Coyle keen to pay up Pompey for Nugent

BURNLEY manager Owen Coyle hopes a deal can be sorted out so that David Nugent will stay at Turf Moor when his loan deal ends next month.

The striker’s loan deal from Portsmouth is due to expire and he has struggled to hold down a place in the Clarets’ starting XI.

However, he was recalled against Bolton and took his chance by finding the target in the 56th minute.

It was only Nugent’s third goal for Burnley but a welcome one at that and manager Owen Coyle has already indicated he would like to hold onto him.

Nugent scored his third goal for the club in the 1-1 draw against Lancashire rivals Bolton.

It was just what Burnley needed as the visitors had taken the lead thanks to a superb free-kick from Matt Taylor.

Coyle said: “I speak to David on as daily basis and he enjoys being at the club.

“He feels part of what we are trying to do and there is a smile on his face. There is an energy about him.

“He has all the attributes a striker needs and I feel I could make him an even better player.

“David could have had a hat-trick today. He knows I would love to keep him and my opinion of him.

“I hope we can extend the loan or maybe even sort out a permanent deal as we want to bring young hungry players to the club.

“It is up to the powers that be to sort it out.”

Nugent linked up well with Steven Fletcher, although the Scotland striker should have made the breakthrough.

He scuffed a shot wide of the posts from six yards after being released by Wade Elliott.

The Clarets improved in the second half and took their tally to 20 points in their first season since winning promotion to the top flight.

Coyle said: “Fletcher will be disappointed he has not scored but the combination with Nugent is working.

“I felt a little bit aggrieved to be 1-0 down at half-time but Bolton are always a threat at set plays. But then some of our passing and movement was very pleasing on the eye.

“It was just that Jussi Jaaskelainen is a top class keeper and some of his saves were out of the top drawer.

“I thought we deserved to win but we are now on 20 points, which is more than many people thought. What we have to do now is gather more so we can retain our status.”

Bolton manager Gary Megson believes Taylor went a long way to answering his critics with his wonder strike.

They made the breakthrough in the 29th minute after Andre Bikey had been penalised for a challenge on Davies. Taylor stepped up and delivered a magnificent free-kick from 20 yards that beat Jensen at his near post.

It was only his fourth goal of the season after he managed 10 in the last campaign.

Megson said: “Taylor bases his game on goals and his ratio of games to goals so far has not been as good as it was last year but he is capable of doing that.

“I was really pleased for him because he has taken criticism this season but he is still brave enough to take that. It was a fantastic strike.”

Megson, however, was disappointed at the way Burnley’s goal had come about.

He said: “It was sloppy. The ball wasn’t whipped in, it wasn’t driven in.

“It was well taken by Nugent but from our point of view it was lax and I would expect us to deal with it better.

“There isn’t one particular reason why we are not defending so well. The defending has to start from the front as much as your forward play starts at the back. Everyone has to do their job.”

Burnley unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty early on after Nugent went to ground following a tussle with Gary Cahill.

Bolton launched a swift counter-attack and Kevin Davies tried to curl the ball beyond Jensen in the 21st minute. It was a superb effort by the striker but finished marginally wide of the post.

Bolton kept up the pressure and a minute later Tamir Cohen thumped a shot into the keeper’s body from 25 yards.

Burnley should have taken the lead in the 24th minute after Wade Elliott won possession from Zat Knight. He squared the ball to Fletcher, who somehow found the wrong side of the post from six yards.

But it was Bolton who made the breakthrough with that Taylor free kick and Ivan Klasnic almost added a second for Bolton in stoppage time after being set up by Taylor but Jensen parried his effort.

Burnley came close to equalising in the 50th minute when Kevin McDonald’s shot beat Jaaskelainen only to bounce back off the underside of the bar.

However, Bolton should have extended their lead two minutes later when Davies flicked on a cross from Lee Chung-yong.

Taylor was the first to react but scuffed his shot wide of the post from close range.

Play switched back down the other end and Nugent carved out an opening for Fletcher.

However, the Scotland striker was again wasteful, blasting a shot high over the bar from inside the area.

Burnley, though, drew level in the 56th minute when Bolton failed to deal with Elliott’s cross and Nugent headed home.

The home side stepped up the pace and Eagles cut inside but failed to test Jaaskelainen.

Then Fletcher got on the end of a cross from McDonald and showed good skill to work an opening, only to drag his effort wide.

Bolton were grateful to Jaaskelainen for making two point-blank saves from Eagles and Nugent in quick succession as they again found themselves on the back foot.

Nugent almost secured the points 10 minutes from time but he sent his effort across the face of goal and wide of the post.

Coyle will monitor the fitness of centre-backs Steven Caldwell and Clarke Carlisle ahead of tonight’s match against Everton.

Both players were forced to miss the Bolton clash because of groin problems.

Coyle could freshen things up as his side bid for their first league win on the road this season.

BURNLEY: Jensen, Mears, Duff, Bikey, Jordan, Elliott, McDonald, Alexander, Eagles, Nugent, Steven Fletcher (Blake 80).

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee (Gardner 73), Basham, Cohen, Taylor, Kevin Davies, Klasnic (Mark Davies 67).

Referee: Chris Foy.