Everton Preview

By Mark Heys
August 19 2005

This Sunday sees Premiership football return to the Reebok Stadium as Bolton take on their North West rivals Everton in a lunchtime showdown.

The Trotters started the new season in a hectic manner last weekend when they shared out four goals in an away day draw at Aston Villa. Everton in contrast lost out to a Wayne Rooney inspired Manchester United side at Goodison Park.

A good Premiership start is what both Sam Allardyce and David Moyes are yearning for as each takes his side into Europe for what is sure to be a hectic, yet action packed season.

Bolton are still missing the experience of Khalilou Fadiga (knee) and Bruno N'Gotty (ban) but skipper Jay-Jay Okocha could get a starting place after an encouraging performance as a substitute against Villa.

New Wanderers signings Jared Borgetti and Hidetoshi Nakata may not be used in this game as they are still getting used to the new culture of the United Kingdom.

Tal Ben-Haim picked up a slight knock whilst playing in an international for Israel in midweek but he should be back in tandem for the visit of the improving Toffees.

Everton's Welsh winger Simon Davies also picked up a knock playing for his country, but unlike Ben-Haim he might not be lucky enough to take part in the match. Gary Naysmith, Lee Carsley, James Beattie and ex-Bolton trialist Per Kroldrup are definately out of contention

Last season's meetings between the two clubs went 3-2 in favour of the home side. In December 2004 two Kevin Davies goals where not enough as Duncan Ferguson, Thomas Gravesen and an own goal by Radhi Jaidi gave the Toffees the victory, whilst on the last day of last season it was Wanderers who truimphed when goals from Jaidi, Davies and Giannakopoulos cancelled out earlier goals by Tim Cahill and Lee Carsley.

Bolton have won the last two meetings at the Reebok Stadium so they will be hoping for a home hat trick against the Toffees by the time the Sunday roast hits the dinnertable.

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

14/10/1995 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Paatelainen) EVERTON 1 (Rideout)

06/04/1996 EVERTON 3 (Hottiger, Kanchelskis, Amokachi) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

01/09/1997 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 EVERTON 0

28/12/1997 EVERTON 3 (Ferguson 3) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Bergsson, Sellars)

03/11/2001 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Frandsen, Ricketts) EVERTON 2 (Stubbs, Gascoigne)

01/04/2002 EVERTON 3 (Pistone, Radzinski, Chadwick) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (N'Gotty)

28/12/2002 EVERTON 0 BOLTON WANDERERS 0

28/01/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Bergsson) EVERTON 2 (Watson 2)

29/11/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Frandsen, Nolan) EVERTON 0

08/05/2004 EVERTON 1 (Ferguson) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Djorkaeff 2)

04/12/2004 EVERTON 3 (Ferguson, Gravesen, Jaidi OG) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Davies 2)

15/05/2005 BOLTON WANDERERS 3 (Jaidi, Davies, Giannakopoulos) EVERTON 2 (Cahill, Carsley)

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 12

Won: 3

Drawn: 4

Lost: 5

CONNECTIONS

Peter Beardsley, Brian Borrows, Martin Dobson, Gareth Farrelly, Albert Geldard, Asa Hartford, Glenn Keeley, Brian Kidd, Paul Lodge, Jim McDonagh, Neil McDonald, Ian Marshall, John O’Kane, Peter Reid, Gary Speed, Dennis Stevens, Alan Stubbs, Mike Walsh

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED EVERTON

Referee Steven Lodge failed to spot a clear Bolton goal by Gerry Taggart in the first ever game at the Reebok Stadium in September 1997.

England icon Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne scored his one and only Everton goal against the Wanderers in November 2001