Bolton start to get that sinking feeling

THIS is the season when nobody can afford to feel safe. In any other campaign, a home defeat for a team nestled snugly in mid-table would generate nothing more than a few glum faces and half-hearted cat-calls.

Instead, Bolton’s frayed nerves meant that they were jeered to the rafters by their own followers here, the disaffected majority painfully aware that any dropped points — especially at home — could prove fatal, even for a team sitting 11th in the table before kick-off.

The players, too, are feeling jittery, with Bolton defender Gary Cahill admitting there could be no excuses for the team’s “terrible” performance.

Wanderers began the day five points above the relegation zone but that gap has now narrowed to four, and of still greater concern was the way they shot themselves in the foot with all three Fulham goals coming from defensive mistakes.

“The tempo was like a training match and a few mistakes have cost us,” Cahill said

“A lot of players had below-average games and that is their own fault. I’ll analyse my own game and I know the lads will. The lads and everyone need to have a look at themselves.”

Cahill’s centre-back partner Andy O’Brien had an awful day, poking the ball past his own goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 42nd minute to allow Andrew Johnson to slide in at the far post and score.

Kevin Davies’ 11th of the season in first-half injury time levelled things up but 11 minutes after the interval another mistake by O’Brien let Johnson and Danny Murphy set up Simon Davies to add a second.

And Fulham’s first away league win of the season was confirmed when Gavin McCann’s loose pass was converted into a late third goal by substitute Diomansy Kamara.

“We have been on the cusp for many occasions. It has not been a mental block, it was just one of those things,” said Fulham manager Roy Hodgson.

BOLTON (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen 7, Steinsson 6, Cahill 6, A O’Brien 4, Samuel 5 (Riga 74, 5), Taylor 6, McCann 5, M Davies 5 (Muamba 68, 5), Gardner 6, K Davies 7, Elmander 5.

Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Hunt, Puygrenier, Makukula, Shittu.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer 7, Pantsil 6, Hangeland 7, Hughes 6, Konchesky 6, Davies 7, Etuhu 6, Murphy 7, Dempsey 7, Johnson 8 (Nevland 90, 5), Zamora 6 (Kamara 84, 7).

Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Gera, Dacourt, Stoor, Smalling.

REFEREE: Chris Foy (Merseyside) 7: Controlled things with authority and even-handedness.

MATCH RATING: *** Horrible for Bolton, but Fulham — as has become the norm under Roy Hodgson — were impressive.