When Phil Brown remarked that our season starts against Bolton following two defeats, he wasn’t merely being glib to the media, he had a point. In the aftermath of our midweek gubbing by Tottenham, there was as much voiced admiration for Spurs’ attacking brilliance as there was hand-wringing about our hospitable defence.

It’s all about the leagues within a league, y’see. Tottenham, and with them Chelsea who beat us on opening day, are tipped to finish within the top six, making them denizens of the elite band of clubs vying for league based European qualification. That’s the first league within a league, and we’re not part of it, so games against them aren’t as important as games against teams from the ’other league’, that is, everyone else.

It used to be that commentators said there were three leagues within the Premier League, after the presumed top 6 there was the upwardly mobile grouping of sides attempting to break into the first half dozen, but in recent years the vaguely shocking demise of both Leeds and Newcastle has meant a merging of the lower two ‘leagues’. There isn’t THAT much difference between the quality of sides finishing 7th and 17th, after all we beat last years 7th best team Fulham both home and away last campaign. No, the second and third leagues are now compacted into one, now there’s just everyone else, with 14 interchangeable sides that might just as easily qualify for the Europa League if a top 6 side wins a trophy as they might tumble out of the relegation trapdoor.

The last three paragraphs are then, a laboured way of saying that in the long run it’s more important for City to beat Bolton than it is to stun a potential champion. For all of our swashbuckling excellence at the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Anfield last term, it was defeats to Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Stoke late on that left us relying on other results on May’s final day.

So, having dusted ourselves down following the first two games, we faced our first game of the Not-Quite-So-Premier League. We made a few changes, Mouyokolo was spared another uncomfortable day as makeshift right back, Mendy and Cousin made way to give starts to the midweek subs who replaced them against Spurs and Boateng’s creaking legs were rested .

We lined up thus: Myhill; Dawson, Gardner, Turner (capt.), Zayatte; Hunt, Kilbane, Olofinjana, Geovanni; Ghilas and Folan.

Finally in town, Swine Flu free and work permit holding American Jozy Altidore took a place on the bench, acquainting himself with Warner, Boateng, Mouyokolo, Barmby, Halmosi and a returning Craig Fagan.

The KC was bathed in sunshine but the band of Tiger Nationals in the home stands were quiet and subdued in the wake of Wednesday’s sobering and humbling defeat, and on the pitch the performance was similarly tepid. Neither side had registered a point in the new campaign and both looked anxious to avoid another loss.

Bolton had the first shot on goal when our defence looked suspect once more, Kevin Davies was put through on the right and while our defence debated the offside law with the ref, he raced ahead and shot across goal. Thankfully Davies isn’t as clinical as Jermain ‘Total Recall taxi driver’ Defoe and the ball remained outside of the far post and went out for a goal kick.

Amid the torpor was some admirable graft from our new Algerian striker Kamel Ghilas, he’s an odd looking chap, like a fusion of a weather-worn Amir Khan and monosyllabic puppet Pob. With a yawning chasm forming between midfield and the frontline, which trebled in number when we had the ball, Ghilas made it less obvious by being everywhere, dropping back to bridge the gap and create an outlet for the holding midfielders, dropping further still and making tackles in the heart of defence, he‘d have played fly goalie too given the chance.

Not much chance to get fully forward though, the early action was played exclusively in our half as Bolton pinned us back. Slowly, as the game progressed, the Tigers arm-wrestled the play forwards a bit and we crafted our first chance of note. Emergency right back Zayatte (Sam Rickett’s must have been amused by our choice of his replacement) got forward and linked with Geovanni who struck a low shot as he turned that Jaaskelainen smothered.

Ah, Jussi Jaaskelainen, our net minding nemesis from last year, who performed superhuman feats to deny us something better from both our home and away games against the Trotters last season. Could we best him this time round? Not as things stood, Bolton were slightly the better of two poor looking sides, this game was of mid-table Championship quality so far.

