Nolan boosts Bolton spirits

DRAWS are not always deflating.

Gary Megson has still not secured a first victory as manager of Bolton Wanderers, but he ventured back to Lancashire last night buoyed by a result that was a win in all but name.

As this encounter headed into added time at Upton Park, it seemed Wanderers were spiralling to another dispiriting defeat, courtesy of George McCartney’s first half strike for West Ham United.

But Kevin Nolan has become Mr Dependable at the Reebok Stadium since first breaking through from the youth team eight years ago, and once again he stepped forward to score a crucial leveller 90 seconds from time.

Surprisingly, this was his first goal of the current campaign, but it is the 46th of his career and could prove to be one of the most vital if it finally gives Bolton the kick-start they need to spark the post-Sam Allardyce era into life.

“You have to be pleased with a point when you are losing with 90 seconds to go,” Megson said.

“Footballers do not play for their manager first and foremost, they play for their families. Your family stays constant, your football club can change. But in terms of playing for the club they could not have done more today. “We can pass better, cross better and finish better, but we can’t show any more commitment, attitude or honesty than we have done.

“In my own eyes, and from playing football, we have hit the bar, the post, and had a couple cleared off the line. You start to think it may not be your day. But the players kept going and the jubilation you feel at the end is terrific.

“The players out there were brought in over a period of seven or eight years to play in a certain way that they have become used to. We are trying to get round pegs in round holes.

“You can’t just take a confidence pill and say you are confident. But from what happened here today will help us.

“We have got some issues. They are not personal issues, they are purely footballing ones, but we need to sort them out.”

West Ham led through Northern Ireland international McCartney’s first ever club goal.

He had played 166 league matches for Sunderland and West Ham without finding the net but home fans were scratching their heads wondering why when, on 19 minutes, he opened the scoring in acrobatic fashion.

After Bolton failed to clear a corner, Lee Bowyer crossed from the right and McCartney volleyed home from just inside the area with his right foot. He celebrated wildly, and rightly so, as it was the first time he had scored in any match since 2001. That goal came for Northern Ireland against Iceland.

The defender came to the rescue in his own penalty box soon afterwards. He was on hand to clear an El Hadji Diouf effort off the goal line, after the Senegal international had turned Lucas Neill inside out.

Danny Guthrie, on loan at Bolton from Liverpool, came close with a drive against the base of Robert Green’s post on 32 minutes, but they were finding it difficult to force a way through.

Bolton grew in stature as time wore on. Kevin Davies’ header clipped the top of the crossbar on 74 minutes and Diouf then had a header hacked off the line by Jonathan Spector.

One look at manager Megson’s face was enough to suggest he clearly thought his luck was not in but his scowl gave way to a smile in added time.

Substitute Lubomir Michalik headed the ball down in the area, and Nolan smartly tucked the ball beyond Green with the outside of his foot.

West Ham were booed off at the final whistle and their frustration was mirrored by the manager Alan Curbishley, who flung a water bottle to the ground in fury when Nolan’s shot kissed the net. “We should have seen the game out,” he complained. “In the last 10 minutes I thought we were the team who were one goal down, because we were crossing into the box when there was no need for it.

“We needed a little bit of professionalism and to kill the game off. If it had been Bolton in that situation I think El Hadji Diouf would have run the ball into the corner, taken a foul, and it would have been over.”

There is mixed news for Curbishley on the injury front, too. Dean Ashton, Freddie Ljungberg and James Collins will all return to full training this week. However, Hayden Mullins has picked up a knock and looks like he could face more time on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Megson can at least look forward to this Thursday’s trip to Bayern Munich in slightly more buoyant mood, although the manager — whose side have not won in eight matches — did not pretend that Europe was foremost in his list of priorities.

“With all due respect we must make sure we are picking up results in the Premier League,” he said. “Bayern Munich is a big game, and a terrific occasion, but our biggest game is Middlesbrough at the Reebok in the league.’’

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Green 6, Neill 6, Upson 7, Gabbidon 6, McCartney 7, Mullins 7 (Spector 50, 6), Solano 6, Etherington 6, Bowyer 6 (Pantsil 85, 5), Boa Morte 5, Cole 7 (Camara 72, 6).

Subs Not Used: Wright, Reid.

BOLTON (4-1-4-1): Jaaskelainen 6, Hunt 6 (McCann 82,5), O’Brien 7,Meite 5 (Michalik 45, 6), Gardner 4, Campo 6, Diouf 5, Nolan 8, Speed 7 (Samuel 78, 5), Guthrie 6, Davies 6.

Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Giannakopoulos.

REFEREE: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire) 7: Did not have many difficult decisions to make, although he did correctly wave away a weak penalty claim from West Ham’s Lee Bowyer in the second half.

MATCH RATING: ** Precious little excitement in east London. West Ham looked like they would hold on to their early lead, until Kevin Nolan’s clever finish gave Bolton’s small band of supporters a reason for celebration.