Boro close gap, Hammers stay bottom

Middlesbrough cut the gap on second-placed Liverpool to one point in the Barclaycard Premiership with a 2-0 win over Bolton this…

Middlesbrough cut the gap on second-placed Liverpool to one point in the Barclaycard Premiership with a 2-0 win over Bolton this afternoon.

Ugo Ehiogu nodded home from a corner in the 23rd minute against Bolton to give third-placed Boro the lead at the Riverside Stadium.

Cameroon midfielder Geremi made it 2-0 for Steve McClaren's side midway through the second half with a shot from the edge of the area after Alen Boksic teed him up.

Newcastle captain Alan Shearer overturned an unlikely West Brom lead to help his side climb to sixth with their third-successive Premiership win.

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The Baggies led through Slovakian wing-back Igor Balis, who just beat Shay Given with a drilled shot in the 27th minute.

But Shearer drilled in from an indirect free-kick just before the half-time whistle blew to leave honours even before volleying in a second in the 69th minute.

Southampton took the lead after 64 seconds against Manchester City at St Mary's Stadium when Brett Ormerod headed in Wayne Bridge's cross from the left, having hit a hat-trick in midweek for Saints.

The lead could have been at least trebled had Peter Schmeichel not rolled back the years to produce save after save to keep the rampant home side at bay.

The Dane could not stem the tide forever though and Ormerod, who began his career with Accrington Stanley, made it 2-0 with two minutes to go to half-time.

The home side's onslaught should have been rewarded by more goals in the second half but they could not break through again and Kevin Keegan's side got away very lightly with a 2-0 defeat.

Marian Pahars was sent off towards the end for Southampton when he received his second yellow card for what referee Matt Messias thought was a dive.

A brace from Stern John helped Birmingham to a 2-1 success at rock-bottom West Ham and secured their first-ever away win in the Premiership.

The Trinidad & Tobago striker, who registered a hat-trick against the Hammers' east London neighbours Leyton Orient in midweek, beat former Blues defender Gary Breen and caught David James out at his near post in the fourth minute to open the scoring.

But Glenn Roeder's side equalised after 16 minutes when a Birmingham attack broke down and the ball was fed into Joe Cole by Paolo di Canio, and the young England midfielder beat Nico Vaesen with a neat finish to make it 1-1.

However, Steve Bruce's men bounced back and regained the lead through John, who scored his fifth goal of the week to make it 2-1 with two minutes to go to the break to leave West Ham still looking for their first home win of the season.