West Ham 1 Bolton 2

In the first half Bolton were very effective in stifling West Ham's game, West Ham were awful in defence and Bolton looked like they might score every time they attacked.

Bolton's first goal came in the ninth minute after what looked like a foul against Diamanti in the centre of the pitch. However the referee allowed Bolton to continue and Lee made strides down the right flank before crossing into the box. Davis rose unchallenged 7 yards out to head home the visitor's first goal.

Six minutes later it was 2-0 to Bolton after a mistake by Tomkins. The defender tried to let the ball run out of play for a place kick but Davis simply ran around him, crossed into the box and Wilshire scored from seven yards.

Going forward West Ham looked largely ineffective for most of the half. West Ham's best hope seemed to come from set pieces and Diamanti came close twice from freekicks. In the 14th minute he shot just over the top right hand corner of the goal from a freekick 25 yards out. In the 24th minute from the edge of the area he managed to get the ball on target but Jaskelainen did well to save.

West Ham also got in behind the Bolton defence a couple of times. In the 39th minute Parker played Cole clean through but Cole took an age with the ball at his feet and the defence were able to get back and steal the ball off his toes. In the 45th minute Cole headed down for Parker but Parker's shot from 7 yards out was blocked.

In truth however it was Bolton who looked the more likely to score again. Their best chance fell to Elmander 8 yards out who, with the goal at his mercy, managed to fire the ball over the bar. The only consolation for West Ham going into the break was that they weren't more than two goals down.


West Ham started the second half quite lively. In the 47th minute Dyer, on for Faubert, got onto a Cole headed flick and fired over from 7 yards. In the 60th minute Upson nearly scored an own goal, heading just over his own crossbar from 7 yards.

In the 66th minute Parker was found in the box seven yards out from a long ball forward. Parker rolled the ball back to Franco who blasted over from the edge of the area. That was the last kick from Franco as he was then replaced by Mido.

In the 70th minute West Ham were given a way back into the game when Cohen was sent off for a second yellow card. In the 73rd minute Cole headed straight at the keeper from 7 yards. In the 81st minute Stanislas fired just over from a freekick from just outside the area.

West Ham finally got a goal in the 88th minute when Diamanti curled a brilliant goal from the right of the penalty area into the top left hand of the net. Bolton then almost extended their lead again when Davis hit the crossbar from 7 yards.

West Ham were given five minutes to get the equaliser and came tantalisingly close in the 94th minute when Stanislas fired a half volley from the edge of the area that fired back off the crossbar.

However it was too little too late for West Ham and they once again look like they will be struggling to avoid the drop.