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Football: Bolton count cost of Branagan's blunder

West Bromwich Albion 2 Bolton Wanderers

Monday 09 December 1996 00:02 GMT
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A blunder by their goalkeeper Keith Branagan cost Bolton the chance of extending their lead at the top of the First Division table to five points yesterday.

Branagan lashed out at the Albion striker Paul Peschisolido with just 10 minutes remaining of an exciting match. The referee pointed to the spot and the Albion substitute Bob Taylor gave Alan Buckley's struggling side a deserved share of the spoils.

"We can't keep shooting ourselves in the foot," Bolton's manager, Colin Todd, said after his side's fifth successive draw. "We got the all-important second goal and then through our own stupidity we gave it away. That little bit of madness cost us dearly."

Wanderers opened the scoring after 37 minutes when the Danish international Per Frandsen crowned a determined charge through the middle with a shot off the inside of the far post. But Albion, still with only one home victory to their credit all season, levelled the score two minutes after the interval. A brilliant flick from the former Bolton player Richard Sneekes sent Peschisolido through and he slipped a neat shot past Branagan.

Bolton regained the lead after 61 minutes when Chris Fairclough took advantage of a Paul Agnew mistake - before Branagan threw it away.

Goals: Frandsen (37) 0-1; Peschisolido (48) 1-1; Fairclough (62) 1-2; Taylor pen (80) 2-2.

West Bromwich Albion: Crichton; Holmes, Agnew, Sneekes (Coldicott, 61), Burgess, Darby, Groves, Smith, Peschisolido, Hunt (Taylor, 72), Hamilton. Substitute not used: Gilbert.

Bolton Wanderers: Branagan; Bergsson, Phillips, Frandsen, Taggart, Fairclough, Lee (Johansen, 70), Sellars, Blake, McGinlay, Thompson. Substitutes not used: Sheridan, Todd.

Referee: K Lynch (Knaresborough).

Bookings: West Bromwich: Darby, Hamilton. Bolton: Branagan, Frandsen, Fairclough, Taggart.

Man of the match: Peschisolido.

Attendance: 13,082.

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