The Trotters made some significant changes to their starting line up for this game as both Kevin Davies and Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye where omitted from the first eleven and replaced by Ricardo Vaz-Te and Martin Djetou, the latter making his first full Premiership appearance in two years.

Struggling Sunderland had the first real chance of the game on 12 minutes but lanky striker Jonathan Stead was unable to keep the ball down after being presented with a golden opportunity by Wanderers right back Nicky Hunt.

Soon after the visitors went down to nine men for just under five minutes as influential defensive duo Bruno N'Gotty and Tal Ben-Haim clashed heads and had to leave the field of play for some treatment on open head wounds.

Bolton nearly took the lead on 25 minutes despite their numerical disadvantage as winger Khalilou Fadiga forced a save out of Black Cats goalkeeper Kelvin Davis at the near post. The Senegalese international saw his effort tipped around the woodwork by the former Luton Town and Ipswich Town custodian.

Fadiga had a second attempt on goal eight minutes later as Davis made a hash clearance but the Bolton player was unable to reap the rewards of the blunder and saw his effort from distance sail wide of the goalmouth.

Referee Martin Atkinson, relatively new to Premiership football, handed out four cautions during the half with three going the way of the Wanderers as Fadiga, Ben-Haim and Giannakopoulos all saw yellow with Sunderland's Andy Gray also making his way into the official's notebook.

Mick McCarthy's Mackem's then tested Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen as the half came to a close but in-form midfielder Dean Whitehead could find no way past the Big Finn who has been in the news this week.

The home side went close to breaking the deadlock just after the interval but ex-Blackburn Rovers forward Stead could not get enough on his 47th minute shot to put the Trotters goalmouth in any significant danger.

Winger Liam Lawrence was also quick to test the Bolton back line but his curling effort from just outside the box was dealt with and the early Sunderland second half pressure was broken up by the Wanderers defence.

Giannakopoulos was looking to add to his impressive run of goalscoring for Sam Allardyce's side but the pint sized Greek star saw his ambitious effort from way out go high and harmlessly over Davis crossbar.

Bolton striker Diouf then missed arguably the best chance of the match as he fired over from close range. Substitute Ivan Campo sent veteran Gary Speed away down the flank and the industrious Welshman set up his Wanderers team mate who in turn wasted the glorious chance.

The clock was ticking down and the Wanderers tried in vain to make the breakthrough but neither Bruno N'Gotty, Ricardo Vaz-Te or Ivan Campo could make their chances count but the big turning point came at the other end right at the death as Jaaskelainen made a super save from the impressive Black Cats left sider Julio Arca.

Bolton Wanderers: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Nicky Hunt, Tal Ben-Haim, Bruno N'Gotty, Ricardo Gardner, Khalilou Fadiga (Jay-Jay Okocha), Martin Djetou (Ivan Campo), Gary Speed, Stelios Giannakopoulos, El-Hadji Diouf (Jared Borgetti), Ricardo Vaz-Te

Subs Not Used: Ian Walker, Radhi Jaidi

Sunderland: Kelvin Davis, Justin Hoyte, Gary Breen, Stephen Caldwell, Danny Collins, Liam Lawrence, Christian Bassila (Alan Stubbs), Dean Whitehead, Julio Arca, Andy Gray (Daryl Murphy), Jonathan Stead (Anthony Le Tallec)

Subs Not Used: Ben Alnwick, Martin Woods

Attendance:

32,232

Referee:

Martin Atkinson

Booked:

Khalilou Fadiga (Bolton)

Andy Gray (Sunderland)

Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton)

Tal Ben-Haim (Bolton)

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