Bolton Wanderers won its first match under Sammy Lee as they thrashed Reading 3-0 at the Reebok stadium on August 25.

Gary Speed provided the lead in the 32nd minute while Nicolas Anelka made it safe for the hosts midway through the second half before Daniel Braaten added the third in the final minute. The win will come as a massive relief to both Lee and Bolton fans as the club had lost its first three matches of the new season.

Bolton went on the attack from the kick off as Reading defenders struggled to keep Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf silent. Diouf played a back pass to release Gavin McCann but the midfielder was unable to latch on to the ball as Ulises de la Cruz made a simple clearance after a poor first touch by McCann.

Bolton had a great chance to take the lead in the 24th minute when Anelka hit a stinging shot towards the target only to see his effort saved brilliantly by Marcus Hahnemann. The rebound went straight to Diouf but before the striker could release his shot, Bikey made an excellent tackle to deny Bolton.

Bolton finally took the lead in the 31st minute when Speed raced in to meet a Diouf corner before hitting a thumping header into the net. Hahnemann found himself needed immediately after the start of the second half as McCann hit a long range effort, but was easily saved by the American keeper.

The best chance for Reading fell to De la Cruz in the 53rd minute as 33-year old raced inside the penalty box only to hit wide of the target. The miss proved costly for Reading as Bolton doubled their lead two minutes later. Diouf released Anelka towards the goal and the French striker easily evaded De la Cruz's challenge to slot the ball past Hahnemann.

Reading were unable to create any clear chances in the match and Bolton added a third before the final whistle through substitute Daniel Braaten after he latched on to a superb cross by Anelka before smashing the ball into the net.