Teymourian has Bolton dreaming of Champions League

AFP - 7 April 2007 18:57

Andranik Teymourian, seen here in action in March 2007, kept Bolton firmly in the race for a Champions League place as his double strike earned a 3-1 win at Wigan on Saturday.

WIGAN, England (AFP) - Andranik Teymourian kept Bolton firmly in the race for a Champions League place as his double strike earned a 3-1 win at Wigan on Saturday.

Iran midfielder Teymourian's first Premiership goals capped a superb fightback from Sam Allardyce's side, who had equalised through Nicolas Anelka after Emile Heskey's first half opener.

Bolton are now just two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and, with a crucial trip to the Gunners to come next weekend, they will believe they can qualify for Europe's elite club competition for the first time.

In contrast, Wigan are sliding ever closer to the relegation zone after a second successive defeat and are only seperated from third-bottom Sheffield United by two points.

Paul Jewell's team desperately needed to bounce back from their devastating late defeat at fellow strugglers Charlton and they quickly took the initiative.

They should have been in front when Ryan Taylor whipped in a corner towards Lee McCulloch, but the unmarked Scotland winger shot wide from just eight yards.

Caleb Folan fared little better when he blasted over the bar after Antonio Valencia's precise cross picked him out in the 10th minute.

Bolton had ended their four-match losing run against Sheffield United last weekend and a victory over Wigan was vital if they were to maintain their hopes of catching Arsenal.

Those Champions League ambitions looked like fading fast when they fell behind in the 32nd minute. Folan's pass allowed Paul Scharner to cross low into the Bolton area and Heskey got in front of keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to nudge a shot over the line via a deflection off Nicky Hunt for his 100th career goal.

But Wigan have made a habit of squandered winning positions this season and there was an air of inevitability about Bolton's equaliser in the 44th minute.

Matt Jackson blocked Anelka's shot on the line, but Wigan failed to clear and, when John Filan made a hash of punching the resulting cross, El Hadji Diouf prodded the ball to Anelka, who scored from close range.

Allardyce's side should have been ahead at half-time when Filan spilled Teymourian's shot, but he recovered to keep out Diouf's follow up.

Senegal forward Diouf had set up Bolton's leveller and he created their second as well in the 68th minute. He controlled a long punt out of defence before playing in Teymourian with a perfectly-weighted pass.

Teymourian held his nerve as he ran through to beat Filan with a low strike.

Bolton's Champions League dreams were boosted in the 73rd minute when Teymourian put the result beyond doubt by heading home Kevin Davies's cross from close range.