Stuart Parnaby’s goal in second-half injury time lifted Middlesbrough to a 4-3 victory on Sunday over Bolton, a victory that almost guarantees they will avoid relegation from the Premier League. Parnaby’s winner from a close-range shot came after Bolton had levelled the score after being two goals behind, the goals coming from Radhi Jaidi and Jay Jay Okocha.
Seventh-place Bolton have 48 points, 30 behind league leaders Chelsea. Middlesbrough have 37 points, 13 above the relegation zone with eight matches to play.
Jaidi equalised in the 81st minute with a header. Okocha scored in the 58th when goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer stopped his penalty, but couldn’t block the follow-up from the Nigerian playmaker.
Bolton led 1-0 in the third minute after Stelios Giannakopoulos scored off a defensive mix-up in the Middlesbrough area. Middlesbrough then levelled in the eighth minute from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s penalty after Joey O’Brien had handled the ball.
Middlesbrough took the lead in the 30th with Australia striker Mark Viduka scoring. Hasselbaink made it 3-1 in the 47th with his second, chipping over goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and setting the stage for Bolton’s comeback.
In other games, Charlton beat Newcastle United 3-1 while Manchester United defeated Birmingham City 3-0.
On Saturday, Didier Drogba’s two first-half goals lifted Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Manchester City. Liverpool beat Everton 3-1 in the Merseyside derby with Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell scoring, and the other coming from Phil Neville’s own goal. Arsenal’s game at Portsmouth was called off because heavy rain made the field waterlogged and unplayable.
In other Saturday games: Aston Villa 0, Fulham 0; Sunderland 0, Blackburn 1; Wigan 1, West Ham 2. — Sapa-AP