Soon came the first of what seemed like a thousand free kicks for Bolton from about 25 yards out. The stats for this game show the visitors had twice our shot tally, but few came from open play, most from cheaply awarded free kicks. This one was warranted though as Olofinjana went it high footed, and was given a lecture by the ref but no card.

The nippy Ghilas had scampered over to the left wing and delivered a cross that was unfortunately behind City’s most advanced men. Shortly after Folan was climbed on a bit in the box, the Tiger Nation howled in indignation but it was never a penalty, if it was then Turner would concede two a game, Folan just wasn’t strong enough.

It’s a shame about Caleb Folan, because his application is first rate, he puts in a shift every time he’s on and he looks the part of athletic powerhouse forward, but the resemblance ends there. He’s just not clever enough to flourish at this level, he’d head a punted ball backwards when he had men ahead of him to flick it to, when he hadn’t he flicked it on to the keeper. It’s a great shame, because with Altidore fidgeting on the bench desperate to play, his opportunities to prove he has the skills to pay the bills are going to diminish.

Someone we’re going to see a lot of though is Stephen Hunt, what a fantastic signing the shaggy haired Irishman is. Switching temporarily to the right, he turned their left back inside out and back again before cutting in and winning a free kick. No one with height attacked it though when Hunt delivered into the box.

Zayatte lost the ball in midfield but scurried back to regain it, he was doing alright at full back. Just alright mind, we need fresh blood there. The game was fairly even now, still slow of pace, still not that entertaining, but there was chances at either end.

Stephen Hunt went in the book, though the ‘fouled’ Bolton man had knocked the ball some 10 yards away before Hunt was deemed to have made contact. Giving Bolton free kicks had become a Pavlovian response for this ref every time they came within 30 yards of goal.

Geovanni struck a low shot that bounced and tested Jaaskelainen, who parried away for a corner. In front of the South Stand, Gardner lost possession cheaply but the resultant shot was blazed over. Ball retention was and is a big problem for City though, the midfield and defence were surrendering the ball too easily in our half, and when the ball went in Bolton’s half it was often just aimlessly lobbed forward to Caleb ‘Teflon’ Folan and we came under fresh pressure soon after.

Another free kick for the visitors forced Myhill into a smart double save before Geo cleared. Yet another saw Davies wastefully volley softly wide, we really should be a goal behind at this point, Bolton showed more poise and purpose and had the ref on hand to give them an unlimited supply of direct free kicks which pleasingly they wasted. Folan sort of shouldered a corner cross over and the half was done. We weren’t losing, it’ll do I suppose.

The visitors kicked off the final 45 playing towards the North Stand. Direct from the kick off, the other Davies, Mark, ran through the middle, waiting for the slightest contact from a City player before demanding, and getting a free kick. Sigh.

After Ghilas hit a diagonal shot over, his willingness to have a crack from almost any range is endearing given our reluctance to even attempt hitting a barn door late last year,  Geovanni performed a Karate Kid-like crane kick to send Ghilas away but he couldn’t get ahead of his marker on this occasion. Folan frustrated again, the one time he showed a neat first touch, he was so surprised by the success he was slow to react and was dispossessed. Sigh x2.

There was another hundred or so free kicks given to Bolton for a laugh before City were given one, to much ironic applause, after Turner was crudely booted to the ground by Elmander who saw yellow.

Bo Myhill was tested by a low shot that he parried, then pouched, before a good Bolton move saw Muamba sprint forward unchallenged before feeding Elmander who swung in a good cross but Davies the attacker couldn’t get over it and his header went upwards rather than at goal.

Nonetheless, momentum was gradually turning in City’s favour, and became fully ensconced in our camp when on the hour we made our first change. It was time for the Big Unit to make his belated first appearance as a Tiger, and as Folan exited to make way for the totemic American, a wave of excitement washed over the stands.

