Everton won 1-0 at Bolton in the Premier League on Sunday to recover from last week’s season-opening loss to Manchester United.
Bolton dominated much of the match before Everton scored on a 52nd-minute counterattack. Joseph Yobo’s looping long ball started the move before Marcus Bent tapped in Tim Cahill’s left-foot pass from close range.
Bent was replaced eight minutes later after injuring himself in a challenge on Ricardo Gardner and Bolton finished the game strongly. Goalkeeper Nigel Martyn tipped a powerful right-foot strike by Senegal striker El-Hadji Diouf on to the crossbar in the 87th minute.
Jay-Jay Okocha won a free kick from Kevin Kilblane’s rough challenge a minute later, but drove his shot into a wall of defenders.
Bolton had at least 18 attempts at goal, but only a handful on target. Martyn also made two other important saves to ensure the three points.
Everton moved up to 11th place and Bolton slipped to 13th.
Everton’s start mirrors last year’s, when they also lost their opening game to a title contender before winning in round two. Last season, they lost to Arsenal and went on to finish fourth.
Ruud van Nistelrooy scored from close range in the 66th minute on Saturday to help Manchester United get another shut-out victory, beating Aston Villa 1-0.
England striker Jermain Defoe scored a goal and created another as Tottenham beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to move atop the standings on goal difference, while Charlton edged promoted Wigan 1-0.
In other matches on Saturday it was: Liverpool 1, Sunderland 0; Blackburn 2, Fulham 1; Charlton 1, Wigan 0; Newcastle 0, West Ham 0, West Bromwich Albion 2, Portsmouth 1; and Manchester City 2, Birmingham 1. — Sapa-AP