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On Sunday in the English Premier League championship, one of the 8th round matches was played. At the packed "St. James Park" stadium, the hosts Newcastle faced the strong Bolton club. Thanks to two precise strikes by El Hadji Diouf, Bolton secured victory, taking the third place with seventeen points.
1 - 2 19‘ [1 - 0] Shola Ameobi (11m.) 55‘ [1 - 1] El Hadji Diouf 57‘ [1 - 2] El Hadji Diouf
The penultimate match of the 8th round of the English championship took place in Newcastle, where the local Newcastle team met Bolton. The match started with both teams cautiously observing each other. Gradually, the hosts started to take the initiative: Shola Ameobi and Obafemi Martins' shots flew over the gates.
After a longer break, in the 19th minute, Bolton defender Abdoulaye Faye slightly touched the ball with his hand in the penalty area, but the match referee immediately awarded a controversial penalty kick to the "Magpies." It was scored by the most productive player of the "Sharks" team, S. Ameobi, who deceived the goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen with a weak shot to the lower right corner, thus scoring his third goal in the Premier League.
After conceding a goal, Bolton did not rush to speed up the events, and the teams exchanged several dangerous attacks. One of the most dangerous moments was the 35th minute attack by the Bolton club on the Newcastle goal, when Nicolas Anelka's shot was saved by goalkeeper Steve Harper, and the first to the rebound, Kevin Davies, attempted to score a goal, but again Harper saved the situation.
Four minutes later, Newcastle was already terrorizing Jaaskelainen's fortress, when after Shola Ameobi's header, defender Peter Ramage sent the ball over the goal from just a few meters. The first half ended with a 1-0 advantage for the hosts.
At the beginning of the second half, Bolton immediately wanted to send the "Sharks" players into a knockout when O. Martins, having escaped the defender, powerfully shot towards the goal, but the Bolton goalkeeper saved the situation. After this moment, the visitors attacked. Team captain Kevin Nolan had an excellent chance to equalize, but defender P. Ramage blocked the ball from under his feet.
In the 55th minute, the equalizing goal was scored by El Hadji Diouf. On the left flank, Nicolas Anelka passed the ball to the Senegalese, who directed it straight into the net. Newcastle, having lost promise, soon "received" the second goal, when veteran Ivan Campo lifted the ball into the penalty area, where Kevin Davies rose highest and headed the ball to E. Diouf, who scored with a header.
After this goal, the hosts attacked the Bolton goal more and more often, but the "Trotters" players defended reliably. In the 78th minute, the French N. Anelka received the ball in the middle of the penalty area, outplayed one defender, and shot just wide of the goal. After four minutes, I. Campo took a cunning penalty kick, but it was an easy catch for S. Harper.
At the end of the match, the "Sharks" newcomers Damien Duff and Emre had half-chances, but they failed to score the equalizing goal. This victory returned Bolton to the third position, while Newcastle, having won only one of the four home matches, remains in fifteenth place with seven points.
