Rooney shines, but fails to hit home

Everton 0 Bolton 0

Wayne Rooney was denied redemption at Goodison Park today as battling Bolton clung on for their first clean sheet since September 11.

Rooney shrugged off his St Stephen's Day red card and produced another precocious performance to justify his manager’s decision to hand him only his fifth Premiership start.

The 17-year-old stretched the Trotters’ defence to the limit, bringing three brilliant saves out of the overworked Jussi Jaaskelainen and ramming the crossbar with a rising 62nd-minute strike.

Somehow Sam Allardyce’s men – who had shipped at least a goal in every game since their famous win at Old Trafford – held on and almost nicked the points themselves 12 minutes from time when Jay-Jay Okocha hit a curling free-kick against the bar with Richard Wright beaten.

Rooney had looked the only likely scorer from dull and nervy beginnings of a contest.

David Moyes’ side had made early progress down the flanks through Joseph Yobo and Thomas Gravesen but Bolton’s rearguard denied them an early opening with some timely last-ditch clearances.

Rooney’s first opening took him beyond the visitors’ backline in the sixth minute but he saw his right-wing cross deflected out for a corner by Ivan Campo.

Jaaskelainen punchedaway Everton’s second corner to deny Yobo in the box.

Bolton had the best early chance in the 10th minute when Henrik Pedersen cut into the box from the left and beat David Weir before hitting a low cross which Alan Stubbs cleared from in front of goal.

Everton’s opener almost arrived from Gary Naysmith’s 19th-minute corner from the right which was flicked on by Lee Carsley but palmed off a crowded goalline by Jaaskelainen.

Rooney stepped up a gear in the 23rd minute, leaving Campo on the deck before hitting a premature cross from the right side of the box which Gudni Bergsson hacked away.

Bolton’s in-form striker Michael Ricketts was denied a shooting chance by Yobo’s challenge after Kevin Nolan’s precise through-ball.

But Everton began to take control, Stubbs heading a Naysmith free-kick over the bar and Rooney once again leaving Campo in his wake and beating Simon Charlton before hitting a shot from point-blank range which the advancing Jaaskelainen parried well.

Bolton retaliated through Nolan’s long-range effort which did not trouble Wright before Rooney created two glorious chances in first-half injury time.

First he left Bergsson for dead before hitting a deflected shot which was bundled out of play by Anthony Barness.

And moments later he reached Naysmith’s right-wing corner with a goal-bound effort which was squeezed out of play by Nolan’s fortunate deflection.

Bolton got 10 minutes’ breathing space from Rooney’s assault at the start of the second half and might have gone ahead when Pedersen flashed a shot just wide of Wright’s left-hand post from Ricketts’ nod-down.

Substitute Tomasz Radzinski was just too short to make his first touch count from Naysmith’s excellent cross from the left, then Yobo hit a powerful 30-yard effort just wide of Jaaskelainen’s right-hand post.

Rooney was let in by Jaaskelainen’s awful throw which clattered into the back of Nolan, but the Bolton keeper redeemed himself by flapping away the teenager’s rising shot before Charlton booted the rebound off the line.

Rooney again went close in the 62nd minute when he twisted past Barness in the box and slammed a shot against the bar with the keeper beaten.

And three minutes later he had the ball plucked from his feet by Bolton substitute Stig Tofting as he shaped up for another goal-bound effort. His second chance was cleared by the busy Campo.

Everton’s period of pressure inevitably subsided as Sam Allardyce’s men threatened to steal the points.

Okocha’s curling-78th minute set-piece clattered the top of the Everton bar after Ricardo Gardner’s run down the left had been brought to a halt by David Weir.