BOLTON v SUNDERLAND MIN-BY-MIN

41 mins: Diouf scores for Bolton.

FT: Bolton 2 Sunderland 0

90+3 min: The game ends to the clear joy of the Bolton players. While they could still be relegated mathematically, it is highly unlikely as they're three-points above the relegation zone with a vastly superior goal difference. What looked impossible five weeks ago has been achieved.

90+1 min: Al Habsi takes his sweet time with a goal-kick but still sends it to Reid. Sunderland launch a last ditch attack that breaks down.

89 min: The Sunderland players appeal for a penalty after Steinsson appears to handle the ball in the area but the referee is uninterested.

88 min: Bolton have another attacking opportunity from a throw-in deep inside the Sunderland half. Taylor takes it into the corner but is forced into conceding a goal-kick.

86 min: Cahill clears a long throw-in but the ball comes back to him and he takes a wild swing that misses completely before O'Brien steps in to boot it clear.

85 min: Even Diouf is defending now and he brings the ball out of defence calmly before laying it infield for Nolan.

84 min: Reid's cross from the left is comfortably dealt with by Steinsson who heads it back to Gordon.

83 min: The crowd is making a great deal of noise as they celebrate the goal that will probably keep them in the Premier League for another season.

81 min: OWN GOAL MURPHY Taylor delivers a corner and Murphy glances it off the back of his head. There's a clearance by Reid but the linesman judges correctly that the ball had crossed the line.

79 min: A long throw-in by Jones is easily cleared but Bolton are defending increasingly deeper into their own half.

77 min: Jones flicks the ball on for Leadbitter but Steinsson steps in to knock it back to Al Habsi.

76 min: Diouf wins a throw-in on the right, just inside the Sunderland half.

74 min: Jones tries to set up Reid on the edge of the area but he overruns it and Bolton can clear.

73 min: O'Donovan crashes into a prostrate O'Brien as he battles to keep the ball in play but the referee sees nothing wrong and awards a Sunderland goal-kick.

72 min: Diouf heads just wide of target after connecting with a flick-on from a throw-in.

71 min: McCann is issued with a yellow card for a rash challenge, the first one of the game.

70 min: Sunderland are enjoying their best period of attacking play so far in the game.

69 min: O'Donovan knocks the ball across goal and Jones only has to get a touch to score but fails to do so.

68 min: Gordon is caught off his line when he misses a punch and is fortunate that Diouf fails to bring the ball under control.

66 min: Al Habsi comes out of his penalty area to clear the ball and sends it dangerously into the air.

65 min: There's a scramble to clear Reid's free-kick as Jones tries an overhead shot but the Bolton defence eventually send the ball out of play.

64 min: O'Brien fouls Jones as they battle for an aerial ball.

63 min: Nolan looks to find Diouf with a diagonal ball across the field but sends it straight into touch.

60 min: Roy Keane makes a triple change with Chopra, Miller and Nosworthy coming off. Grant Leadbitter, Roy O'Donovan and Daryl Murphy making their way onto the pitch.

59 min: Reid overhits a pass to Collins and concedes a throw-in.

58 min: O'Brien tries to froce his way through the middle but Richardson makes another telling tackle.

57 min: Richardson makes a great tackle on Nolan on the edge of the box to break down a Bolton attack.

55 min: Reid crosses from the left and Chopra meats it with his head but the ball sails over the crossbar.

54 min: reid lofts a free-kick into the penalty area and it bobs around dangerously befotre McCann finally manages an overhead clearance.

53 min: Diouf sends a diving header crashing off the post after Taylor's cross from the left finds him on the far post.

52 min: Davies skips past a defender and makes his way into the penalty area but then gives the ball away.

51 min: Chopra holds off Guthrie's challenge and shoots from outside the box but fails to trouble Al Habsi.

50 min: Al Habsi finds Diouf with a goal-kick but his pass on the turn goes nowhere in particular and Sunderland win the ball back.

48 min: There's a fair bit of pointless kicking back and forth at the moment with neither side exerting any control.

47 min: Nolan sends the ball wide to Samuel but his first touch is poor and the ball pops up nicely for Nosworthy.

46 min: Just like he did in the first half, Richardson starts the second with a foul - this time on Nolan.

Half-time betting: Bolton are now 1/4 with Sky Bet to win their crucial clash against Sunderland after El Hadji Diouf's excellent strike sent them in 1-0 up at the break.

Sunderland are out to 10/1 to win the game while a draw is 7/2.

Sky Bet go 23/10 that the game finishes 1-0 to the hosts while a 2-1 Sunderland win is priced at 12/1.

It's 7/5 that the game produces over 2.5 goals.

45+1 min: The whistle goes for the end of the half with Bolton entering the break with a deserved lead.

45 min: Bolton are content to lob the ball either upfield or into touch as they await half-time.

44 min: Jones tries to flick the ball on for Richardson but to no avail as Cahill gets to it first.

43 min: McCann crunches into Reid to the Sunderland man's obvious displeasure. He got some ball too and only gets a ticking off from the referee.

