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Bolton Wanderers 1 Chelsea 1

3rd goal in a week
By Matt Lawton
November 23 2002
A heart-breaking last gasp equaliser from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gave ten man Chelsea a hugely undeserved point in the Premiership this afternoon at the Reebok Stadium.

Hasselbaink's glancing header broke Bolton's hearts after the looked to have hung on for a vital victory with a magnificent performance against the Premiership high flyers.

Danish striker Henrik Pedersen scored his third goal of the week with a finish at the back post to reward almost constant Bolton pressure.

Chelsea arrived at the Reebok flying high in the Premiership after an impressive start to the season but Bolton didn't allow to show any of their skill or talent during the game with hard working tackling and it was actually left to Bolton, and in particular the magical Jay Jay Okoca and Youri Djorkaeff, to show their flashy skills. Bolton could've easily won the game if it wasn't for wayward finishing and once again superb goalkeeping by Chelsea's Carlo Cudicini.

The undoubted class of Djorkaeff was evident in the first half when a stinging thirty yard strike was heading for the top corner only for Cudicini to parry it for a corner. Cudicini then carried on where he left off in the second half with an excellent save to tip Paul Warhurst's goalbound left footed effort over the bar. Nolan was then denied by Cudicini's legs not long before Pedersen's goal.

Bolton continued the pressure on the Chelsea goal after Pedersen's strike with Pedersen rounding Cudicini only to snap at the ball with his left foot and it went wide. Okocha then missed a golden oppurtunity seconds before Hasselbaink's equaliser when Bolton broke quickly and had two players against one Chelsea defender. Djorkaeff played a great ball through to Okocha but all he could do was fire his shot wildly wide. Cudicini then took the resulting goal kick quickly and the ball was quickly at the other end and a cross came in from William Gallas and former Leeds striker Hasselbaink glanced his header home.

Before Hasselbaink's goal, Chelsea's Nigerian full back Celestine Babayaro was sent off for an elbow on Youri Djorkaeff which was spotted by the linesman who then told the referee.

If before this game we were offered a point I'm sure the majority of Bolton fans would've taken it. However, there is a feeling of robbery as Bolton were absolutely magnificent and thoroughly deserved a win which was cruelly snatched away.

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