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from football news.co.uk
Crouch headed Marlon Broomes' long cross from the right into the corner of the net after Rangers had been forced to withstand substantial Bolton pressure. It was a goal against the run of play although Karl Connolly had wasted a tremendous chance to put Rangers ahead on 17 minutes. Gavin Peacock's perfectly timed chip put Connolly through on goal and although his failure to control the ball forced him slightly wide, he still had only goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to beat but his embarrassingly weak shot was easily saved by the Finn. Four minutes later, Lee Harper, outstanding against Tranmere on Saturday, picked up where he left off at Prenton Park by producing a superb stop. Wing-back Ricardo Gardner ghosted in behind Clarke Carlisle to meet Per Frandsen's right-wing cross but saw his header tipped away at full stretch by the Rangers keeper .
But it was Rangers who opened the scoring with Crouch finishing brilliantly from seven yards, only for them to concede an equaliser within two minutes. Gardner's inswinging corner was palmed away weakly by Harper at the far post and after Rangers failed to react quickly enough, Gudni Bergsson was able to level for Bolton with a well placed header. Rangers started the second half well and Jaaskelainen dived to his left to push away a 30-yard drive from Peacock, before Richard Langley fired over from just outside the box. But it was Bolton who scored the game's crucial goal - which came out of nothing on 61 minutes. Robbie Elliott beat Crouch to an unclaimed ball 35 yards from goal and then let fly with a spectacular shot Harper got a hand to but couldn't keep out of his net. Worse was to follow for Rangers just three minutes later, as they were punished for another lapse in concentration at the back when Nolan was allowed to send in a low cross for Michael Ricketts, who got in front of Tim Breacker to skillfully flick the ball past Harper at the near post. There was no way back for a defensive Rangers line-up never likely to be handed a second chance after surrendering their lead. Gerry Francis, in his now almost customary switch to three up front in the final stages, sent on Sammy Koejoe in place of Morrow but the change had no real effect. Rangers did produce a promising move when Peacock picked out Breacker on the right but on a rare foray into the opposing half, Breacker was unable to deliver a telling cross. How ironic that one David Bardsley should happen to be among the hundred or so Rangers fans braving the cold behind a sparcely populated goal. For them the final act of sufference was to watch an unmarked Koejoe smash the ball way over the bar from seven yards. Oh for the days when Bardsley would smash them in from 25. |
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QPR went down to their fifth defeat in seven matches as Bolton
came from behind at the Reebok Stadium. Peter Crouch's 43rd minute
goal gave Rangers the lead but they were unable to hold on until
half-time and were then condemned to another loss by two excellent
second half goals.
That
triggered a bout of pressure from the home side with Frandsen
shooting wide from 25 yards, while a block by Carlisle followed
by Steve Morrow's timely clearance prevented Kevin Nolan from
pouncing on a loose ball inside the Rangers penalty area. After
an even first 20 minutes, Bolton began to dominate and following
his earlier saved header, Gardner might have given Wanderers the
lead when he failed to connect with right-back John O'Kane's 36th
minute cross after he again ventured in from the left unmarked.