Coyle jubilant at Wanderers’ revenge

THE 5-0 defeat in last season’s Wembley FA Cup semi-final to Stoke had hung around the neck of Bolton manager Owen Coyle, albatross-like, for seven months, yet even the keenest follower of the vagaries thrown up by football could not have predicted this outcome.

Two goals each from Chris Eagles, unstoppable on the Bolton wing, and Ivan Klasnic, plus a controversial opening effort from Kevin Davies, brought Bolton some much-needed revenge and ended a depressing run of 13 defeats in the 16 league games since that shoddy performance in April.

“Last night when I went to mass, the local priest was brilliant and said ‘Let’s pray for the Wanderers,’’’ smiled Coyle. “So I knew He was on side as well.”

It also helped that Bolton found a willing accomplice in Stoke’s under-performing players, none more than Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic who virtually gifted the home side a two-goal start.

The first, after just 94 seconds, came after Howard Webb judged Glenn Whelan had deliberately passed the ball back to Begovic who then allowed Klasnic to take the ball and a quick free-kick for Davies to convert into an empty net, much to the anger of opposition players and fans alike.

Credit the Stoke manager Tony Pulis, therefore, for avoiding the easy option of blaming Webb — or his players’ midweek journey to and back from Israel for the Europa League — and instead focusing on the lacklustre effort from his men.

“Forget the first goal, we still had over 90 minutes to put it right and we just didn’t compete,” he said. “If you put together a list of the worst three or four games in the eight and a half years I have managed this club, this drops into the worst performances.

“I understand excuses. We played Monday, Thursday, Sunday. It took us seven and half, eight hours to get from Stoke to our hotel in Tel Aviv this week and nine and a half hours to get back.

“But I’m not going to use that as an excuse. That doesn’t explain why we didn’t tackle, challenge and run around.”

Initially, Stoke’s response was spirited although Peter Crouch would regret miskicking in front of goal from Jermaine Pennant’s sixth minute centre. But by the midpoint of the first half, and with Begovic again badly at fault, Bolton doubled their lead, and again a back pass was the source of his woes.

Robert Huth hit a good enough ball but, under pressure from Klasnic, the keeper made a weak clearance, the ball falling to Eagles on the left-hand corner of the Stoke box and, with the hapless keeper back-pedalling furiously, the winger struck a superb shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the vacant net.

The only surprise, thereafter, was that it took Bolton until the hour to put the outcome beyond all reasonable doubt. Huth’s lame clearance presented the ball to Eagles who linked with Paul Robinson, the full-back in turn squaring for Klasnic who swung a magnificent left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

The rout continued when Kevin Davies and Klasnic again linked well, the latter producing a delightful touch that played Eagles in on goal after 72 minutes. The former Manchester United winger advanced into the area and showed great composure before lifting the ball over the on-rushing Begovic.

Eagles and Klasnic, the men of the moment were again involved when Bolton claimed a fifth, nine minutes from time. The winger’s corner was nodded on powerfully by defender David Wheater and Klasnic directed in his second goal with his head.

“There is no getting away from the level of performance and how crucial this win was,” said a relieved Coyle. “When you have made a slow start as we have, every game becomes bigger. This only moves us up one place but it catapults us up there with seven or eight teams and keeps us in an upward spiral.”