pallister were shown the red card by referee Paul Burkin. On the face of it, Pallister appeared unlucky; Blake had first tripped and then pushed Pallister, but Burkin had to impose some sense of the serious nature of the mounting aggression as practically every player joined in a huddle of hostility. Following a confrontation between Jamie Pollock and Nicky Butt, Durkin opted not to caution them. But both Todd and Ferguson were anxiously treading the sideline. Chances toward the end of the first half dwindled for both sides as Burkin was forced to intervene in various petty altercations. The tensions simmered after the interval and Andy Cole was fortunate not to be sent off. After having been cautioned for a foul on Frandsen, he engaged in a two-footed retaliation on Whitlow. Paul Scholes might have done better with two shots but they landed comfortably within the reach of Keith Branagan, and Peter Schmeichel, too, was hardly forced to call on his full repertoire of athleticism. With both sides down to 10 men, there was extra space but little of invention was being done with it. _________________________________________________________________ Bolton (0) 0 Man Utd (0) 0 Bolton: Branagan, Frandsen, Taggart, Pollock, Sellars (Beardsley 66), Blake, McGinlay, Thompson, Bergsson, Fish, Whitlow. Subs Not Used: Johansen, Ward, Todd, McAnespie. Sent Off: Blake (34). Booked: Frandsen, Bergsson. Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole, Poborsky (P. Neville 55), Keane, Scholes (Solskjaer 55), Berg. Subs Not Used: McClair, Van Der Gouw, Thornley. Sent Off: Pallister (34). Booked: Beckham, Irwin, Cole, P. Neville. Att: 25,000 Ref: P A Durkin (Portland). _________________________________________________________________ Top two draw, Leicester into top three (adds details, quotes) By Mitch Phillips LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuter) - Top two Manchester United and Blackburn both drew 0-0 in the English premier league on Saturday and with Chelsea and Arsenal meeting on Sunday it was Leicester City who claimed a rare share of the limelight by beating Leeds 1-0 away to move into third place. United were held to a goalless draw at Bolton and, on FIFA's designated world Fair Play Day, had England defender Gary Pallister sent off along with Bolton's Welsh international striker Nathan Blake for fighting in the first half. In the corresponding fixture two seasons ago Bolton lost 6-0 en route to relegation but manager Colin Todd says the club has come a long way since then. "We are far better equipped to handled the premiership now," said Todd. "These players have ability and I'm disappointed we couldn't score today." The double sending-off came after 34 minutes of a generally even game when the two big men scuffled off the ball following one of several heavy challenges. Todd did not try to defend Blake, saying: "If a player raises his hands then the referee has to take the necessary action." Blackburn also ended the day with 10 men after French defender Patrick Valery was red carded 10 minutes from time at Tottenham -- the only moment of interest in dull encounter United top the table on 17 points, with Blackburn second on 14, ahead of Leicester on goal difference. Arsenal and Chelsea both have 12 points. Leicester, who performed admirably in their midweek 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup, fully deserved their win at Leeds. The only goal came via the head of skipper Steve Walsh in the 32nd minute and will have delighted manager Martin O'Neill who insists his main ambition for the season is to avoid relegation. Newcastle, who did even better in midweek, beating Barcelona 3-2 in the Champions' League, looked to their defenders to hold off a rampant West Ham and claim a 1-0 win in London. The defence, and particularly goalkeeper Shay Given, were on top form either side of John Barnes' vintage 20 metre curler in the 45th minute as Newcastle claimed their third win in four games. Italian Francesco Baiano put Derby ahead at Villa Park but two goals in two minutes -- from Dwight Yorke and Julian Joachim -- turned things round and continued Villa's recovery. Everton claimed their second win of the season, 4-2 over Barnsley, with two from Gary Speed, and one each for debutant Danny Cadamarteri and John Ostler. At Selhurst Park the landlords gave the tenants a lesson as Crystal Palace beat Wimbledon 1-0 with a goal by Italian Attilio Lombardo 10 minutes from time while Southampton had the better of things against Liverpool at the Dell but stay bottom after a 1-1 draw. German target man Karlheinz Riedle headed Liverpool ahead against the run of play after 37 minutes. But Southampton, who welcomed back broken arm victim Matt Le Tissier for his first game of the season, levelled with a great individual goal by 20-year-old Kevin Davies moments after the break. The day's other game between Sheffield Wednesday against Coventry at Hillsborough ended goalless. _________________________________________________________________ Bolton Wanderers 0 Manchester United 0 THE NEIGHBOURS fell out in Greater Manchester yesterday, a fractious local derby of low quality notable mainly for the banishment of Gary Pallister and Nathan Blake after an ill-tempered scuffle in the first half. Apart from the two red cards, there were half a dozen bookings, a couple of them harsh, in a match which had its violent spells but was never X-certificate. The referee, Paul Durkin, has now sent off two players and booked 24 in his four games this season figures which probably say more about his fussy style than the character of Premier