End is nigh for Kean as Trotters ensure Rovers hit rock bottom
Already under intense scrutiny, with the local paper calling for his head, the Scot was roundly abused by the home fans from the moment Mark Davies struck his fourth-minute opener.
Nigel Reo-Coker added another before the break and, although Yakubu pulled one back in the middle of a much-improved second-half display, Bolton leapfrogged their relegation rivals, who will spend Christmas Day rooted to the bottom of the league.
A defiant Kean said last night: “We’re feeling it but we’ve got a good group here and we’ll get a side together. Of course I will continue.”
Delighted Trotters boss Owen Coyle said: “I’m delighted to come out on the right side of the result. There’s pivotal moments and pivotal games this year. We had to draw a line in the sand and deliver today.”
The Rovers fans had abandoned their two-game pledge to get behind their players on Saturday, just as Peter Odemwingie’s shot hit the back of the net to condemn them to another defeat against West Brom. And any hope of the fragile peace being restored was wrecked after just four minutes.
It had already become clear Bolton were more attuned to the task in front of them when Christopher Samba made a hash of a clearance and David Ngog had enough space inside his box to regain his feet and slide a pass back to Davies.
The midfielder had not scored for over a year. On this occasion, his aim was true and he found the bottom corner, beyond the despairing grasp of Paul Robinson.
Cue the anti-Kean venom, which came rippling down the stands.
The response was a good deal more passionate than anything Kean’s players could muster. Shorn of a full defence due to injury, Rovers were a pitiful sight.
Gary Cahill, named skipper after Owen Coyle took the brave decision to axe Kevin Davies, screwed a glorious chance to double Bolton’s lead wide. But it was only a matter of time before the visitors struck again. Ivan Klasnic’s deft touch found Reo-Coker, who continued his forward charge after releasing Martin Petrov down the left.
When Reo-Coker collected the cross, he had his back to goal. But he got the better of Morten Gamst Pedersen far too easily and got a fortuitous shot away and past the despairing Robinson into the bottom corner. The response from Rovers’ furious fans was predictable, with the club’s owners Venky’s now added to the venom.
The Bolton contingent gleefully made it worse, chanting ‘You should have kept Big Sam’ in honour of their former boss, sacked by Blackburn a year ago to make way for Kean. Their Blackburn counterparts joined in.
The noise continued as soon as Kean returned for the second half.
His team came so close to giving him something to shout about though, with Junior Hoilett pulling the ball back to Steven Nzonzi, whose effort flew just over.
It was the start of a far better period for Rovers, who pulled one back midway through the half when Hoilett cut in off the left flank and found Yakubu with a slide-rule pass that invited the neat finish.
Rovers piled forward looking for the equaliser, with Samba going close and a couple of Hoilett crosses fizzing across the box. But the second would not come, and the Rovers fans unleashed more anger at the final whistle. Afterwards hundreds of fans held further protests outside. With trips to Liverpool and Manchester United ahead, Kean’s days look numbered now.
BLACKBURN: Robinson, Lowe, Samba, Hanley, Pedersen, Hoilett, Dunn, Nzonzi, Vukcevic (Rochina 65), Formica (Goodwillie 65), Yakubu.
BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Alonso (Robinson 57), M Davies, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Klasnic (Pratley 81), Ngog (Sanli 72).
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
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