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Taylor off but Magpies hold firm

Daniel Sturridge’s fourth goal in as many games was only enough to claim a point for Bolton as 10-man Newcastle held out for a draw.

The striker, on loan from Chelsea, struck seven minutes before the break to cancel out the lead former Wanderers midfielder Kevin Nolan had given the Magpies with his 11th of the season with 13 minutes gone.

But an open game shifted firmly Bolton’s way with Ryan Taylor’s 54th-minute dismissal for a two-footed challenge on Johan Elmander.

Taylor was making just his fifth appearance of the season on his return from an ankle ligament injury, but his rush of blood left Newcastle hanging on for a dear life.

The draw ended Bolton’s run of six successive Premier League away defeats and extended the Magpies’ run to one loss in nine.

In Sturridge, Bolton had a deserving candidate for man of the match as he caused problems for the off.

Fabricio Coloccini repeatedly needed the help of full-back Jose Enrique to keep the striker at bay, although the Spaniard had his own hands full with Elmander, who caused such problems during the Magpies 5-1 defeat at the Reebok Stadium in November, playing in a wide midfield role.

But Newcastle gave as good as they got in a thrilling first half, during which play switched rapidly from end to end. The home side took the lead with 13 minutes gone, and yet again, it was Nolan who did the trick.

Not for the first time, he demonstrated his knack of finding space inside a crowded penalty area to meet Cheick Tiote’s driven cross, and his deft header was too good for Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The Finn had kept out Peter Lovenkrands’ near-post flick seconds earlier, and later needed David Wheater’s help to prevent Leon Best’s shot ending up in the back of the net.

Best headed a Taylor free-kick just over the bar with 28 minutes gone. The former Wigan man was a late replacement for Joey Barton, who suffered an injury during the warm-up.

Only a last-ditch tackle by full-back Marcos Alonso denied Taylor seconds later – but Sturridge continued to look the man most likely to drag Bolton back into the game, and he did just that seven minutes before the break.

A rare mistake from Tiote allowed Elmander to find the striker, and he shifted the ball on to his left foot before shooting unerringly into the bottom corner.

Lovenkrands helped a Tiote effort just over the bar and Nolan bravely blocked an Elmander drive as the half drew to a close.

Jaaskelainen was back in action within three minutes of the restart after Enrique spun away from Elmander with ease before surging into the penalty area and unleashing a powerful shot.

However, Alonso fired over from 20 yards and Steve Harper had to get down well to claim Gary Cahill’s deflected drive as Bolton responded.

But the momentum shifted significantly with 54 minutes gone when Taylor launched himself at Elmander and was dismissed by referee Chris Foy, who had little choice but to produce the red card.

Bolton instantly sensed an opportunity and committed more men to the search for a winner, and Coloccini and Mike Williamson found themselves firmly in the firing line as they were forced to deal with a series of dangerous crosses.

Lovenkrands dropped into the wide midfield berth vacated by Taylor to leave Best alone up front, and there was little the former Coventry man could do to help stem the tide.

Magpies boss Alan Pardew made his move with 23 minutes remaining when he sent on central defender Steven Taylor for Jonas Gutierrez and striker Nile Ranger for Lovenkrands, and went to a back three.

Ranger headed over from Taylor’s 70th-minute cross, but it took a priceless goal-line clearance from Nolan to keep out Martin Petrov’s effort five minutes later.

There was late drama when Jaaskelainen had to scuttle across his line to collect the ball after Paul Robinson had chested Best’s cross a little too firmly towards goal.

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Beckford brace fires Toffees

Jermaine Beckford struck twice as Sunderland suffered yet more misery at Everton.

The former Leeds striker found the net twice in the first half to lift Everton further away from Premier League relegation danger and send Sunderland home from Goodison Park empty-handed again.

The Black Cats, without a league win at the ground since 1996, went close when Tim Howard saved well from Stephane Sessegnon but Beckford’s second just before the interval blunted their threat.

Steve Bruce’s side created little after the break and surrendered to a fourth successive loss that could have been more emphatic.

It was another dent in their push for Europe but Everton, winning for only the second time in six league games, could still make a late charge.

Beckford’s double took his tally after slow start to his Everton career to eight and emphasised that the Merseysiders still have much to play for after their stunning FA Cup win at Chelsea last week.

Beckford stole the limelight from strike partner Louis Saha, who scored four goals against Blackpool three weeks ago but had been out since with a hamstring injury.

Saha took the place of Tim Cahill, who started on the bench after being a slight injury doubt, in the only change to the side which won memorably at Stamford Bridge.

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, recently troubled by a knee injury, also had to make do with a place on the bench as Simon Mignolet took his place.

The visitors almost claimed an early lead but Kieran Richardson, playing in an advanced role, spurned a glorious chance after just three minutes.

The former Manchester United midfielder raced onto a fine ball from Sessegnon and was allowed a clear run at goal as Everton mistakenly stopped in anticipation of an offside flag.

Howard managed to force him wide but Richardson should still have done better than to drag a shot across the face of goal. Sunderland paid for that miss as Everton claimed the lead four minutes later.

Leon Osman found space on the edge of the box and looked to have slipped Saha in but the Frenchman allowed Beckford to sneak through and fire in a shot which Titus Bramble diverted in.

