Reunions can come with the cruelty of the realisation that the past was preferable to the present. For Bolton Wanderers, the sight of Sam Allardyce serves as reminder of a preferable era. The manager who oversaw four successive top-eight finishes at the Reebok Stadium has quietly taken Blackburn to the brink of safety and, in the process, endangered his old employers.
Goals from Nikola Kalinic, Jason Roberts and Gael Givet ensured Allardyce extended his unbeaten record against the club he served as player and manager for 16 years in emphatic fashion. Bolton, meanwhile, remain marooned in the relegation zone.
Blackburn were the better team from the start. The initial threat came from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s set-pieces when referee Chris Foy, as much as the Bolton defence, preserved parity. First the Norwegian’s throw from the touchline had too much force. It sailed in untouched, although a section of the Rovers support began celebrating. Then Pedersen’s free kick was met by Kalinic, whose downward header was well saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen before the Merseyside official ruled the Croatian had been offside.
A third delivery from Pedersen came altogether closer to producing a legitimate breakthrough. His corner was bent into the path of Keith Andrews at the near post. The Irishman’s header was hacked off the line by Fabrice Muamba. It then fell for Kalinic, whose rasping shot rebounded back off the post.
Blackburn, already without one central defender in the suspended Christopher Samba, were then further disrupted by the loss of the injured Ryan Nelsen. Within a couple of minutes, Bolton almost capitalised as Matt Taylor drew a save from Paul Robinson.
Instead, Rovers soon led. Junior Hoilett’s diagonal ball was headed down by Pedersen into the path of Kalinic. The Croatian’s crisp strike took a deflection off the diving Zat Knight before beating Jaaskelainen.
The advantage could, and perhaps should, have been doubled. Pedersen steered a cross into Hoilett’s path and the Canadian’s header produced an athletic stop from Jaaskelainen.
Indeed, the Finn excelled again to thwart Steven Nzonzi, but it transpired he was only delaying Blackburn’s second goal. The subsequent corner was not properly cleared, Givet hooked it back into the penalty area and Roberts applied the finishing touch. Victory was completed when Givet met El-Hadji Diouf’s cross with a glancing header.
Blackburn RoversBolton WanderersPremier LeagueRichard Jollyguardian.co.uk
