Fulham were the only winners at the Reebok Stadium tonight after promotion
rivals Bolton and Birmingham fought out a draw.
Jean Tigana's men were watching in the appropriately named Party Suite as
Bolton's slip moved them another step closer to automatic promotion.
The result was also a boost to Wanderers' neighbours Blackburn, who are now
two points clear in second spot but with a game in hand.
Bolton badly needed a win to end their home hoodoo which has seen Sam
Allardyce's men slip out of the top two in Division One.
Their last win at home came on January 13 and with this latest setback both
they and Birmingham look destined to have to fight it out in the play-offs for
the third promotion spot.
Birmingham took the lead on 14 minutes with a thunderous strike from skipper
Martin O'Connor.
But even before then both sides wasted decent openings - Ricardo Gardner of
Bolton and Birmingham's Andrew Johnson were the guilty men.
After the goal Bolton piled on the pressure but they had to wait until after
the interval for their reward.
In an amazing four-minute spell in the second period there were three goals as
Bolton came from behind to take the lead - and then let it slip again.
Bolton made it 1-1 thanks to persistence from skipper Gudni Bergsson on 52
minutes.
He saw his first header brilliantly saved by Birmingham keeper Ian Bennett but
when Ricardo Gardner returned the ball into the box Bergsson headed home.
Bolton took the lead two minutes later with a goal from substitute Dean
Holdsworth.
His header from Michael Ricketts' cross came off the woodwork and the linesman
judged that it then bounced over the line.
The home side did not have time to get used to leading the game as Birmingham
hit back after 58 minutes.
The Bolton defence went to sleep to allow Marcelo to poke the ball home.
Both teams went close before the end but the final whistle brought joy for the
two sides above them in the table.
Teams
Bolton: Clarke, Bergsson, Hendry, Richardson, Charlton,
Farrelly, Nolan (Marshall 85), Ricketts (Campbell 82),
Frandsen, Hansen (Holdsworth 45), Gardner.
Subs Not Used: Banks, Summerbee.
Booked: Ricketts, Frandsen, Holdsworth.
Goals: Bergsson 53, Holdsworth 55.
Birmingham: Bennett, Eaden, Purse, Michael Johnson,
Burrows (Gill 80), McCarthy, Woodhouse, O'Connor (Hughes 66),
Lazaridis, Andrew Johnson (Holdsworth 66), Marcelo.
Subs Not Used: Poole, Pollock.
Booked: O'Connor, Burrows, Purse.
Goals: O'Connor 14, Marcelo 57.
Att: 15,025
Ref: G Poll (Tring).
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