Last updated: 5th April 2008
O'Neill: Villa have faltered of late
Full-time: Villa 4 Bolton 0. No less than the hosts deserved as they romp to a comfortable win. Bolton remain in trouble and are beginning to look doomed.
Three minutes of stoppage time to be played.
Booking: Reo-Coker picks up a yellow card for a sloppy tackle.
88 - Almost: The fans almost got their wish as Barry again causes problems down the wing. His low cross is behind Harewood and the striker takes it off the toes of Routledge as he tries to get in under control.
87 - Want more: The Villa fans are calling for a fifth as their side continue to dominate proceedings.
Sub: Final change for Villa as Petrov makes way for Routledge.
85 - GOAL: Villa 4 Bolton 0. More misery for Bolton as yet again they fail to pick up players in the middle. Barry swings in a free-kick from the right, and Marlon Harewood has the simplest of tasks as he flicks a header inside the far post.
Sub: Tamir Cohen is coming on in place of Joey O'Brien for Bolton, while Berger replaces Young for Villa.
82 - Organised: Bolton look all over the place at the back and are lucky to see Harewood's low drive flick behind for a corner. Bolton have enjoyed spells of pressure this afternoon, but have found themselves under the cosh for large periods of the game.
79 - Pressure: Young combines well with Bouma down the left, but Cahill stands firm in the centre and powers a header back down field. Villa have begun with the party tricks and the crowd are creating a carnival atmosphere in the stands.
Sub: Carew makes way for Harewood in Villa's first switch. Carew has been a threat all afternoon, but has only just returned from injury and looks tired.
76 - Positive Chris is keeping faith with Bolton despite their current problems. He feels that two victories at home, and a couple of scrappy points away, could see them safe.
75 - Good climb: Hat-trick opportunity for Barry. Carew delivers a fine cross from the right with the outside of his boot, but Barry's header flies straight at Al Habsi. Either side of the keeper and Villa would have been celebrating a fourth.
74 - Pace: Agbonlahor eases past Joey O'Brien and sees his low cross deflected narrowly wide of the post. The ball appeared to striker O'Brien's hand, but a corner is given.
72 - Too long: Davies does well to create a yard of space when faced by Bouma, but with Diouf and Helguson waiting in the middle he lifts his cross over the top of their heads. Just about sums up Bolton's afternoon.
70 - Solid: Taylor goes for goal with a 25-yard free-kick, but sees his weak effort headed clear by Laursen. Taylor is useful from set-pieces, but has disappointed at times today when given a sight of goal.
66 - Going down: Daniel, a West Ham, fan feels that Bolton's time in the top flight is coming to an end. He insists that they are not good enough anymore and are unable to grind out results in the manner in which they used to under Sam Allardyce. It is surprsing how a side which performed so well, for so many years, has fallen to pieces this season.
65 - Brave: To be fair to Bolton they are still trying their best to get men forward, but appear short on ideas as to how to break down a resolute Villa defence.
63 - Block: Impressive defending by Knight and Bouma as they throw their bodies in front of efforts from Davies and McCann. Villa are keen to keep their clean sheet and will not want to see their copy book blotted by a Bolton consolation.
62 - Deserved: Villa were unable to make their pressure count in the first-half, but Bolton can have no complaints at the scoreline.
60 - GOAL: Villa 3 Bolton 0. Gareth Barry seals the game for Villa. Young's attempted cross from the right deflects out to Barry, and his half-volley flicks off Joey O'Brien and past a stranded Al Habsi.
59 - Break: Agbonlahor leads a quick conter attack on the left and cuts inside to play in Reo-Coker. Villa players are lining up to have a dig, but Reo-Coker sees his effort deflected behind.
58 - Support: The Villa fans are in full voice now, and even the sunshine has returned. They side are in full control of the game once again and have acres of space to pick off Bolton.
56 - GOAL: Villa 2 Bolton 0. Game over. Young feeds Barry down the left and the Villa skipper swings in an inch-perfect cross for Agbonlahor to turn home. It was delicate touch from the Villa frontman, and it should wrap up the points for the hosts.
Critical: Kevin feels that Gary Megson would struggle to manage his way out of a paper bag and is far from optimistic about the Trotters' chances of snatching a victory at Villa Park today.
52- Problems: Taylor lofts another corner on top of Carson and the keeper looks indecisive once more as he stays rooted to his line. Set-pieces look like Bolton's best chance of grabbing an equaliser as Villa look a shambles at the back.
50 - Fortunate: Carson gets lucky twice as he flaps at two corners. The first he drops onto the head of Cahill and is relieved to see the ball drop narrowly wide, while the second he drops in the middle of a scrum of players and is rescued by Petrov. Bright start by Bolton, who look a different side at the moment.
