Bolton - 1 Aston Villa - 0Gleeful relief may still be tempered by the reality of tough times ahead, but Bolton will breathe a little easier this morning.
A year since they sat on top of the Premiership, and with ominous games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal looming large, Bolton are off the bottom courtesy of an inspirational Frenchman and a first clean sheet since February. "You might say that came in the nick of time," said Sam Allardyce.
"Safe to say it's all been a bit anxious recently." Things will surely be less perturbing if Youri Djorkaeff maintains the sparkling form which dismantled an anaemic Aston Villa. The 34-year-old was irrepressible, running the visitors ragged as he buzzed behind Bolton's front line.
A looping header wide from Paul Warhurst's pass and a clever flick that Henrik Pedersen bundled in only to be ruled out for handball served notice of Djorkaeff's threat.
But Villa failed to take heed. Early in the second period he sent Pedersen scurrying away from a stumbling Alan Wright and into the area again. The Dane's touch around Peter Enckelman may have been clumsy but so too was the goalkeeper's challenge with the striker eagerly falling to earth.
The foul was utterly predictable and prompted the fifth penalty of Bolton's three league games this season. Michael Ricketts, heckled by Lee Hendrie seconds before, stroked in the decisive goal.
"We've lacked composure up front and we've been leaking them in all over the place at the other end," said Allardyce.
"We needed shape, organisation and concentration. Once we scored we had to pull things together at the back. If we keep 10 clean sheets this year we'll stay in the Premiership."
Even so, Villa's huffing and puffing might have yielded an equaliser 11 minutes after going behind, but Juan PabloAngel's low drive was disallowed for offside despite Gudni Bergsson appearing to be goalside of the Colombian.
"We've got some good referees, but I'm not so certain we have that many good assistant referees," said Villa's manager Graham Taylor.
BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, N'Gotty, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton (Gardner 32), Djorkaeff, Warhurst (Barness 39), Frandsen, Nolan, Ricketts, Pedersen. Subs Not Used: Poole, Mendy, Holdsworth. Booked: Pedersen, Ricketts. Goals: Ricketts 56 pen.
ASTON VILLA: Enckelman, Delaney, Mellberg, Staunton, Wright (Samuel 64), Angel, Hendrie, Kinsella, Barry, Vassell (De la Cruz 45), Crouch (Allback 64). Subs Not Used: Postma, Hitzlsperger. Booked: Enckelman, Angel, Hendrie.
