City Robbed By Officials

BOLTON WANDERERS FC 3 - 3 MANCHESTER CITY FC

Match details
Saturday 12 December 2009, 3:00PM

Reebok Stadium Att: 22735
Barclays Premier League

Referee:
Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)
Teams
Bolton Wanderers:

Jaaskelainen, K.Davies, Taylor, Knight, Robinson, Chung-Yong, Steinsson, Cahill, Muamba (Davies 82), Cohen, Klasnic (Elmander 74)

Unused subs:
Al Habsi, O,Brien, Elmander, M. Davies, Samuel, Basham, Ricketts

Bookings:
Klasnic 45mins, Davies 54, Cohen 59,
Manchester City:

Given, Richards, Toure, Lescott, Sylvinho, Wright-Phillips (Ireland 22), Barry, Kompany (Robinho 74), Bellamy, Tevez, Adebayor (Santa Cruz 83)

Unused subs:
Taylor, Onuoha, Zabaleta, Ireland, Petrov, Robinho, Santa Cruz

Bookings:
Sylvinho (61mins), Bellamy (53 and 68)




Mark Hughes men must feel that the world and his dog is against them in their attempt to break the status quo this season.

Every time an opportunity presents itself for them to make it into the top four fate rears its cruel head. As the Blues finished this game with ten men and Bolton held on for a three all draw.

With Tottenham losing and United playing Villa his was another chance to push into those Champions League places but alas a linesman and referee were the protagonists in this festive pantomime.

In a North West derby that had six goals, an off side goal and a ridiculous red card every neutral got their fill, but Gary Megson will feel his fighters just dragged themselves over the finish line in what could prove to be a pivotal point for the Trotters.

The game started off well after some early Wimbledonesque pressure by Bolton the Trotters received a welcome piece of look.

A ball was fired into the six yard box from the City left to find Ivan Klasnic in a world record offside position to simply tap the balll into the net past a helpless Shay Given.

If the Bolton striker had been that far ahead of his opponents in a hundred metre race by the firing pistol had been fired he would have already been across the finish line.

Of course Bolton are not to blame, as they'd take anything to get them out of their rut at the moment, but serious questions have to be asked to why the linesman decided to keep his flag down by his side.

Bolton did what they do best in battering and bruising the Blues into losing their composure as much as they could. Fullback Robinson carried out his bosses orders of taking out Shaun Wright Phillips as soon as possible. Robinson not known for being subtle kindly obliged with a tackle that was as malicious as it was hard.

Within minutes SWP had  hobbled off and was replaced by Steven Ireland, which changed the dynamics of the game. City know were more calculated in their approach and Ireland and Tevez began to pull the strings.

It was Tevez who put the Blues level by wriggling free on the edge of the box and hitting a shot that deflected off a diving Bolton defender past the helpless Bolton keeper.

Then against the run of play the pantomime continue as centreback Cahill tripped over the ball to send Ireland and Barry the wrong way before turning and firing in a vicious curler into the top righthand side of Shay Given.

It was a glorious piece of opportunism by the young England hopeful to put City  behind for the second time in the match.

The Blues are a different kettle of fish this season though as they have shown on many occasions that they hae the resilience to come back into matches and in a fantastic sweeping move involving six City players Richards fired the ball past the Bolton number one.

The second half continued to throw up surprises as the Blues looked to build on their victories over Arsenal and Chelsea last week. After some early City pressure it was Bolton who went ahead for the third time in sublime fashion.

After a decent ball into the box the ball was expertly flicked on by Davies to the waiting Klasnic who smashed his volley into the net for is second of the game.

What happened next was bizarre as Bellamy was one on one with the already carded Robinson and went down after it appeared he'd been clipped outside the box.

Strangely Bellamy was yellow carded by pantomime villain Mark Clatternburg who subsequently showed the shocked Welshman a red card.

Unknown to many Bellamy had been booked for complaining after the Klasnic goal but this red was more than suspect as Hughes contemplated how to win the game with ten men.

What was more suspect was the fact that both Cohen and Klasnic could have been sent off for repeated offences yet the referee deemed them untouchable in this contest.

Down for the the third time and down to ten men the City of old would have almost certainly capitulated, but Hughes' City have mettle.

It was Tevez again who  brought them back into the contest after running at the Bolton defence to fire a fantastic low shot past Jaskelaanen into the bottom right corner.

As the game came to an end it was Bolton who looked the most nervous with City going for the jugular and coming close through Lescott and a Robinho shot.

But it wasn't to be for City as Bolton held on for a point and the Blues failed to take the three points that they needed to go up the league.

MAN OF THE MATCH: CARLOS TEVEZ - The pocket dynamo dragged histeam through this miefield of a contest to almost snatch a victory. Two quality goals from the Argentinian forward.