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Bolton Wanderers

Portsmouth 3 Bolton 1

SAMMY Lee's woes continued as Bolton slumped to the foot of the Premier League with defeat at Fratton Park.

Nicolas Anelka gave Lee a flying start with an early strike but three minutes later Kanu, making his first start of the season, struck his first goal to equalise.

The former Arsenal striker set up Nigerian team-mate John Utaka to speed through for a second on the half hour, before Matt Taylor clinched the points four minutes from time from the penalty spot after Kanu had been brought down by Gerald Cid.

Bolton might have fancied their chances of repeating last season's 1-0 win at Fratton Park given Pompey's injury list.

Harry Redknapp was without the injured Sol Campbell and Pedro Mendes, plus suspended record signing Sulley Muntari.

And it looked good for Wanderers when Anelka surged forward on to a pass by El-Hadji Diouf, held off Hermann Hreidarsson and blasted through the legs of goalkeeper David James to give Bolton a 12th-minute lead.

But it did not last long - three minutes to be precise.

Leveller

Kanu had already had an effort ruled out for alleged pushing at a corner by Sean Davis, when he tapped in the leveller after John Utaka had set the opening up by knocking back Gary O'Neil's cross for the striker.

Bolton hit back with Anelka sprinting down the right to fashion a cross which eventually fell for Mikel Alonso - older brother of Liverpool's Xabi - to strike a shot which was blocked.

Pompey took the lead when Utaka sped clear on the half-hour mark onto Kanu's clever flick, rounded Jussi Jaaskelainen and fired home for his second goal of the campaign.

Anelka was always a threat for Bolton, and his header was a fraction away from making it 2-2, with his former Manchester City team-mate James struggling.

But there was never enough support for the Frenchman and when Bolton took off Andranik Teymourian and captain Nolan early in the second half ,there was even less.

James saved well from Gary Speed and Utaka missed a chance to seal the points for Pompey, before Kanu was brought down in the closing minutes by Cid.

Taylor coolly scored the resulting penalty to leave Bolton bottom, without a point.

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Rubbish.

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Rubbish is not the word for it, pathetic is a better adjective.

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