The Wigan midfielder, who had become a father for the second time last week, headed the only goal 10 minutes into the second half. These sides shared seven goals in a Boxing Day thriller at the JJB Stadium on Boxing Day, in the light of which the 42,000 who turned up for yesterday’s re-match must have felt they had stumbled upon an antidote to excitement. However, Nolan made it 2-0 in the 84th minute when he clipped the ball home at the far post after Davis had parried Speed’s effort.There a still time for Davis to make a marvellous block from Speed but it is too late for Sunderland heroics.. The goalkeeper was back in action eight minutes before the interval when he raced out to save from Vaz Te, who had been put through by Bolton’s Nigerian playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha.Sunderland’s rearguard action finally failed them two minutes after the break when Davies headed in a corner by Stelios Giannakopoulos for his fifth goal of the season.Sunderland rallied and two minutes later Kenny Miller tested Jussi Jaaskelainen with a shot from the edge of the area, but then Bolton almost added a second when Gary Speed shot just wide from Okocha’s corner.With only one goal in it, Sunderland were still in with a chance of getting something from the game. Davies saw a close-range header blocked on the line and Ricardo Vaz Te twice went close in quick succession midway through the first half.Soon after the Portuguese youngster’s near misses, it took a superb reaction save by Davis to keep out another point-blank header by Davies and prevent Sunderland going behind. Nolan put the game out of Sunderland’s reach with the second goal six minutes from time after Kevin Davies had opened the scoring in the 47th minute, ending the resistance of Sunderland’s goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis.
Bolton deserved their success after taking a grip on the match from the start. Kevin Nolan maintained his bid for a place in England’s World Cup squad with his 11th goal of the season as Bolton condemned the bottom side to their 24th League defeat and maintained their push for a second successive European campaign.

LuaLua worked his way in from the corner flag to present the substitute Svetoslav Todorov with a tap-in Benayoun’s injury-time score was not even a consolation.. Harewood hit the bar, and when Paul Konchesky was next to strike wood, the ball rebounded kindly for Sheringham to start the comeback.It was short-lived. Receiving a short pass from D’Alessandro, Mendes sent a 30-yarder into the top corner.With Harewood and Yossi Benayoun on for the second half, West Ham could not help but look better. But three minutes from half-time Pedro Mendes, scorer of two goals last weekend, hit another, and it was a candidate for goal of the season. LuaLua cleared off the line from Reo-Coker and Sheringham curled a free-kick inches wide.

Brian Priske crossed, Mwaruwari missed but Sean Davis had time to control the ball and strike joy into Pompey hearts. “We are staying up,” they chorused.West Ham enjoyed their best quarter of an hour after going two down. Matthew Taylor’s cross from the left was driven high into the net by LuaLua, and there could have been a quick second, Gary O’Neil miskicking with only Walker to beat.Six minutes after the first goal, Portsmouth fashioned another, this time from the right side. Where has tradition gone?”There had already been a warning, with Benjani Mwaruwari firing past a post with the home defence at sea, before Portsmouth went in front after 19 minutes. Extra time [in the Cup] on Wednesday and then having to play the next round on Monday.

As good as Portsmouth were, I had players today who didn’t give me the lot.”Having enjoyed a warm welcome, Redknapp found the afternoon getting cheerier as West Ham floundered, but he has sympathy for his old club “It is scandalous what they are having to do. Our last two League games have obviously been affected by the Cup. Lomano LuaLua frolicked up front as Hammersditheredand, unsurprisingly, midfield was a playground for Pedro Mendes and Andres D’Alessandro.Pardew admitted “bitter disappointment” at his side’s performance, adding: “I will take no pleasure if we win on Monday night. As he pointed out, they were the weakest unit.Up front, instead of Marlon Harewood and Dean Ashton, Pardew paraded Teddy Sheringham and Bobby Zamora, observing that they had a better scoring record than anyone from Portsmouth Until yesterday, that is. Fielding a joke midfield consisting of one regular, Nigel Reo-Coker, an Israel striker (Yaniv Katan, making his first start), a defender, Christian Dailly, and a reserve, Clive Clarke, who had started only once previously, West Ham paid a predictable price.
The irony was that, with Jimmy Walker making his first appearance in goal this season, Pardew attempted to protect him by fielding his first-choice back four. It was a ploy which could not have backfired more wretchedly, nor ended in such a joyous return to Upton Park for the Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp.

What on earth are they supposed to make of this result in the Midlands? The prospects of Birmingham and West Bromwich avoiding relegation took a nasty turn for the worse with Portsmouth’s humiliation ofWest Ham weakened by the decision of the Hammers manager, Alan Pardew, to rest key players in advance of tomorrow night’s FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City. Accused of spending too much time on the US west coast.He says: “I’ve got my plan with everything necessary for the World Cup preparations.”He means: “I’ll be on the first flight back to California when we get knocked out by Costa Rica.”. Liaisons with Ulrika Jonsson and Faria Alam have put his love life on the front pages.He says: “I think we can win the World Cup, I have always said that.”He means: “I’ll be on the first plane back to Sweden when we get knocked out by Trinidad and Tobago.”KlinsmannLaid-back and easy-going – perhaps more Californian than German Known as the “blond bomber”. The criticism has intensified over the past week following Germany’s 4-1 defeat by Italy – the 17th game in a row that Germany had failed to beat top-class opposition.But before England fans get too smug, it is worth remembering that footballing clich?According to former England striker Gary Lineker, football is a simple game: 22 men run around a pitch for 90 minutes – then the Germans win on penalties.SVEN v J?GEN: THE SCOREErikssonFamous for stacked heels, love affairs and over-cautious tactics.