FIFTY YEARS ago to the day, Bolton Wanderers won their last major honour, the FA Cup. Yesterday’s victory might have been inspired by El Hadji Diouf, a very modern son of Senegal, but it was of the old-fashioned, tough-tackling, muck’n’nettles variety. In the long run, this 2-0 win almost certainly ensures Premier League football in Bolton this August, and might prove to be just as crucial to Wanderers as that 2-0 over Munich-ravaged Manchester United.

“Knowing the other scores didn’t help us,” insisted Bolton manager Gary Megson. “All we did know was that we had to perform. Now, it will take a huge turnaround to get us relegated.”

A month ago a dismal 4-0 pasting at Villa Park left them seemingly doomed, but since that torrid afternoon, West Ham United and Middlesbrough were swept aside and a hardy point earned at White Hart Lane. Even so, with a trip to Stamford Bridge awaiting them a week today, so perilous was Bolton’s position that it was effectively win or renew acquaintances with Swansea.

Three factors worked in Megson’s favour: the return from suspension of that talisman of Sam Allardyce’s reign, Kevin Davies; that their visitors were supine Sunderland, mathematically safe and with nothing to play for save the fear of incurring manager Roy Keane’s wrath, and finally, Diouf, probably playing his last game at the Reebok, being in one of his more irresistible moods. How richly he deserved his post-match solo lap of honour.

“Nobody here wants him to go,” said Megson afterwards. “He’s a great lad, but if we do lose him, it will be for a very big fee.” Many of the vast travelling support had donned fancy dress for the occasion. Alas, Sunderland were so slapdash and slapstick they might as well have been dressed as clowns.

“We’ve lost 22 games,” sighed Keane, “and people say we’ve had a good season. The truth is I’m lucky to be in a job and when I’m on the beach this summer, it’ll be those 22 games I’ll be thinking of. Today was unacceptable, irrespective of the time of the season.

“Bolton had more men than us. Some people need to move on: if they’re still in contract, we’ll pay them to move on.”

Yet the visitors’ relaxed attitude was not infectious. Fear coursed through Bolton’s soul, and when, after 28 minutes, they did finally create a chance, Diouf cantered down the right, slalomed around Danny Collins and crossed to the back post, where Davies leapt above the statuesque Jonny Evans, but headed over when scoring seemed more straightforward.

Just when it seemed as though the first half would amble to its conclusion without a second incident of note, Bolton scored. Kevin Nolan collected the ball on the right and Collins backed off rather than make a challenge. The cross was deep and Matt Taylor intelligently drew Evans and Nyron Nosworthy into the six-yard box before watching gleefully as the ball sailed over them to the lurking Diouf, unseen and untracked. One touch brought the ball down, another belted it past Craig Gordon. Suddenly, a return match next season seemed not merely possible, but likely.

Diouf’s cunning changed the atmosphere. Bolton began the second half with a spring in their step. Davies and Danny Guthrie established a rapport, Gavin McCann finally found his range and when Andy O’Brien miskicked to allow Kenwyne Jones to run through, the defender had the presence of mind to rescue himself.

Yet, things are never quite so simple with Bolton, even though Diouf almost made it safe a minute later when Taylor caught Dean Whitehead napping and crossed to the far post. Diouf’s diving header hit the post and bounced to safety off Collins.

Wrath presumably incurred, Keane exercised his displeasure with a triple substitution just after the hour. “Three? I could have made 10,” he argued. Still Sunderland meandered without intent until the 70th minute, when Roy O’Donovan’s cute header across the six-yard box outfoxed the home defence. With the goal gaping a yard before him, Jones missed his kick. Of such aberrations are the survival of others made.

Scarcely able to believe their luck, Bolton stumbled towards the finish line. Roared on by a crowd whose nerves were almost audibly jangling, they tackled like men in fear of a diminished livelihood until Sunderland, so obliging all afternoon, scored Bolton’s second for them.

Taylor slung over a near-post corner from the right and substitute Daryl Murphy rose above a phalanx of players to nod neatly past Gordon despite the best efforts of Andy Reid on the line and Bolton were safe – bar a statistical miracle.

Match stats

Player ratings: Bolton: Al Habsi 5, Steinsson 5, Cahill 6, A O’Brien 6, Samuel 6, Diouf 7, Nolan 7, McCann 6, Guthrie 6, Taylor 7, Davies 6 Star man: El Hadji Diouf (Bolton)
Sunderland: Gordon 6, Nosworthy 5 (Murphy 61min), Evans 5, Higginbotham 6, Collins 6, Miller 4 (Leadbitter 61min), Whitehead 6, Richardson 6, Reid 5, Chopra 5 (O’Donovan 61min), Jones 5

Scorers: Bolton: Diouf 42, Murphy og 83

Yellow card: Bolton: McCann

Referee: M Atkinson

Attendance: 25,053