Hull 0-1 Bolton: Jussi's 11-year savings plan

Jussi Jaaskelainen admits it was friends reunited at the KC Stadium but Phil Brown won't want to see the keeper at the school gates today.

Bolton's Finnish shot-stopper was simply sensational as he made a hat-trick of superb stops from Hull's Geovanni to thwart Brown's team.

The pair know each other well from Brown's coaching stint at the Reebok under Sam Allardyce before he moved into management.

The Hull boss and Jaaskelainen also have a share in a racehorse called European DreamwithGary Speed, Kevin Nolan and Kevin Davies.

And Jaaskelainen's children even go to the same school as Brown's. But the star insists his main incentive was to help lowly Bolton record back-toback wins as they aim to climb the Premier League.

"Hopefully I can keep the level I am playing all the way through the season," said Jaaskelainen, signed from VPS Vaasa in November 1997.

"Hull are working hard as a team but so are we. Hopefully we can start pushing now and catch them."

Jaaskelainen said he knew Brown would succeed in the top flight. "It is no surprise to me Phil has done well because he did well under Big Sam at Bolton. I see him now and then - he has a racehorse with me and a few others and our kids are in the same school.

"If I see him at the school gates on Monday I will nod - the result doesn't matter because he is a friend of mine."

The Trottersspent big money in the summer on Fabrice Muamba and Johan Elmander but getting out of-contract Jaaskelainen to sign a new four-year deal looks their best business. And the Finn insists the club's prospects look much healthier this term after starting the last campaign under ill-fated Sammy Lee.

Headded: "I am very happy at Bolton and always have been. I have been here 11 years and hopefully at least four more. This time last season I was very concerned because we had not been working as a team but this season it has been a different story.

"We have been playing well but until recently hadn't been getting that all-important first goal. The last two games we have scored first and had two good results." Bolton's Matthew Taylor struck the only goal as the visitors picked up their second win in six days.

His 50th-minute effort from 16 yards curled into the corner through a clutch of players.

But Hull were desperately unlucky not to level after Jaaskelainen kept out Geovanni's free-kick before foiling the Brazilian a further two times.

And the shot-stopper underlined his importance late on to parry from Marlon King and then punch the ball clear from the lurking Geovanni.

Bolton defender Gary Cahill said: "I thought Jussi would leave when he was out of contract in the summer. I feared he might fancy a change to freshen things up.

"It was great when he did commit himself and everybody was over the moon. He did brilliantly today and I said to him that I did not know how he kept a clean sheet.

"With Jussi in goal, we don't worry about what is going on behind us."

Jaaskelainen's heroics condemned Hull to their third straight Premier League defeat after reverses against Chelsea and Manchester United.

But boss Brown refuses to admit the bubble has burst.

Brown said: "Three defeats on the bounce might mean it is alarm bells outside the club but it's certainly not alarm bells here.

"The two previous losses were freebies as we were written off by everyone, but the reality is we're good enough to be where we are."

Hull City: Myhill 7, McShane 6, Turner 7, Zayatte 7, Dawson 6(Ricketts 64, 6), Boateng 6 (Folan 73, 5), Ashbee 6, Marney 6, Geovanni 7, King 6, Cousin 5 (Mendy 54, 6).

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen 9, Steinsson 6, Cahill 7, Andrew O'Brien 7, Samuel 7, Muamba 5, Gardner 6, McCann 6, Taylor 7, Elmander 5 (Smolarek 77, 6), Davies 6.
Goal: Taylor 50

Referee Alan Wiley
Attendance: 24,903

Man Of The Match
Jussi Jaaskelainen (BOLTON) 9
Made some quite magnificent saves in the visitors' goal

Villain of the Match
Daniel Cousin (HULL) 5
Was anonymous upfront for Hull

Anorak
Hull were facing Bolton for the first time in the league for 15 years

Next Three Games:
HULL CITY
Saturday: Man City (h) Prem
Sat Nov 22: Portsmouth (a) Prem
Sat Nov 29: Stoke (a) Prem

BOLTON WANDERERS
Saturday: Liverpool (h) Prem
Sat Nov 22: Boro (a) Prem
Sat Nov 29: Sunderland (a) Prem

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