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Your support makes all the difference.Uniquely, this was a Newcastle victory fervently wished for in Sunderland. Although it was the least convincing of their 11 successive home wins, Jermaine Jenas's neatly-taken goal secured Newcastle in the third Champions' League position, six points clear of Everton in fifth, and prevented Bolton slipping too far away from the teetering Wearsiders.
Nevertheless, Bolton deserved something for their efforts. Perhaps a penalty, maybe a point, possibly even a win. But, at this stage of the campaign, results are everything. "Our problem is that we lack an out-and-out goalscorer," reflected their manager, Sam Allardyce. "I have nobody who is even close to double figures and, unless I can get someone in quickly, we will have to live with that until the end of the season. We must punish the opposition when we are on top and against a side like Newcastle your spells of pressure will not last very long."
In fact, Bolton's lasted for most of the second half, when Allardyce was convinced they might have had two penalties for fouls on Bernard Mendy and Henrik Pedersen. It has been a familiar lament for Allardyce, who has seen his side play well against the Premiership's leading clubs, aided by what he calls "a lack of expectation". Newcastle's defence almost made them a present of an equaliser when Steve Caldwell all but deflected Simon Charlton's cross past his own goalkeeper. Mendy crashed the rebound wastefully into the side-netting. However, Newcastle's back four, who at home have conceded fewer than any other Premiership club and more away than anyone bar West Ham, held out.
The expectation at St James' Park was that Newcastle would crush Bolton, who had not won on Tyneside since 1959. The subsequent impatience when they failed to add to Jenas's 18th-minute goal, irritated Sir Bobby Robson. Remarking that his midfield had run itself into the ground against Manchester City on Saturday, the Newcastle manager said pointedly: "These kids are not racehorses".
Certainly, they began at a gallop. Kieron Dyer forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into a full-stretch save after barely 20 seconds. By the time the game was 10 minutes old, Allardyce had seen his side survive three genuine scares and had to replace the injured Per Frandsen with Ivan Campo. This worked to his advantage. Although Campo has swapped the all-white of Real Madrid for that of Bolton, little he has done in Allardyce's defence has lived up to his pedigree. Last night, pressed into midfield, the Spaniard was composed. "For 20 minutes, he was a world-beater," Robson said.
He could, however, do nothing to prevent Newcastle taking the lead. The talk of Jonathan Woodgate's arrival appears to have concentrated the minds of their back four. Caldwell produced a shimmering 30-yard ball that Craig Bellamy did well to control and did better to slide through Bruno N'Gotty's legs. Jenas timed his run well for his third goal in four matches. If the watching Sven Goran Eriksson is under pressure to select Wayne Rooney for the friendly against Australia, then the 19-year-old Jenas must merit serious consideration. His goal symbolised everything about Newcastle this season; youthful flair none of those involved in the move were older than 23 and cool finishing. Allardyce thought it a sloppy goal.
Newcastle's next best chance demonstrated the other side of their play. Alan Shearer was enjoying a relatively insipid game when he threw himself at Nolberto Solano's cross and sent a header against the bar. It was typically brave and demonstrated the kind of leadership Newcastle will require if they are to maintain their momentum into the business end of the season.
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Given 6; Hughes 5, Dabizas 5, S Caldwell 6, Bernard 5, Solano 5 (Kerr, 85), Dyer 7, Jenas 8, Robert 5, Bellamy 6, Shearer 5. Substitutes not used: Elliott, LuaLua, Ameobi, Harper (gk).
Bolton Wanderers (3-5-2): Jaaskelainen 5; Bergsson 6, N'Gotty 7, Barness 6, Mendy 5, Nolan 4 (Facey, 83), Frandsen 4 (Campo 6, 9), Gardner 4, Charlton 6, Pedersen 4 (Ricketts 6, 69), Djorkaeff 6. Substitutes not used: Bulent, Poole (gk).
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire) 6.
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