41 min: GOAL DIOUF Nolan is given far too much time on the edge of the box and he picks out Diouf on the far post with a controlled lob. The Senegalese player takes a touch to control the ball and then curls it into the top right corner from a tight angle on the left. Safety beckons for Bolton.

40 min: Reid plays a teasing ball into the box and Jones comes very close to getting a touch in front of Al Habsi.

38 min: Sunderland give tha ball away in the middle of the park and Davies races upfield before laying it off to Diouf who tries to nutmeg Higginbotham but doesn't succeed.

37 min: Diouf sends another dangerous cross in from the left and Higginbotham has to stretch to clear the danger.

36 min: Diouf pops up on the left and crosses into the box but Collibns gets there first and heads the ball clear.

35 min: Cahill outjumps Jones to head a long pass over the top by Richardson clear.

34 min: Dean Whitehead has acres of space but sends his pass directly at Nolan.

33 min: Diouf tries a couple of stepovers but leaves the ball behind and Sunderland launch a fruitless counter-attack.

31 min: Chopra turns his man in midfield but is dispossessed by Gary Cahill.

30 min: Diouf beats his man down the right and slides the ball inside for Steinsson whose cross to the far post is good, pity there aren't any Bolton players making a run.

29 min: Sunderland are guilty of giving the ball away cheaply and often.

27 min: Jones muscles his way into the Bolton penalty area and powers a low drive to the bottom left corner but Al Habsi keeps his eye on it all the way and saves comfortably in the end.

26 min: Guthriie's cross is cleared but only as far as Samuel. The ball is played wide to Diouf who sends an inch-perfect cross into the box that Davies somehow manages to head over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

24 min: Collins gives the ball away in midfield and Nolan tries to play Davies through on goal but his pass hasn't got the requisite pace.

23 min: Chopra barges Samuel off the ball just outside the penalty area and concedes a free-kick. Nothing comes of it though.

22 min: Gordon comes racing out of his penalty area to head the ball into touch just ahead of Davies.

21 min: Davies knocks the ball down into the penalty area but it falls just behind Taylor before being hoofed clear by Sunderland.

19 min: Bolton are spending a lot of time in the Sunderland half without creating too many clear chances.

18 min: Davies plays a through-ball that Taylor picks up before beating a defender and crossing to the far post.

17 min: Chopra contests a high ball with Al-Habsi and the Bolton keeper loses the ball but is awarded a free-kick.

16 min: Collins finds himself under pressure and concedes a corner from about thirty-yards infield. Matt Taylor takes the corner but his delivery is too heavy and goes out of play.

15 min: Diouf has switched to the right and crosses into the penalty area but the ball is headed clear.

13 min: Nyron Nosworthy picks the ball up in midfield but doesn't have support and is forced to play it back to Higginbotham.

12 min: Craig Gordon overhits a goal-kick and it goes straight into touch.

11 min: Evans nudges Kevin Davies in the back as they contest a header and concedes a dangerous free-kick.

10 min: Richardson runs the ball out of defence and lays it out wide for Michael Chopra but his cross only goes as far as the first defender.

9 min: A hopeful ball over the top meant for Kenwyne Jones is shepherded out by Gretar Steinsson.

7 min: Johnny Evans clears the ball from his own corner but only finds Danny Guthrie who attempts to lob it into the penalty area.

6 min: Ali Al Habsi sends a goal-kick upfield and Danny Higginbotham does well to head the ball out under the attentions of Kevin Nolan.

4 min: Sunderland are struggling to get into the game as Bolton dominate possession.

2 min: Bolton launch some early attacks down the left as Diouf crosses into the penalty area twice, both times Jlloyd Samuel fails to connect with the header.

1 min: Right from the off Kieran Richardson looks to impose himself on the game by heavily fouling El-Hadji Diouf.

1 min: With Fulham beating Birmingham earlier today, Bolton are right back in the relegation dogfight. A win against Sunderland, who secured their own survival last weekend, should see them stay up however. All to play for then.

Pre-match: Bolton striker Kevin Davies returns from a two-match suspension for the Premier League crunch clash with Sunderland at the Reebok Stadium.

Davies broke his hand on his last appearance against West Ham three weeks ago but a protective cast allows him to take his place in the starting line-up.

El-Hadji Diouf also earns a recall in what was expected to be his final appearance at the Reebok as a Bolton player, while midfielder Danny Guthrie returns to the side.

Sunderland, who secured their top-flight status by beating Middlesbrough last weekend, are boosted by the return of centre-back Jonny Evans. The on-loan Manchester United defender missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.

Teams

Bolton: Al Habsi, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, McCann, Nolan, Guthrie, Diouf, Davies, Taylor

Subs: Walker, Meite, Giannakopoulos, Cohen, Rasiak

Sunderland: Gordon, Nosworthy, Higginbotham, Evans, Collins, Miller, Whitehead, Reid, Richardson, Chopra, Jones

Subs: Fulop, Murphy, Leadbitter, Yorke, O'Donovan

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)