Megson slams Bolton boo boys

BOLTON manager Gary Megson has told disgruntled fans their actions are beginning to impact on his players.

A last-minute equaliser against Stoke thanks to Matt Taylor’s penalty was greeted with relief around the Reebok Stadium. However, at the final whistle there was a chorus of jeers at the team’s overall performance and their inability to record a home victory.

A section of the support had vented their frustration throughout the match and there was even a stage where the slow handclap was given.

Megson has failed to win over some fans since he arrived in October 2007 despite keeping the club in the top flight. While he reluctantly accepts the flak he wishes his team were spared.

Megson said: “You cannot block it out. It is there. But it does not get through to me as I’ve had it two years. It does not help the players one bit. That is the way it is. The first half was sterile and really direct. But the second half was much better. One group of supporters thought it was okay, another didn’t. But that’s life and you have to get on with it.”

Taylor showed a cool head to secure a point for Bolton from the spot after Danny Collins’s rash challenge on Sam Ricketts.

Stoke were left cursing their luck after opening the scoring through Dave Kitson in the 52nd minute.

He reacted first to a flick-on from Ricardo Fuller, skipped away from Ricketts and found the corner of the net with his effort.

Megson was furious at the way the goal had come about and said: “You won’t see a worst goal to concede at any level, never mind professional football. It was a lack of determination and that can’t happen. People have got to do a lot more to score against you.”

Meanwhile Birmingham manager Alex McLeish revealed match-winner Garry O’Connor almost missed yesterday’s 1-0 win at Hull through illness.

O’Connor came off the bench to settle a scrappy Barclays Premier League contest at the KC Stadium by heading home after 75 minutes.

Injuries had forced McLeish to name just six substitutes for the game and it could have been worse had O’Connor not recovered from a sickness bug.

McLeish said: “We have had a catalogue of injuries that would absolutely frighten you. We were down to the bare bones.

“Garry was on his sickbed as well. He was off Thursday and came in Friday and did a little jog.

“He came in after 10 minutes and the puppy-dog eyes were there – I think he wanted me to send him home.”

“He came down this morning and was bright and bubbly, devoured his breakfast and said he was available if I needed him. I said, ‘I really need you’.

“When he came on you wouldn’t have known he had been ill, he was very sharp.”

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel, Steinsson (Klasnic 46), McCann, Muamba (Gardner 46), Cohen, Taylor, Kevin Davies.

STOKE: Sorensen, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Huth, Collins, Delap, Whitehead, Whelan, Etherington (Lawrence 63), Fuller (Beattie 90), Kitson (Pugh 78).

Referee: Mark Clattenburg.