Fulham Preview

By Mark Heys
February 25 2006

Bolton Wanderers hope to put their UEFA Cup disappointment behind them this Sunday lunchtime as they take on Fulham at the Reebok Stadium.

Thursday night's European exit at the hands of French club Olympique Marseille was a cruel blow to the Wanderers who had hoped to continue their record breaking season on the continent.

However the attention moves back onto the league programme this weekend and chairman Phil Gartside has promised that the team will go all out to qualify for next season's UEFA Cup via their final league placing at the end of this campaign.

Fulham have often proved to be a bit of a bogey team for Bolton over the years and are looking to do the double over their Lancashire hosts but Wanderers can take heart by the fact that they won this corresponding fixture last season thanks to goals from Jay-Jay Okocha, Kevin Nolan and Stelios Giannakopoulos.

The Reebok Stadium has been a fortress throughout the season with only Everton managing to claim maximum points right back at the start of the season when Marcus Bent, now of Charlton Athletic, got the only goal.

Danish star Henrik Pedersen is named in the Bolton squad for the game despite limping out of the tie at the Stade Velodrome in midweek with a heel injury. El-Hadji Diouf, Ivan Campo and Khalilou Fadiga are all out for the long haul.

Chris Coleman's Cottagers, yet to win on the road this season, welcome back Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop from international duty. Ian Pearce (back), Philippe Christanval (ankle)and ex-Bolton star Claus Jensen (groin) are very doubtful.

Experienced midfielder Michael Brown is expected to recover from a hamstring problem but there is no place for young defender Dean Leacock who has an ankle injury.

Fulham have won just once at Bolton since the 1999-2000 season, this coming nearly two years ago on the final day of the 2003-2004 campaign when two Brian McBride goals ended any slim chance of Wanderers sneaking into a European place ahead of Newcastle United.

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

24/11/2001 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 FULHAM 0

23/04/2002 FULHAM 3 (Goldbaek, Marlet, Hayles) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

17/08/2002 FULHAM 4 (Saha, Legwinski 2, Marlet) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Ricketts)

11/01/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 FULHAM 0

06/12/2003 FULHAM 2 (Davis, Sava) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Davies)

15/05/2004 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 FULHAM 2 (McBride 2)

21/08/2004 FULHAM 2 (Cole 2) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

09/04/2005 BOLTON WANDERERS 3 (Okocha, Nolan, Giannakopoulos) FULHAM 1 (Boa-Morte)

27/11/2005 FULHAM 2 (McBride 2) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Legwinski OG)

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 9

Won: 1

Drawn: 2

Lost: 6

CONNECTIONS

Peter Beardsley, Dave Clement, Martin Djetou, John Dreyer, Fabrice Fernandes, Claus Jensen, Steve McAnespie, Gerry Peyton, Martin Pike, John Salako, Mark Walton.

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED FULHAM

Ex-Wanderer Claus Jensen was sent off the last time these two sides met in April 2005. The Danish international handled a goalbound shot and was immediately dismissed by the referee Dermot Gallagher

That same game saw Bolton record their first victory against Fulham in any competition since March 2000.

Fulham's Brian McBride certainly likes scoring against Bolton. The American has hit the target four times in the last four meetings between the two sides