49 - Vital: Steinsson with a postive break down the right and Knight is forced to knock the ball behind as he stretches to cut out the cross. Davies was lurking behind him and would have been left with a tap in.
47 - Close: Davies creates the first opportunity of the second half, but finds his route to goal blocked by Laursen.
Disappointed: Bolton fans are begininng to give up hope. Stuart feels that the Trotters lack a cutting edge in front of goal and will be plying their trade in the Championship next season. I have to agree and have nothing this afternoon to suggest that they are capable of dragging themselves to safety.
Second half: Villa get the second period up and running. Can they kill the game off, or will Bolton grab a lifeline?
Quality: Thanks to Man Utd fan Ali for getting in touch. He thinks that Villa will have too much for Bolton this afternoon, and boldly predicts that Martin O'Neill's men could challenge for a top four spot next season. They have definitely improved over the past few seasons, but they may still be some way off pushing for a Champions League place.
Half-time: Villa 1 Bolton 0. Gareth Barry's early header seperates the sides, but Villa really should be further in front. Can Bolton hit back in the second half? Let us know at Chris.Burton@bskyb.com.
45 + 2 - Unlucky: Petrov, Mellberg and Reo-Coker combine well, but the final delivery deflects off Barry as he looks to burst into the box and breaks behind for a goal-kick. Good football by Villa and they are looking more confident as the half draws to a close.
Two minutes of stoppage time to be played.
45 - Wild: Reo-Coker smashes a 25-yard effort high into the crowd. The long-range shooting in the first-half has been wayward from both sides.
44 - No control: Helguson gets a rare sight of goal for Bolton but fires high into the stands. He chose to have another touch after the ball fell to his right foot, and eventually fired over with his left. It was a difficult chance, with his back to goal, but he should have been able to keep it down.
43 - Nervous: Gary Megson looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders down on the sidelines, while Martin O'Neill looks surprisingly calm.
Booking: Carew is rightly cautioned for a nastyl challenge on Steinsson. The striker went with his studs showing and can have no complaints.
41 - Flap: Barry swings over a corner from the right and Al Habsi comes through the crows looking for the ball. He is unable to take a clean catch and sees the ball drop dangerously in front of goal 12-yards out. All the Villa players have piled in towards goal though and no-one is on hand to provide a finishing touch.
39 - Almost: Reo-Coker finds room once more down the right, but is unable to find the unmarked Carew in the middle. Cahill is able to cut of the cross, but Bolton are rocking badly at the moment. Villa look the more likely to score, but will not feel safe until they have established a two-goal cushion.
38 - So close: Laursen does well to win a towering header at the far post, and when the ball ricochets back to him off Helguson he smashes a low drive, from a tight angle off the foot of the post.
Booking: Guthrie is cautioned for a reckless tackle on Petrov.
36 - Bodies: Carew looks set to pull the trigger with the goal in his sights, but can't quite get the ball under control. It squirms away towards Young, but his tame volley is easily blocked by Andy O'Brien.
35 - Poor: Diouf has the opportunity to pick out a team-mate with a free-kick 40-yards out, but he overhits it and it sails directly out of play. The Senegalese star moans at his striker's for not making a run to the back post, but in all fairness they would have to have been 10 feet tall to get on the end of his delivery. First signs of frustration within the Bolton ranks.
33 - Penalty shout: McCann takes a high bouncing ball on his chest on the edge of the area, before going down under pressure from Laursen. There was contact from the defender, but not enough for the referee to point to the spot.
32 - Waste: Villa break with pace, but Agbonlahor's final pass towards Reo-Coker is behind the midfielder and runs away on the far side for a throw. Any pass in front of Reo-Coker he was in on goal. Disappointing from Agbonlahor and he is full of apologies for his team-mate.
31 - Deflection: Taylor's ambitious free-kick from 30-yards flicks off the Villa wall and squirms inches wide of the post with Carson beaten.
29 - Bright: Young and Agbonlahor are involved yet again and almost pick their way through the Trotters backline. Young's final ball is too havey for his team-mate though and Steinsson is able to see out the danger.
28 - No support: Carew does well to hook a cross into the centre of the box, but no Villa player has got forward to join him and Al Habsi is able to clear up.
26 - Danger: Reo Coker's bright run down the right leaves Taylor tied in knots, but his cross is too long for those in the centre. Villa keep pushing though and Young and Petrov both see fierce drives blocked by desperate defending from Bolton's centre-halves. Villa are knocking on the door and it seems only a matter of time before they break through again.
Confident: Three points today would definitely help Villa's push for Europe, and Paul is predicting that a strong end of season run-in from O'Neill's side will see them claim a Uefa Cup spot. Do you think that Villa have what it takes to trouble the top five?