League football. Pallister, dismissed for the first time in eight years as a United player, can count himself unlucky, having done no more than push Blake, who retaliated by swinging a punch. The England defender is now due to serve an automatic suspension when the decisive World Cup qualifier is played in Rome on October 11, which would leave Glenn Hoddle to choose between example and expediency. If good sense prevails, Hoddle and his FA employers will study the Match Of The Day video and Pallister will be picked and cleared. Alex Ferguson had it right when he said: "The referee told us he sent Pally off for raising his hand but I'm sure he didn't and I'm confident TV will exonerate him." It was a disappointing match which failed to live up to a promising start. Fast, furious and frenetic, it was typical local-derby fare. The locals may have loved the passion and competitiveness but neutrals were left crying out for some foot-on-the-ball composure. We looked to David Beckham to provide it, but the England tyro seemed to be operating on the shortest fuse of all in scary rather than sporty mode. Just as disappointing, though hardly unexpected these days, was Andy Cole's finishing not so much hit and miss as miss, miss and miss again which cost United maximum points. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, fit again, will surely be promoted from the bench against Chelsea on Wednesday night. Teddy Sheringham, recovered from cracked ribs, should be his partner. When these two sides met at Burnden Park two seasons ago United won 6-0, but Bolton have improved at the trot in the interim and were never going to be embarrassed this time. Their progress is reflected in Mark Fish, their new £2m recruit from Lazio, who made a highly promising debut in central defence. In geographical terms, it was as good as a home game for the champions. In reality, it was anything but. Bolton's support, like their team, is on the up and up, and a platoon or two from United's red army must have thought they were at Rorke's Drift. Fish surfaced early, heading upstream at pace, all the way into the United penalty area, with Blake in close support. The crowd roared their approval of the South African's enterprising start, and were given much more to admire. The new man ventured forward at every opportunity, yet still applied himself to his defensive duties with due diligence. It was an encouraging beginning. Bolton, full of vim and vigour, should have been ahead after 10 minutes when Peter Schmeichel dropped a Scott Sellars corner, but Jamie Pollock shot negligently wide at the near post. Fish dispossessed Nicky Butt in the act of shooting, Cole failed to find Paul Scholes when he was well placed, then Per Frandsen, who was Bolton's best player, threatened to unhinge the crossbar from 25 yards with a siege-gun free kick. Nip and tuck, ebb and flow, it seemed to be bubbling nicely when it boiled over after 34 minutes and the recipe was spoiled. Pallister was running the ball out of defence when Blake clipped his ankle. The centre-half reacted with a push which brought a punch from Blake, who had to go. Pallister was harshly dealt with. What followed was, however, instantly forgettable. United made good the loss of Pallister with no great difficulty, moving Gary Neville in to a central defensive role and bringing his brother, Phil, off the substitutes' bench into the left-back position. Bolton, however, had no adequate replacement for Blake, their principal goalscorer, and the game was there for the Premier League leaders to win. That they failed to do so was largely down to Cole's shortcomings in front of goal. He should have scored when Branagan clawed out Beckham's inswinging corner from under his crossbar, but was unable to clear his six-yard box. Cole reached the loose ball just ahead of the goalkeeper but managed only to prod it against the post. When Cole failed to hit the target yet again, just before the end, not even Ferguson seemed surprised. _________________________________________________________________ Sunday, September 21 1997 Referee Paul Durkin has agreed to look again at the incident which resulted in Gary Pallister getting sent off for the first time in nine years as a United player. Manager Alex Ferguson revealed later that the Dorset official had agreed to consult a television replay of the 34th-minute flashpoint which ended with both Pallister and Bolton striker Nathan Blake being shown the red card. 'The referee told him he was sending him off for raising his fists but we'll see what the television shows. I think that's important,' said the United boss. 'The referee said he would look at the situation again so that's in ourfavour. He certainly didn't raise his fists. But we'll wait and see.' Colin Todd conceded that Blake deserved to go. 'When somebody raises their hand they deserve to get sent off. That's the law of the game and that's what happened. 'This was a derby game with a lot of passion and I thought the referee handled it well.' The Bolton manager felt the sendings off took the shine off his team's performance. 'I am delighted with our performance today. The players deserve a lot of credit because no doubt people expected United to come here and win.' Ferguson made no attempt to hide his anger at Pallister's dismissal and that vehemence may not have been misplaced because the defender's 'crime' may have been merely to defend himself. The incident began when he got himself into, and out of, a sticky situation with the Bolton striker snapping at his heels. |
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