CHIEF Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock's exclusive reports for this website.

14:48: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2002.

BARCLAYCARD PREMIERSHIP

BOLTON Wanderers V WEST BROM

MICHAEL Ricketts, without a goal in open play since January, paid the price for his scoring famine when he was dropped to substitute for Wanderers' Premiership basement battle with West Brom at the Reebok.

Dean Holdsworth, who turned 34 yesterday, was recalled to the starting line-up.

Sam Allardyce was forced into a second change when Mike Whitlow failed a fitness test on a groin injury, which meant a recall for Anthony Barness.

Albion boss Gary Megson made just one change to the side beaten at home by Manchester City last weekend - Larus Sigurdsson coming in at centre-back in place of the injured Phil Gilchrist.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; Barness, Campo, N'Gotty; Mendy, Frandsen, Okocha, Farrelly, Gardner; Djorkaeff, Holdsworth. Subs: Poole, Pedersen, Nolan, Ricketts, Charlton.

West Brom: Hoult; Sigurdsson, Moore, Gregan; Balis, Chambers (A), McInnes, Johnson, Clement; Roberts, Dobie. Subs: Murphy, Chambers (J), Wallwork,

Koumas, Hughes.

Referee: Mike Riley (Leeds).

15:53: WANDERERS 0 WEST BROM 1

Half-time

MIKE Riley, the referee who sent off Paul Warhurst and Dean Holdsworth on his last visit to the Reebok, was at the centre of another red-card storm when he reduced Wanderers to 10 men after just 20 minutes of this Premiership basement battle.

Wanderers had gone a goal down four minutes earlier when Scott Dobie reacted first when a Neil Clement free kick was blocked.

But the big blow came when Bruno N'Gotty tussled with Jason Roberts. The Albion top scorer fouled the big defender and was ultimately penalised but Mr Riley clearly spotted something else, racing in with his arm outstretched before flashing the red card at the Frenchman.

The Leeds official had been booed and jeered from the start by the Bolton fans who have bitter memories of the part he played in last season's controversial 2-2 draw with Leicester City.

Sam Allardyce replaced Gareth Farrelly with Kevin Nolan but, despite flashes of inspiration and class from Jay Jay Okocha, they struggled to make up the deficit.

16:57: WANDERERS 1, WEST BROM 1

PER Frandsen headed his first goal of the season to rescue a point as Wanderers produced a brave fightback against the odds.

Trailing to a 16th minute Scott Dobie goal and down to 10 men for more than 70 minutes, they had that sinking feeling until the Dane darted in to head Simon Charlton's cross past Albion keeper Russel Hoult, with just two minutes on the clock.

It was game Sam Allardyce had billed as a "must-win six-pointer" but it looked like ending in disaster, despite Wanderers having comfortably the better of the second half.

There was fury at the controversial dismissal of Bruno N'Gotty by Leeds referee Mike Riley who was the cenhtral figure in last season's 2-2 draw with Leicester City, when he sent off Paul Warhurst and Dean Hodsworth plus Leicester's Muzzy Izzet

And there was frustration too as Wanderers, despite their dominance of a poor visiting side, failed to make their superiority count.

Russell Hoult denied Youri Djorkaeff an equaliser with a magnificent point-blank save and it looked like being another hard-luck story until Frandsen pounced with a rare headed goal.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; Barness, Campo, N'Gotty; Mendy, Frandsen, Okocha, Farrelly, Gardner; Djorkaeff, Holdsworth. Subs: Nolan for Farrelly 25 mins, Ricketts for Holdsworth (h-t), Charlton for Gardner 82 mins. Not used: Poole, Pedersen.

West Brom: Hoult; Sigurdsson, Moore, Gregan; Balis, Chambers (A), McInnes, Johnson, Clement; Roberts, Dobie. Subs: Koumas for Dobie 78 mins. Not used: Murphy, Chambers (J), Wallwork, Hughes.

Referee: Mike Riley (Leeds).

Attendance: 23,630.