Taylor lifts Bolton out of the bottom three

Matt Taylor lifted Bolton out of the relegation zone as Gary Megson's side survived a battering to win 1-0 at Hull on Saturday.

Wanderers were completely outplayed in the first half at the KC Stadium and needed a string of fine stops from Jussi Jaaskelainen to stay level.

But they snatched the lead early in the second half through Taylor and held on another extreme pressure for a second successive win that moves them into midtable.

After consecutive defeats to Chelsea and United had dropped Hull out of the top four, Phil Brown's team needed to get back to winning ways against less glamourous opposition.

Brown, who calls Bolton his spiritual home after several years as assistant to Sam Allardyce at the Reebok Stadium, saw his side start brightly and Geovanni drove in a low long-range shot that Jaaskelainen managed to smother down by his left-hand post.

With Hull continuing to press, the woodwork came to Bolton's rescue in the 19th minute. Geovanni whipped in a cross to Marlon King, who backheeled the ball with his right foot, only to agonisingly see it clip the crossbar.

City came within a whisker of taking the lead in the 31st minute when George Boateng's cross reached Daniel Cousin but the French striker headed wide.

Having done nothing in the first half, Bolton then took the lead five minutes into the second courtesy of Taylor's second goal of the season.

Gavin McCann delivered a corner into the near post that was met by a looping header from Ian Ashbee that came off the back of Gretar Steinsson. The ball then sat up for Taylor to strike a half volley from the edge of the area that crept inside Boaz Myhill's right-hand post.

Jaaskelainen conjured up a superb stop from Geovanni to keep Bolton in front.

Fabrice Muamba's trip from behind on Dean Marney set up Geovanni from 22 yards for a free-kick he looped over the wall. It was destined for inside the right-hand post, only for Jaaskelainen to claw it away.

A Gardner foul and subsequent caution led to another Hull free-kick in the 70th minute that was superbly curled in by Marney.

With Geovanni beating Bolton's belated offside trap, he appeared certain to score with a downward header from six yards that bounced up off the turf, only for Jaaskelainen to somehow scrape it off the line.

Five minutes from time Geovanni was denied again by Jaaskelainen, this time a low, right-foot angled drive spinning off the Finn's body.

In the 88th minute Jaaskelainen produced more heroics to keep out King's edge-of-the-area shot before punching clear the loose ball with Geovanni poised to nod home.