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Nicholas: lifeline for Bolton

If Bolton show that sort of tenacity they could be in the Premier League next season, but I wouldn't bet anything on it. I wouldn't put your mortgage on it Jeff!

Charlie Nicholas
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Teams

• Bolton Wanderers
• Middlesbrough

Also see

• Boro 0-1 Bolton - full report

Middlesbrough 0-1 Bolton
Soccer Saturday analysis

If anyone can, McCann can. And if anyone can beat the drop having looked dead and buried, it's Bolton.

That was Charlie Nicholas's verdict as he watched Gary Megson's men haul themselves out of the relegation zone with an unlikely win at Middlesbrough.

McCann's goal - only his 12th in 265 games - was enough to take Bolton above Birmingham (who play on Sunday) and Reading and offer a glimmer of light.

And although he refused to back them outright to stay up, Nicholas told Soccer Saturday, they have a chance at least.

"They've jumped over two clubs - Birmingham and Reading - and that gives them a real chance, a fighting chance," he told Soccer Saturday.

"There was no quality but the win was excellent for them. It went for Bolton today. They showed a lot of fight and tenacity.

"It's such a tough call on how it's going to pan out. They've got Spurs away - I don't fancy them much there - Sunderland at home, which they could potentially win, and then Chelsea away.

"They could possibly take three points which takes them to 35. Birmingham could get to 35 and they have a better goal difference and Reading, well we don't know what's going to happen there.

"But if Bolton show that sort of tenacity they could be in the Premier League next season, but I wouldn't bet anything on it. I wouldn't put your mortgage on it Jeff!"

Incredible

Even so, Bolton are alive and kicking thanks to the unlikeliest of heroes.

While second-choice keeper Ali Al-Habsi, and defender Gary Cahill earned Nicholas's praise in particular, midfielder McCann will grab the headlines with that goal.

Despite being put under pressure from the first whistle, Bolton held firm and on the hour, swung a free-kick into the Boro box, which Cahill got his battered and bruised head to the ball.

Keeper Ross Turnbull could only parry the effort and there was McCann, who had failed to score in his previous 27 Bolton appearances, to hand his side a vital Premier League lifeline.

"It was incredible," said Nicholas. "Talking amongst us many of the guys said they couldn't see them coming back. We were wondering where the goals were going to come from and starting this off they didn't even look as if they were up for the fight.

"They seemed to accept that Middlesbrough were going to attack them and they just couldn't get going. They just weren't up for it, they couldn't get out of their own half and it was 22 minutes before they got into the Middlesbrough box - and that was just a long, route one, free-kick.

"They did eventually come into the game in the latter stages of the first half but there was no cutting edge, nothing near. In the second half they were better and started getting into the box and creating chances. Cahill - who was down four times, all to head knocks but battled through - got in and it was poor defending from Middlesbrough, but his header was well saved by Turnbull.

"He had to spill it to his left though and McCann - who is never in that area, never even in the box but just decided to take a gamble - was in the right place at the right time. He never scores goals, but he won't get a more important one."