Davies inspires Bolton win at West Ham

Mar 6, 2010 - 6:33 PM By Adam Carroll-Smith STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Owen Coyle recorded his first away win as a Premier League manager before praising veteran striker Kevin Davies after Bolton's 2-1 victory at West Ham on Saturday.

Davies scored the opening goal in the sixth minute - his 50th in the top flight \2013 and was a constant worry to West Ham's hesitant and unsettled defence.

Bolton's win saw them swap places with West Ham to go 13th among a tightly-packed cluster of clubs above the three relegation places.

Trotters boss Coyle said: "I have so much belief in Kevin Davies. That is why he is my captain.

"Kevin is an integral part of my tactical approach and his contribution epitomises the whole team. He is a key figure in the way we play and today he was magnificent."

Davies made his early mark with a powerful header from six yards after Chung-Yong Lee had created the gap with a cross from the right.

West Ham were slow to start and were all over the place again in the 16th minute when Davies got the better of James Tompkins and Tamir Cohen headed down for Jack Wilshere to score his first Premier League goal.

Better finishing from Johan Elmander would surely have condemned West Ham to a heavier defeat but the Sweden striker spurned chance after chance in a one-sided first half.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola sent on Kieron Dyer at the start of the second half and the former England winger might have pulled a goal back with his first touch.

Bolton lost Cohen after 70 minutes, sent off for a second yellow card and leaving his team with some defending to do.

West Ham seized their opportunity and with two minutes remaining, Alessandro Diamanti pulled a goal back with a typically fierce left foot shot to set up an exciting finish.

In the dying seconds Junior Stanislas struck the Bolton woodwork but Coyle's team held on to record a valuable away win.

Coyle said: "West Ham have quality if you let them come forward so our plan was to get at them early on.

"We got two early goals and there could have been many more before half time. Had we taken one or more of them we might have won more easily.

"West Ham came back when we were down to ten men, got a goal back and there were a few grey hairs appearing over the last few minutes when we were holding on."

Zola pointed to the overcrowded international programme as one of the reasons for his team's lethargic and costly start.

"After an international week you never know what you are going to get as a club manager. That was the case today.

"We started slowly and if you let a team like Bolton build a two-goal lead so early you are in trouble.

"Near the end we had the chances to equalise but we have a lot to learn from this. One thing is certain, we cannot afford to play like that again over the rest of the season."