Soccer Extreme : Bolton deservedly secured all three points at the Reebok Stadium against a lacklustre Everton side lacking quality up front.
With Bolton still retaining hopes of reaching Europe at the end of the current campaign, and with today's visitors Everton plagued by inconsistency, it seemed like the ideal opportunity for them to get their season back on track after a mediocre run of form.
As it turned out, Everton allowed Bolton to grab hold of that opportunity with both hands, with a lack of creativity combining with poor decision making in the final third to thwart their attempts to make an impression on the game.
Gary Cahill sent an early warning sign to the visitors with a header directed over the bar from a Bolton corner, and worse was to come for the Toffees shortly after as he went one better.
The highly-rated defender managed to get his head to a controversial free-kick and which deflected into the back of the net off Johnny Heitinga's shoulder in the tenth minute.
Tim Cahill squandered a chance to equalise shortly after, Leighton Baines sending in a peach of a cross from the left only for the ball to be met by the foot of the influential Australian, when a header would have seemed the logical choice, and the chance was wasted.
The half ended with both sides pushing forward, leaving gaps at the back in the process, but David Moyes cut a frustrated figure as the teams trudged off for the interval.
Bolton started the second-half on the front foot and it stayed that way for the majority of the remaining action, despite the home side being forced to weather a short lived spell of pressure from Everton, with Gary Cahill dealing admirably with an aerial bombardment.
A double substitution from Moyes injected a greater purpose into Everton's attacking play, with Jermaine Beckford and Leon Osman sent on to help turn the game around, but it was Bolton who scored again soon after to end those hopes.
Stuart Holden thought he had scored again for Bolton with ten minutes remaining after Sturridge back heeled to him from inside the box but the linesman adjusted that the ball had crossed the goal-line first from the striker. Sturridge and Johan Elmander both went close for Bolton as the full time whistle approached, while sub Jose Baxter at least managed to get a shot on target for the visitors.
Daniel Sturridge, a constant thorn in Everton's side throughout the 90 minutes, drilled a fine finish past Tim Howard after the ball was knocked down to his feet from an accurate header from Chung-Yong Lee on the edge of the box.
The striker showed great pose to score his third goal in as many games since arriving at the club from Chelsea on loan, in the 67th minute.
The result leaves Everton just three points away from the relegation zone, while Bolton will have renewed belief that Europe remains a realistic prospect.
Venue: St James' Park, England 