ENGLAND prospect Jermaine Jenas last night scored his third goal in four games under the watchful eye of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

It was enough for Newcastle to step up their Premiership title challenge with an edgy victory over relegation-threatened Bolton.

Under-21 international Jenas's 18th-minute effort proved decisive, but Sir Bobby Robson's side made hard work of their 11th successive home League win.

The third-placed Magpies are now only two points behind Manchester United and seven in arrears of leaders Arsenal from the same number of games, with both clubs still to visit St. James' Park.

Newcastle did arch-rivals Sunderland a big favour by ultimately seeing off Bolton.

The visitors remain only two points clear of the third-bottom Wearsiders, and have now played their game in hand.

But Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, the former Sunderland captain, was furious that his side were denied a 70th-minute penalty when Bernard Mendy went down under the challenge of Aaron Hughes.

Referee Phil Dowd's decision looked correct, however, as Youri Djorkaeff's cross appeared to be beyond Mendy before Hughes made contact.

But Allardyce refused to let the matter drop and Mr Dowd held up play to give him a touchline ticking-off.

Jenas's midfielder partner Kieron Dyer, equally keen to impress Eriksson, wasted no time in doing so as he cut a swathe through the Bolton defence.

There were barely 20 seconds on the clock - twice the time it took Alan Shearer to open the scoring in Saturday's 2-0 home win over Manchester City - when Dyer rounded off his surge with a shot which forced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen into immediate action.

Livewire Dyer was in electrifying form in the early stages. And after Newcastle keeper Shay Given had held a third-minute header from Kevin Nolan, the Magpies were quickly back on the attack with Dyer playing the ball inside from the right for Craig Bellamy to hit a 20-yard effort which Jaaskelainen had to save low to his left at the near post.

Laurent Robert then launched a 30-yarder that swerved a shade too much to trouble the keeper.

Ricardo Gardner's shot went similarly askew at the other end after good work by Henrik Pedersen had presented the Jamaican international with a great opportunity.

In a frenetic opening spell, Shearer - making his 450th League appearance - climbed above Bolton skipper Gudni Bergsson to head fractionally over from Nolberto Solano's teasing right-wing cross.

But Newcastle's early pressure brought its reward when centre-back Steve Caldwell hoisted forward a long ball which found Bellamy deep on the right.

The Welshman toyed with Bruno N'Gotty near the byline before nutmegging the big French defender with a delivery delayed delightfully for the onrushing Jenas - 20 next month - to fire home at the near post.

Solano conjured an opening for Bellamy in the 27th minute with a slide-rule pass, but Icelandic veteran Bergsson performed a last-ditch tackle to stop the United striker in his tracks.

Bellamy was a constant thorn in the side of a Bolton outfit whose cause hadn't been helped by the tenth-minute loss of influential midfielder Per Frandsen, Spanish defender Ivan Campo having taken the Dane's place.

And Shearer was close to adding a second for United two minutes before the break when he flung himself at Bellamy's right-wing centre.

Jenas blotted his copybook when he gifted possession to Mendy three minutes after the interval, and the Frenchman powered forward to hit a 20-yard drive that was narrowly wide of Given's left-hand upright with the keeper at full stretch.

There were half-hearted penalty appeals from Bolton when Pedersen went down under the challenge of the clumsy Nikos Dabizas.

But there was no doubting that an offence had been committed in the 52nd minute when Bergsson cynically scythed down Bellamy on the touchline just as the speedy front-runner was about to burst clear on the left.

When Shearer beat Bergsson to Solano's centre nine minutes later, the United captain's flying header cannoned off the crossbar.

But Shearer was clearly winded in the collision with Bergsson and needed treatment before continuing.

Newcastle were in desperate search of the killer goal and it looked like coming when Bellamy spotted Dyer on a forward run.

Dyer held off Bergsson as he broke into the penalty area, but could only tuck his finish into the side-netting.

Dabizas was booked for tugging the shirt of Djorkaeff before a series of scares around the Newcastle goal.

Simon Charlton's cross was inadvertently diverted goalward by the head of Caldwell and Given produced a fine sprawling save to his left before Mendy lashed the loose ball into the side-netting, much to the Magpies' relief.

Bolton felt they were the victims of rough justice when Mendy was upended.

And the visitors cursed their luck again as Given tipped over substitute Michael Ricketts' shot, which had spun up wickedly off the unfortunate Caldwell.

Bergsson then headed just wide from Djorkaeff's left-wing corner as Bolton battled in vain for a leveller.

But Jaaskelainen kept them alive with a late save from a Robert free-kick.

Result: Newcastle United 1 Bolton Wanderers 0.

Match facts

Goal: Jenas (18 mins)

Bookings: Bergsson, Dabizas, Campo (fouls)

Attendance: 52,005.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent) 7

NEWCASTLE (4-4-2)

Given 7; Hughes 7, Caldwell 7, Dabizas 6, Bernard 7; Solano 7 (Kerr 84 mins), Dyer 8, JENAS 8, Robert 7; Shearer 7, Bellamy 8. Subs (not used): Elliott, LuaLua, Ameobi, Harper (gk).

BOLTON (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen 7; Barness 6, Bergsson 7, N'Gotty 6, Charlton 6; MENDY 8, Frandsen (Campo 10 mins, 6), Nolan 6 (Facey 81 mins), Gardner 6; Djorkaeff 7, Pedersen 6 (Ricketts 67, 67). Subs (not used): Bulient, Poole (gk).

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jermaine Jenas - has hit a purple patch.

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