EPL: Hometown Decisions Rescue Bolton From Two-Goal Deficit

Birmingham City fans might be a little mystified as to how their team left the Reebok with only a point, but Bolton's aerial bombardment proved effective enough to snatch a point. 

Roger Johnson opened the scoring early on following some brilliant build-up play from Birmingham. McFadden caused problems on the wing and spotted Lee Bowyer's bursting run and played the ball into his path. Without breaking stride Bowyer centred it from the left side of the 18-yard box and Cameron Jerome did enough to cause it to fall to Johnson who poked in-between keeper and defender.

It was a deserved goal for the quality of the move and Birmingham did well to not invite much pressure after it.

The next major event was the sending off of Jussi Jaaskelainen who reacted angrily to a Roger Johnson challenge and slapped the Birmingham scorer. The ref played advantage as Jaaskelainen went down and played on so Birmingham can feel aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty as the Finn slapped Johnson.

In hindsight it was costly though this did not become apparent until the end.

Early in the second half Birmingham doubled their advantage as Jerome played the offside very well and headed to Craig Gardner to finish on his second attempt.

Bolton began to apply more pressure lofting balls to target man Kevin Davies and it was on of these that began the Bolton fightback. Davies and Johnson tussled under a falling ball and Davies flung himself to the floor and the ref, no doubt spurred on by the cries of the home crowd awarded a soft penalty.

Davies picked himself up and put away an admittedly very good penalty, hitting the roof of the net and leaving Foster (who has now faced a penalty in each of Birmingham's league games this season) with no chance.

Bolton continued to loft long balls forward and Birmingham's midfield became very sloppy, conceding possession far too easily.

Eventually Gary Cahill threw himself into a Birmingham player and then hit ground somehow winning a dangerous free-kick near the edge of the Birmingham half in the process. Ex-Blues striker Robbie Blake stepped up and curled a great free-kick into the top right corner, though some might question Ben Foster's positioning behind the wall.

Maybe most disappointing after this Birmingham totally regained control and should have won it as Bowyer sent Jerome through one-on-one but the front-man's low drive was saved by the foot of the Bolton keeper.

A point at the Reebok is nothing to be sniffed at, but considering the position of strength Blues came to it at, two goals up and a man to the good it still feels more like a loss.

A minor positive was the seeming potential of the five-man midfield, with Barry Ferguson sitting deep and Bowyer and Gardner given license to attack through the middle, as well as McFadden's trickery.

A more serious negative was of course the Bolton comeback, and Seb Larsson limping off in seeming agony   

Still unbeaten and Liverpool at home next and its probably as good a time as ever to play them.

KRO