McCann boosts Trotters' survival hopes

McCann had been lucky not to concede a penalty for handball just moments before he stabbed home from close range with 59 minutes gone at the Riverside Stadium.

The result, which had seemed unlikely as Boro ran the visitors ragged in the opening 10 minutes, was enough to lift the Trotters out of the bottom three with Birmingham playing on Sunday.

Bolton were fortunate to get through the opening 10 minutes unscathed as Boro threw everything at their shaky back line.

Tamir Cohen stabbed a volley over the bar as Bolton threw the ball back into the Boro box and Matt Taylor then shot at Ross Turnbull as the first half ended goalless.

Bolton stepped up the pressure, with Taylor forcing Turnbull to concede a corner and Grzegorz Rasiak then heading the resulting cross against the bar.

Boro were furious when referee Alan Wiley waved play on after a Stewart Downing cross was deflected onto McCann's arm.

Much to Boro's annoyance, McCann then popped up at the other end to put Bolton into the lead just before the hour.

After a chaotic few moments in the Boro box, with Luke Young heading a long-range Danny Guthrie effort off the line, Bolton won a corner.

The ball broke loose from Gary Cahill's header and, as Turnbull failed to gather, McCann pounced from close range.