Coyle hails players after spirited comeback secures point

BOLTON manager Owen Coyle felt a point was the least his 10-man side deserved for their spirited comeback against Birmingham yesterday.

Wanderers overcame the sending off of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to recover from two down to claim a 2-2 draw in a Barclays Premier League encounter at the Reebok Stadium.

And Coyle beamed afterwards: “At 2-0 down you think it is one of those days but I have always stressed I am trying to foster and build a spirit here. Hopefully that was evident for everybody. I think we carried the fight.

“I think anybody at that game would have struggled to recognise it was 11 v 10 as we were the team pushing on. We were certainly deserving of a point, minimum.”

Bolton fell behind after just four minutes as Birmingham pieced together a slick move which Roger Johnson finished from six yards.

Johnson was then involved in Jaaskelainen’s dismissal after knocking the keeper to the ground in a challenge for the ball.

The defender was slapped in the face for his trouble as Jaaskelainen regained his feet and referee Kevin Friend had no option but to show red.

Alex McLeish’s visitors appeared to take a decisive grip as Craig Gardner grabbed a second but Johnson’s eventful afternoon continued as he fouled Kevin Davies in the box.

The Bolton skipper stepped up to convert from the penalty spot and Robbie Blake curled in a brilliant free-kick to equalise nine minutes from time.

Coyle added: “Jussi has made a mistake, he knows that. He is bitterly disappointed he has been sent off but it was a red card, there is no debate about that.

“Alex may have been disappointed with the penalty but last week at Upton Park a penalty was given against us. It was expertly finished by the skipper and then Robbie Blake’s come up with a wonder finish in the top corner.’’

McLeish was indeed disappointed with the award of the penalty and also thought the free-kick from which Blake scored came from a dubious decision.

The Blues boss said: “It feels like a defeat but in the grand scheme of things we believe it could be a good point. We are quite sore about it and the manner in which we lost the goals.

“The penalty I felt was extremely soft. It is a man’s game, English football is passionate, fast, intense.

“If we are going to see penalties hopefully they are going to be consistent and see the way our guys get barged in the box.

“It would be good if he (referee Friend) watched it and explained why there was a penalty and why there was a free-kick. But good for Bolton, good fighting spirit. They never gave up and we needed a third goal to put them away.

“They are always going to be dangerous with their route-one way. Maybe we sat a little bit deep.”

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen 5, Steinsson 7, Cahill 7, Knight 7, Robinson 6, Lee 7, Holden 6 (M Davies 7, 78), Muamba 7, Petrov 5 (Bogdan 7, 39), Elmander 7 (Blake 5, 67), K Davies 8.

BIRMINGHAM: Foster 7, Carr 7, Johnson 7, Dann 6, Ridgewell 7, Larsson 7 (Fahey 5, 76), Gardner 7, Ferguson 6, McFadden 6 (Derbyshire 5, 67), Bowyer 7, Jerome 6.

Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).