• Plays of the Day

Plays of the Day: Reo-Coker's revenge

ESPN staff
January 21, 2012
Craig Bellamy was handed some humble pie at Bolton © PA Photos
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Reo-Coker's revenge
When Craig Bellamy was at West Ham, he was once asked what he thought of the soon-to-arrive Kieron Dyer. "He's like Reo-Coker, except he can play," came Bellamy's response. At the Reebok Stadium on Saturday Reo-Coker claimed his revenge, scoring Bolton's second en route to an easy 3-1 victory over Liverpool. The pair exchanged plenty of words, but the scoreboard did the Bolton man's talking.

Have Mers-y on us
We're big fans at the ESPN offices of the Gillette Soccer Saturday show hosted by the legendary Jeff Stelling - we can't get enough of the James Brown celebrations when Hartlepool score, or the jibes at Chris Kamara's lack of knowledge over what's going on. However, the insight - particularly when certain talking heads speak - can be lacking.

Take Paul Merson's eulogising over the Norwich forward line for example: "Grant Holt is like Teddy Sheringham, not as good, but he's like Sheringham - his brain is scary. And people are talking about David Silva or Robin Van Persie for Player of the Season... Steve Morison should be the man everybody is voting for in my opinion," Merson said.

So when Stelling asked Merson why new Chelsea defender Gary Cahill wasn't starting at Norwich, you might have thought it was because Andre Villas-Boas wouldn't want to throw a new defender in against "the league's best player". Merson?

"He must be injured. This is a good game for Cahill, no disrespect to Norwich but they're not a top-drawer team."

Clear as mud.

Oh Fernando
This was Fernando Torres' moment. He had played his way into form against Sunderland, Didier Drogba was deep into African Nations Cup preparations, and his two markers at Norwich were former Liverpool academy graduates - one of which (Daniel Ayala) he almost certainly would have faced in training. It was all set up for El Nino to get on the goal trail, but when the ball was cut back to him midway through the second half, Torres took not one but two touches to set the ball from eight yards, before pathetically poking wide with his third. Even Andy Carroll might have got that one on target.

Oh brother
Aston Villa handed 19-year old youngster Gary Gardner his full debut for their trip to Wolves on Saturday. As brother of Sunderland midfielder Craig, the teenager must have dreamt many times what it would be like to score on his Premier League debut. That moment took all of two minutes to arrive at Molineux, thanks to Ciaran Clark's back-post cross, but just as glory seemed set to swamp Gardner he somehow contrived to head wide. A memorable impact.

Finally, for Tim Cahill © Getty Images
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The drought is over
Torres's barren run may have continued, but elsewhere it was very much a day for drought-breaking goals as two of the Premier League's forgotten men finally found the net. Michael Kightly, who has spent more time in the treatment room than on the pitch in the last two years, bagged his first goal since 2009 for Wolves against Aston Villa. Then, moments later, Everton's Tim Cahill netted his first for 14 months against Blackburn. How Marouane Chamakh wishes he hadn't gone to the African Nations Cup...

Linesman turns playmaker
Wolves owed a major thank-you to the officials for their second goal against Aston Villa. As Kightly went to take a quick corner, the assistant referee stood directly in front of the ball, preventing the corner being taken. It is thought the official was allowing the referee to speak to a player inside the area, but that did not stop the Wolves players and crowd reacting angrily. However, when the ball was finally delivered into the area, David Edwards netted for a 2-1 lead and the linesman's first assist of an otherwise barren season.

Goal of the day
Take a bow, not for the first time this season, Mr Craig Gardner. What your brother failed to achieve from a handful of yards, you managed from 30. Chesting Stephane Sessegnon's pass, Gardner lobbed a wonderful volley over Michel Vorm to kill Swansea off at Sunderland.

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