Lost Utaka just in time to win praise from Harry

John Utaka, Portsmouth's new Nigeria star, was an hour late for the pre-match team meeting — because he was lost. But he looked nothing like lost on the pitch, brilliantly scoring one of Pompey's goals and providing the assist for another.

Little wonder that grateful

boss Harry Redknapp ruled

out disciplinary measures.

The tactics talk had been

called for 11am. When there

was no sign of Utaka, Kanu

was asked to phone his

compatriot.

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"Kanu told me John was

lost," said Redknapp. "I told

him to tell him to look for

the floodlights."

Utaka finally arrived just 45

minutes before the kick-off.

"He's so laid back he walked

in as if nothing had

happened," said Redknapp.

"But whatever time he got

here I'd have played him."

This defeat left Bolton

bottom and still pointless,

and right back Nicky Hunt

fears they are too soft and

lack mental toughness.

Under Sam Allardyce,

Bolton earned a reputation

as being difficult to beat,

but local boy Hunt said:

"With the players that we've

gotwe shouldn't be starting

that softly."

New manager Sammy Lee's

tactics have not helped.

Allardyce used a holding

midfielder in front of his

back four as part of a

4-5-1, but Lee's favoured

4-4-2 makes Bolton look

spineless.

Hunt, 23, was particularly

frustrated at the way his

team surrendered the

12th-minute lead given them

by Nicolas Anelka. "I don't

know whether it's

concentration levels or

we're not mentally tough,"

he said. "There has to be a lot

of mental toughness in the

Premier League these days."

Hunt added pressure by

setting an ambitious target

for the forthcoming games

against Reading and

Everton. 'We need six points

from the next two games,'

he said. 'Last season we had

about 20 points from the

first 10.

"It's a very testing time for

us but we've got to keep

our heads up."

Things looked so promising

when Anelka collected

El-Hadji Diouf's pass down

the left and shot low

through David James's legs.

But it took just four minutes

for Portsmouth to equalise

as an unmarked Kanu —

who was excellent

throughout — pounced on

Utaka's knock-down from

close range.

When Bolton carelessly

surrendered possession

after 30 minutes, Utaka

embarked on a lengthy run

—and did not come close to

being dispossessed —

scoring an excellent

individual goal.

Bolton's misery was

complete two minutes from

time when Gerald Cid fouled

Kanu and Matthew Taylor

converted the penalty.

Lee admitted he is under

pressure, saying: "There

have been a couple of

sleepless nights for sure."