Jozy Altidore strode onto the turf like a colossus, powerfully built and looking full of purpose, I’m not ashamed to admit I felt the first pang of a man crush, and judging by the way he energised the crowd (some going as far as bellowing “USA! USA! USA! like a fat corn-fed redneck might upon hearing the US Airforce has bombed a shanty town full of unarmed Arabs to oblivion) I wasn’t alone. This beefy Florida native, the Big Unit, the A-bomb, a weapon of grass destruction, changed the game in an instant.

Meeting an Olofinjana header, Altidore flicked the ball over his head and over two Bolton men, to Ghilas who was sprinting into the box and the Algerian smashed the ball past Jaaskelainen for 1-0! The stadium near imploded with joy as the Tiger Nation considered not only the possibility of a first home win in 2009 but also that they were witnessing the formation of a potent strike partnership.

Soon after City had to frantically defend from a contentiously given Bolton corner, hacking the ball away, but although the Trotters would try to get back into the game, it was City who looked the most likely to score.

Ghilas gave Geovanni the ball on the right wing, the Brazilian drove forward inviting a defender to come to him and away from the Big Unit who was peeling away, Geo clipped the ball into Altidore’s path and as he controlled and chipped the ball over an onrushing Jaaskelainen, he looked to have scored on his debut, but the ball bounced just wide of the upright. Jozy looked devastated and prostrated himself on the turf, cursing his inaccuracy. The Tiger Nation didn’t care, we were head over heels in love with him and his Algerian partner, Kamel Ghilas, the undisputed man of the match.

For a short spell we had reason for concern at the other end though as we near invited Bolton to shoot, back pedalling from attackers rather than closing them down, Turner thigh-blocked a shot behind for a corner. Dawson and Ricketts, once allies, now implacable foes duelled with each other on our left side and our full back quelled his motivated former colleague on several occasions.

Ghilas came agonising close to notching a brace on his first start when Zayatte headed a Jaaskelainen clearance forward, sending the brilliant North African Pob-alike chasing after it, without slowing he controlled the ball with a shoulder and thrashed, left footed, it against the bar. Altidore picked up the rebound and turned Jaaskelainen but his cross was blocked for a corner. Geovanni picked the pockets of a white shirt on the right and drilled the ball into the box to the waiting Altidore, who used his arse to hold off his marker, span and with deft touch set up a low drive that Jaaskelainen, off his line, blocked.

These two are mint! Altidore and Ghilas are like enhanced versions of Folan and Fagan created by football loving uber-geneticists.

Speaking of Fagan, both he and Boateng entered play as subs within five minutes of each other, replacing Geovanni and Ghilas as we looked to protect our lead. Ghilas left the filed to rapturous applause.

Myhill palmed away some dangerous crosses and scooped away a diagonal shot as Bolton desperately tried to steal a point, but City hung on.

There was time for Altidore to stand up to Zat Knight in a brief altercation, and shortly after the Big Unit made Knight look like a massive hom when he released Fagan, who’s shot across goal was deflected away for a corner.

There was one last heart in mouth moment when Ricketts looked destined to equalise, giving commentators around the land the chance to say it’s ‘ironic’ when a player scores against a former club when what they really mean is ‘coincidental’. Myhill parried the Welshman’s shot and at first seemed slow to get up as a white shirt raced towards the ball, but Bo did enough to block a shot and concede a corner. It came to nothing, and the ref signalled full time.

We’d almost forgotten what it was like to win a game, certainly at home, so we were unabashedly exultant. There is still much to work on, we have a big issue with ball retention and we still need a new right back to replace the one that lined up against us today. Keeping the ball can be worked on in training, we have new faces that need time to develop an understanding with team mates, and hopefully a decent right back can be signed before the transfer window slams shut until January.

For now though we’ll just be grateful for a win and marvel at our new forward pairing of Ghilas and Altidore. There hasn’t been this level of American-Algerian cooperation since the two nations signed a treaty of amity and friendship on September 5, 1795 (thanks Wikipedia).

Even if we don’t fare well against the top 6 teams this year, we might just do ok in the Not-Quite-So-Premier League underneath. Huzzah!

Les Motherby