Youri Djorkaeff’s last minute tap in at the back post after a long throw from home debutante Jay-Jay Okocha caused confusion in the Saints defence.
The first half wasn’t the most exciting ever seen at the Reebok although Djorkaeff hit the post and Michael Ricketts forced an excellent save from Antti Niemi with the Saints also going close on a couple of occasions.
Bolton built up the pressure throughout the second half and were backed by a vocal crowd but it was Southampton who took a shock lead in the final quarter when England left back Wayne Bridge smashed home an unstoppable strike from just outside the area. This mirrored the corresponding game last season when Marian Pahars performed a smash-and-grab raid and it seemed Bolton, just as then, would fall to a 1-0 home defeat to the South Coast club before Djorkaeff’s heroics sent the Reebok wild with relief and delight.
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