23 - Slice: Davies bursts down the right, but can't pick out Diouf in the centre. He mis hits his cross, but it drifts over Carson and cannons off the top of the bar. Almost a freak leveller for the visitors.
Vital game: Lee feels that if Bolton succomb to another defeat today, then their stay in the top flight may be all but over. He could be right, as it is difficult to see where Bolton's goals are going to come from.
20 - Interception: Agbonlahor finds himself on the left this time, and his low cross towards Carew forces Cahill into a last-ditch clearance. It was vital the former Villa man got to the ball as Carew had been left wide open once again.
19 - Pressure: Villa are camped in the Bolton half and only heroic defending from the Trotters is keeping them out. Young and Agbonlahor are causing all kind of problems when they get wide and Bolton are reeling at present.
Positive: Chris is in confident mood and feels that Villa will cruise to a 3-0 victory, with either Harewood of Routledge stepping off the bench to exert their influence on the game. Villa are on top at the moment and will fancy their chances of getting more goals.
16 - Deep: Diouf is having to drop into his own half as he goes in search of the ball and will struggle to make an impact on the game if Bolton fail to get him involved further up the field.
14 - Almost: Young plays a hopeful ball over the top towards Carew, btu it skips off the greasy surface and into the hands of Al Habsi. It was a good idea, but it is always difficult to judge passes when they are so straight. Carew looks lively up front for Villa and O'Neill will be delighted to have the big striker back in his firing line.
Prediction: Thanks to Tom for getting in touch. He feels that Bolton will snatch a point today, with Helguson getting on the scoresheet for the Trotters. Do you agree, let us know at Chris.Burton@bskyb.com.
11 - Open: Hopefully the goal will push Bolton forward and we will see a few more gaps open up. They cannot afford to vital points with games running out, so must throw everything at Villa now.
9 - GOAL: Villa 1 Bolton 0. Young skips past Davies with ease and is given time and space to pick out the unmarked Barry six-yards out. He has to stoop to make the header, and despite Al Habsi getting a hand to the effort, it slips into the side of the net. Poor marking all round by Bolton and they have been made to the price.
7 - Chance: Davies finds acres of room in the Villa box and plays in the onrushing Guthrie. The winger gets his shot all wrong though and slices it high, wide and handsome from just 12 yards out. He really should have worked Carson and Bolton cannot afford to be so wasteful in front of goal.
6 - Sloppy: Not exactly what I had in mind, as Bouma lets an easy pass slip under his foot and out of play.
5 - Sleet: The sun has disappeared already and the heavens have opened. It should liven the pitch up a bit and hopefully we will see both sides pinging the ball around.
4 - Positive: Toung hustles his way down Villa's left, but is crowded out once he reaches the area. Positive run by the winger though and Steinsson could be in for a difficult 90 minutes agianst the tricky youngster.
3 - Just over: Taylor swings in a looping cross from the left and Helguson climbs well above Laursen at the far post to get in a firm header. He can't keep it down though and it drops onto the roof of the net. Bolton's aerial threat could cause Villa problems today.
1 - Unconvincing: Bouma makes a hash of a clearance from his own goal line and is lucky that Diouf and Davies are unable to pounch on the mistake. It has been a slow start and it seems that neither side is going to be flying forward this afternoon.
Kick-off: Bolton gets us underway in the Birmingham sunshine.
Bolton team: Al Habsi, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Taylor, Guthrie, McCann, Joey O'Brien, Davies, Helguson, Diouf. Subs: Walker, Samuel, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Cohen.
Villa team: Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor. Subs: Taylor, Harewood, Salifou, Routledge, Berger.
Get in touch: Can either side get back on track today, or should we expect a tight encounter between two teams keen to avoid defeat? Let us know what you think at Chris.Burton@bskyb.com.
Both sides will be desperate to get back to winning ways after hitting serious slumps of late. Villa have seen their push for Europe hindered by a run of three straight defeats, while Bolton remain in the relegation places on the back of six losses in their last seven.
Welcome to Villa Park for skysports.com's coverage of today's Premier League encounter between Aston Villa and Bolton.
Andy Gray fears for Fulham and Bolton, but says Reading and Birmingham aren't out of the woods yet.
Kammy is full of praise for Hull City as the Championship race reaches a gripping climax.
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 38 | 87 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 38 | 85 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 83 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 76 |
| 5 | Everton | 38 | 65 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 60 |
| 7 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 58 |
| 8 | Portsmouth | 38 | 57 |
| 9 | Manchester City | 38 | 55 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 38 | 49 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 46 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 38 | 43 |
| 13 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 42 |
| 14 | Wigan Athletic | 38 | 40 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 38 | 39 |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 37 |
| 17 | Fulham | 38 | 36 |
| 18 | Reading | 38 | 36 |
| 19 | Birmingham City | 38 | 35 |
| 20 | Derby County | 38 | 11 |