Newcastle 2 - 0 Bolton: Newcastle stay on course for top four

Published on 10/04/2012 00:00

Hatem Ben Arfa produced a moment of genius to maintain Newcastle’s unlikely bid for Champions League qualification.

The Frenchman lit up a disjointed display by his side with a breathtaking 73rd-minute run and finish to break Bolton’s stubborn resistance.

Papiss Cisse made sure of the win seven minutes from time by converting substitute Shola Ameobi’s cross – his tenth goal in nine appearances for the club – to take the Magpies to 59 points for the campaign, their best Premier League haul since the 2005-06 season.

But the visitors went home knowing it might have been so different had Chris Eagles or Mark Davies managed to beat keeper Tim Krul in an impressive start to the second-half. Bolton remain deep in relegation trouble, in sharp contrast to their hosts, whose dreams of European qualification refuse to die.