Bolton must step up pace for UEFA Cup opener

Bolton 0 Blackburn 0

Allardyce was left with a feeling of frustration after the local derby with Blackburn ended goalless at the Reebok Stadium.

He said: “It was an incredibly average game. Blackburn gave us a lot of respect and made life difficult.

“No-one in our team came out with a flash of brilliance that might have changed the game in our favour.

“It was a hugely scrappy affair but there were quite a few mediocre games at the weekend. Perhaps it was something to do with a lot of players on both sides being away on international duty.”

The Bolton supporters rounded on the side at the end after a poor performance.

But Allardyce added: “Sometimes necessity overrules entertainment. If we had lost 5-4 I think the team would still have been booed.”

Bolton almost took the lead after 18 minutes following a sweeping move but El-Hadji Diouf’s shot was well blocked by Ryan Nelsen.

Blackburn found themselves on the defensive again after 29 minutes when Okocha delivered a long free-kick.

Kevin Davies flicked the ball on but Nolan, slightly off balance, headed the ball wide.

Campo should have made the breakthrough in the 41st minute when he got on the end of an inswinging corner from Gary Speed only to power his header from in front of the posts over the top.

Blackburn dictated the pace in the second half and Aaron Mokoena tried his luck on goal after being released by Brett Emerton, only to send his effort over the top.

Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen then had to look lively to turn away a thunderbolt by Steven Reid.

Manager Mark Hughes was delighted with the way his team went about their business. “We coped comfortably with whatever Bolton threw at us and grew in confidence,” he said.

“We stood up to them and I thought we were the team more likely to win the game. But when you come to the Reebok Stadium you take what you can out of the match.”

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Campo, Ben Haim, N’Gotty, Pedersen, Giannakopoulos (Gardner 56), Nolan, Okocha (Hunt 78), Speed, Diouf, Davies (Borgetti 70).

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Matteo, Emerton, Savage, Mokoena, Reid, Pedersen (Bentley 58), Jansen (Kuqi 58).

Referee: G Poll.