*Phillips first off the mark in Villa Park goal rush*

An intoxicating start that yielded four goals in the opening nine minutes could not be sustained, inevitably, as Villa and Bolton were forced to share a point apiece in this lively encounter.

Optimism is an unfamiliar concept for many Villa fans, though they will be encouraged by the display of Kevin Phillips in particular. The England international scored on his debut before setting up another and might have ended on the winning side but for Villa’s frailties in defence.

Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo took advantage of poor marking to swing the match back in Bolton’s favour. It was no more than the visitors deserved after taking the game to Villa for much of the second half during which El-Hadji Diouf might have had a penalty. Unfortunately, his reputation precedes him.

Phillips is one of four new faces at Villa Park this summer. Of the others, Aaron Hughes also made his debut. Patrik Berger failed to recover from a thigh injury and the former Arsenal goalkeeper Stuart Taylor was on the bench.

For Bolton, Stelios Giannakopoulos, whom Manchester City are understood to have bid for, joined Jay-Jay Okocha in the dug-out. Given Okocha’s talismanic qualities, it was a difficult decision to rationalise, as were the opening 10 minutes.

Phillips started the mayhem in Villa’s first attack. Hughes, who impressed at right-back, swapped passes with Nolberto Solano and Juan Pablo Angel in a sweeping move before delivering a curling cross from the right for Phillips to head home. The former Southampton striker scoring on his debut for the third consecutive club.

Villa were still celebrating their breakthrough when Bolton drew level. Kevin Nolan delivered a long throw into the six-yard box where Rhadi Jaidi outjumped Jlloyd Samuel. The flick-on fell invitingly for Davies who hooked the ball past a startled Thomas Sorensen. Six minutes on the clock, two goals.

Villa, like those watching, were still pausing for breath when Bolton took the lead. Gary Speed swung in a corner from the right and Campo, completely unmarked, headed past Sorensen.

O’Leary’s frustration was tangible. In his pre-match comments the Villa manager had spoken of the visitors’ threat at set-pieces. If only his players had heeded the warning.

They did, though, respond immediately. Phillips turned provider, hooking the ball beyond Bolton’s Ricardo Gardner into the path of the onrushing Steve Davis. So perfectly timed was the young midfielder’s run he did not have to break his stride before side-
footing a volley high into the roof of the net. Nine minutes on the clock, four goals.

The explosive start could not continue, though both sides carved further openings. Davies was unlucky to see a left-foot shot slide the wrong side of the post while Villa had a penalty appeal turned down when Samuel was upended. Predictably Diouf enhanced
his status as opposition fans’ bete noire, picking up a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Samuel.

But Diouf, for all his foibles, remains a talent when he has the ball at his feet. That much was evident early in the second half when he cut in from the left before unleashing a right-foot shot from 25-yards that flashed past Sorensen’s near post.

Sam Allardyce, sensing Bolton had regained the impetus, replaced Campo with Okocha. The Nigerian’s impact was immediate. His long throw from the right was headed on by Jaidi - in a move remarkably similar to Bolton’s first goal - only for Nolan’s header to be repelled by Sorensen at the far post.

Bolton, though, will feel aggrieved they were denied a penalty midway through the second half. Diouf shaped to head towards goal only to bundled to the floor by a challenge from Solano. Mike Riley waved away the appeals.

Villa’s threat was sporadic though Angel might have done better when he raced clear of the Bolton defence. The Colombian, though, lacks the confidence of Phillips, and the chance came to nothing.