By Mark Deeks
January 28 2003

Mark Deeks writes his Bolton Home column. The game where Newcastle United narrowed the gap on Manchester United to just two points. Going ahead of Chelsea, Newcastle are now 3rd place in the Premiership League! Bolton Home
January 22nd.

At last, the "but with a game in hand" phrase we'd been using all season when telling someone where we were in the league had finally come to pass. Surely we would not throw away the opportunity to gather into the fold a supposedly easy three points. But then I thought before I went to the Reebok on Boxing Day.

A chance to close the gap to Man U in second to two points, and perhaps more importantly to put 4 points between us and Chelsea in fourth. Come on.....

Well things started well. The ever busy and lively Bellamy, Dyer and Jenas all looked the business with a number of good moves being strung together. You know how the toon sometimes seem to want to walk the ball into the net and sometimes seem to lack the "go for the throat" mentality which could surely reap some better rewards? Well Dyer et al could do with a bit more of it. Their beautiful football tendencies get a bit frustrating sometimes.

However, this complaint could not be levelled at the goal. The wonder kid JJ really seems to have settled into his role, and like I have said a few times this season, he got his first and now he can't stop. A long ball for Little Craig to chase, he held onto it by the byline for what seemed like an eternity before playing it beautifully inside for JJ's excellently timed late arrival. Simple finish, 1-0. Brilliant.

Would this be the time for the toon to dish a hammering that we've been longing for all year? It felt like it for a bit, at least until half time. But the second half was a different story.

In short, we were abysmal. And if we'd been playing Barcelona and not Bolton, we would have been in real trouble. But they were even worse than we were and the equaliser never came. But at the end of the day, it was three points we wanted, and that's what we got. Job done etc.

On a final aside, shame on those Bolton fans who, to a man, booed Ricketts when he came on as a sub when they were chasing the game! Alright the guy's put in a transfer request, but when you need every point you can get, there is absolutely nothing to be gained from giving one of your main guys a hard time.

I'd like to think we'd never do the same.