Oli solves puzzle of nine-man Wanderers

OLI McBURNIE revived Swansea’s long-odds play-off chances as Bolton’s players proved they find it easier to collect red cards than their wages.

Wanderers played the last 17 minutes with only NINE men, which at least should cut down on the club’s bonuses.

Craig Noone and David Wheater were both sent off before McBurnie and Bersant Celina took advantage to score late goals.

That was tough on Bolton and their manager Phil Parkinson, who like the rest of the staff have not seen any wages for the last month.

Parkinson had no problem with Wheater’s dismissal for tripping Wayne Routledge when the Swans striker was clear but was angered by Noone’s second yellow card just before the break.

“If those tackles are yellow cards then we may as well rule out tackling altogether,” said Parkinson.

“It’s a bad decision by the referee. Craig has gone into a challenge to block the ball in the middle of the pitch and I’m not sure how you can tackle any fairer than that.”

If 10 men was a puzzle Swansea failed to solve, then it got little easier when Bolton went down to nine.

McBurnie eventually found the net after Courtney Baker-Richardson headed him into the clear and then Celina added a second in stoppage time.

But the answers were slow in coming for Graham Potter’s youngsters.

“The hardest thing to do is play against a team with a defensive mindset and you have to find the answers all the time,” he said.

“For young players to have the courage in each other, the support of each other to react well really pleases me.”

Bolton remain in deep trouble in the relegation zone and Parkinson admits the chaos off the field is taking its toll.

He added: “The situation needs resolving and I hope for everyone connected with the club that will happen this week and we will get positive news. The supporters and everyone connected with the club deserves that.”

THEY made heavy weather of it but Riyad Mahrez’s scrappy second-half strike ensured it was mission accomplished for Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s prediction that this trip to Dorset would be anything other than a breeze came true as his Quadruple-chasers were confronted by seriously stubborn opposition.

Yet unlike in the 1-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday when they created chances galore, champions City were some way below their free-flowing best at the Vitality Stadium.

Not that it matters, of course, at this crunch stage in a two-horse race for the summit. Points rather than performances count for everything.

And so it’s over to you Liverpool, who head to Everton for the Merseyside derby today two points behind leaders City.

It was all Guardiola could ask for. Keep the pressure on, put the ball firmly back in the Reds’ court.

This, after all, was the first of five occasions over the next eight weeks when City get to play before Jurgen Klopp’s men. That is some advantage to have in the run-in.

No wonder Guardiola was celebrating wildly at the final whistle. Suddenly, all that frustration at being unable to crack open defiant Bournemouth for long spells had vanished.

Full of praise for his side’s efforts in securing a 17th victory in 19 games in all competitions, the Spaniard also singled out matchwinner Mahrez.

“That was fantastic,” said Guardiola. “We didn’t concede one shot on target all day. It’s not easy playing against 11 players in the box. There are no spaces but we found them.

“And it was so important for Riyad to score, as it was for the team. He knows he has to compete with other incredible players to get in the team.

“He has to be ready, he has to be positive and say, ‘Okay, my time will come’.”

For a long while it seemed that breakthrough might never arrive as Eddie Howe’s hosts, who have now lost all eight of their top-flight clashes to City, refused to budge an inch.

Howe had no complaints post-match. “That might be the best technical display we have ever faced in the Premier League but we stayed in the game until the end,” he said.

“The only disappointment was their goal was possibly their ugliest this season.”

Bournemouth’s veteran keeper Artur Boruc, who retained his place despite the 5-1 walloping at Arsenal in midweek, spent most of the first half stopping miscued clearances from team-mates.

All of which had Pep patrolling and pacing his technical area, deep in thought. For all their control, his League Cup winners were devoid of menace.

Time for the gaffer to shake things up with a telling half-time talk.

There was one enforced change before the break when Kevin de Bruyne hobbled off to be replaced by Mahrez. And a couple of minutes into the second period came a second shuffle as Vincent Kompany took over from John Stones.

That appeared tactical. Maybe the Belgium star’s leadership qualities were needed to add some drive clearly missing in crocked Fernandinho’s absence.

Whatever the reason, it was not long before the City bench were jumping for joy. David Silva exchanged passes with Oleksandr Zinchenko in the 55th minute and after a lucky ricochet fed Mahrez.

His left-foot shot was weak but still proved enough to beat Boruc at his near post – despite him getting a hand to it.

Now Bournemouth had to venture forwards and maybe leave gaps for City to exploit.

They nearly did on the hour after Kyle Walker halted Ryan Fraser’s counter and the ball was fired forward to Raheem Sterling.

Making amends for his earlier mistake, though, Boruc reacted smartly to deny the England man.

The killer second goal continued to evade City as Sergio Aguero thundered a shot against the bar, before Walker slammed wide.