Braga hold Bolton to 1-1 draw
El-Hadji Diouf scores for Bolton as Trotters draw 1-1 at home with Braga
Thursday, 25, Oct 2007 10:20
Bolton Wanderers missed out on a chance to kickstart their season after being held to a 1-1 draw with Braga in their opening Uefa Cup group stage match.
El-Hadji Diouf scored the home team's solitary strike of the night in front of a sparse Reebok Stadium crowd, only for Brazilian midfielder Jailson to claim a late header for their Portuguese opponents.
Bolton, who were watched by incoming manager Gary Megson, failed to impress over the 90 minutes, with the Premier League's bottom side fortunate to claim a point in their group F encounter.
Star striker Nicolas Anelka should have but the Trotters ahead midway through the first-half, but he unwisely chose to lob Braga keeper Paulo Santos from 40 yards out instead of running on to Alberto Rodriguez's defensive slip.
As well as the Frenchman's miss, caretaker manager Archie Knox was forced to watch Gary Speed scuff a good chance to get the home team off the ground.
But as the 11,000-strong crowd chanted "You don't know what you're doing" at the club's board after the exit of Sammy Lee, second-half substitute Diouf scored his first goal of the season.
The Senegalese striker rose highest to nod Kevin Davies' clever cross past Santos in the Braga goal after 65 minutes.
But while Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen had rarely been threatened up until this point, Portugal's seventh ranked team launched wave after wave of attack upon the Lancashire team's goal.
Ireland defender Andy O'Brien was lucky not to concede a penalty after a rash challenge, while the impressive Davies was equally as unlucky after striking the post.
Braga's equaliser, though late in coming, was deserved however, with Brazil's Jailson heading past Jaaskelainen from Joao Pereira's cross with three minutes remaining.