Sunderland were denied an equaliser as Howard produced a brilliant fingertip save to turn a fierce Sessegnon drive from the edge of the box onto the bar.

Everton continued to drive forward themselves with Saha skipping around a challenge from Anton Ferdinand in the area only to be denied by a fine Sulley Muntari tackle.

Saha had another promising opportunity after being fed by Mikel Arteta but slipped as he shaped to shoot.

Everton doubled their advantage six minutes before the break after Arteta beat Ferdinand and John Mensah to pull back for Beckford in front of goal.

The former Leeds striker scuffed his left-foot shot but the ball still had enough power to creep into the bottom corner. The only downside for Everton was the loss of Marouane Fellaini just before the interval with an ankle injury suffered in a challenge with Sessegnon. Jack Rodwell took his place.

Everton could have had a third soon after the restart when Saha flicked a Phil Neville throw into the danger area but Osman shot wide on the half-volley.

The Toffees thought they had earned their first penalty in 29 league games when Beckford went down under a Mensah challenge after a powerful run from Seamus Coleman but the flag was raised.

Mignolet then came to Sunderland’s rescue by saving with his feet in quick succession from Saha and Coleman after the defence had failed to clear.

Osman tried his luck again from the edge of the box after a Bramble header fell into his path but, despite having time to take aim, the otherwise excellent midfielder again put it wide.

Coleman brought another good save out of Mignolet with a well-struck first-time shot from the right which looked to be creeping inside the near post.

Substitute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov skewed another attempt over the bar as Everton pressed until the end. Osman should have added a third in injury time when he took the ball round Mignolet but Ahmed Elmohamady headed off the line.

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Latics sink in second half

Javier Hernandez made it a lucky 13 goals for the season as Manchester United charged four points clear of Arsenal with a clinical victory at Wigan.

Sir Alex Ferguson declared yesterday the Premier League title battle was now a straight fight between his own side and the Gunners, and with trips to Chelsea and Liverpool looming, United could not have made a better start to their week on the road.

Preferred to Dimitar Berbatov, Hernandez justified the faith of his manager, turning home Nani’s first-half cross before finishing Wayne Rooney’s brilliant second-half through ball.

Rooney and Fabio then scored in the final minutes to leave relegation-threatened Wigan thoroughly deflated at a result that did not reflect their performance.

Three times Edwin van der Sar needed to make outstanding saves, whilst skipper Nemanja Vidic was a towering presence in the United defence.

Ferguson often speaks of his regret at failing to land Van der Sar in 1999 when he was searching for Peter Schmeichel’s replacement.

At the time, the giant Dutchman was at Ajax and about to leave for Juventus.

Instead, Ferguson tried a number of alternatives. Some were better than others and titles kept being won. But was not until Van der Sar arrived from Fulham in 2005 that concern about the goalkeeping position ended.

This summer, Ferguson must hope for more success as Van der Sar heads off into retirement, having hit the 40-mark but still capable of producing the brilliance that has categorised his career.

Two first-half saves were responsible for United having a half-time lead at the DW Stadium when they could easily have been behind.

A poor back-pass from Paul Scholes presented Victor Moses with the first opportunity.

Moses strode into the United box with only Van der Sar to beat. He failed, blasting his shot against his imposing opponent’s chest. That was when the contest was still goalless. Within seconds of United’s opener, Wigan were in again.

This time Moses was the provider, drilling a low cross to the far post where the combative James McCarthy was on his own six yards out. Again, only Van der Sar stood between Wigan and the net. Once more he came out on top.

That Hernandez had scored in between only added to the Latics’ frustrations.

The Mexican, preferred to Dimitar Berbatov, tends not to look as dangerous when starting games. He clearly knows how to find space, though. And, having once been denied by Ali Al Habsi after streaking clean through, the Mexican wriggled into enough space to steer home Nani’s 17th-minute cross.

It was tough luck on Wigan, who were the better side, frustrating Scholes and Rooney in particular. That Scholes avoided a booking for clattering into the back of McCarthy was a mystery to everyone but referee Mark Clattenburg.

Rooney had earlier caught the midfielder on the back of the head with his elbow.

The Wigan fans were incensed. Rooney pleaded his innocence. TV replays were inconclusive.

Before the half had ended, Rooney had needlessly got himself involved in a shoving match with Antolin Alcaraz and still looked ill at ease in the second period even though United played with far more poise.

They were forced to survive another near thing for Wigan before they took command, though. This time, Van der Sar needed agility rather than reactions to deny Maynor Figueroa.

Nani came close to doubling the visitors’ lead when he thrashed a fierce shot into the side-netting, not long after he had been repelled by Ali Al Habsi’s firm one-handed save.

Ferguson made comparisons between Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week.

United’s current Portugal winger is certainly a major attacking threat and Al Habsi repelled him with the first part of a double save, when he also denied Darren Fletcher, who had been set up by Rooney. The England man may still be struggling for goals himself but he remains an excellent source of them.

After failing to convert a close range header, Rooney collected Hernandez’s knock-down, then fed the Mexican with a delicately weighted pass.

Clean though, the Mexican found the bottom corner with ease.

Victory assured, a Rooney tap-in from Berbatov’s square ball, followed by Fabio’s close-range finish, his first United goal, merely rubbed Wigan’s noses in it at the start of an eight-day period when, one senses, the strength of their title credentials will be discovered once and for all.

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