Bolton 1-0 Coventry City - Match Report Post #33

Frustrating game. We weren't nearly aggressive enough in the first half when they were on the ropes- far too much passing backwards and sideways to maintain possession. In the second half Coventry were much more aggressive ( and thereby taught us a lesson) and not only could have drawn the game, but could have won it.
There's a lesson there about winning games when you've got virtually total control- but I doubt that they'll learn it.
Agree with the substitutes being dross. Taking Ameobi and Clough off with 15 minutes to go meant that any potent attacking threat disappeared (Madine doesn't score goals!!)and so we had to hang on for a draw.

I agree with the comments made that we were good in the first half and poor in the second so we need to learn from it and move on.
At the end of the day it's a win and a clean sheet and I though Alnwick looked assured and while they pushed us back in the second half I don't think we looked vulnerable too often.
Sammy and Zach look a real threat but I'm disappointed in Henry and Chris Taylor who I though would have been strong additions to the team let alone the squad but unfortunately for whatever reason they haven't worked out.

Report: Bolton 1-0 Coventry City

IN BRIEF

Wanderers made it back-to-back victories in Sky Bet League One as they ran out 1-0 winners over Coventry City at Macron Stadium on Tuesday night.

The scoring was opened in the 11th minute of the game, with Zach Clough notching his sixth of the season by lofting the ball over Lee Burge in the Sky Blues’ net after running onto a pass over the top of the visitors’ defence.

The Sky Blues did rally in the second period in a bid to force an equaliser, but the Trotters stood firm to pick up all three points in their latest outing.

TEAM NEWS

There was just the one change for Wanderers from the weekend, with Tom Thorpe coming into the starting XI in place of the suspended Liam Trotter.

FIRST HALF

Bolton began the game the stronger of the two sides, with Gary Madine’s cross causing all sorts of problems inside three minutes with Coventry keeper eventually having to tip the ball over the bar.

It was all Wanderers in the opening stages of the encounter, with Josh Vela’s cross and Madine’s consequent effort somehow staying out of the net due to some superb keeping by Burge.

It seemed impossible to comprehend as to how the Whites weren’t ahead, but they put any doubts behind them in the 11th minute of the game as Clough ghosted past the City defence before chipping the ball delightfully over Burge and into the net to the delight of the Bolton faithful.

Coventry just couldn’t make any real inroads in the clash with any potential attacks being snuffed out quickly and calmly by the Bolton backline.

Wanderers meanwhile were looking likely to add to their tally, with captain Jay Spearing orchestrating proceedings in the middle of the park.

Shortly after the half hour mark meanwhile, Mark Venus’ side enjoyed their first chance of the game as Kyel Reid thundering an effort goalwards from a tight angle which Ben Alnwick parried away from danger.

Right up the other end however, Clough spurned the opportunity to double his own tally when firing his shot straight at Burge.

Despite the visitors enjoying more spells inside Bolton’s third of the pitch however as the half wore on, Wanderers were comfortably dealing with everything that was thrown their way.

And come the half time whistle, the Trotters went in at the break a goal to the good.

SECOND HALF

Inside the opening stages of the second period, the visitors did cause a number of problems for the Whites with the Bolton backline having to recover from some lax defending.

Lewis Page meanwhile saw a thunderous shot from 20 yards deflect off Derik and into the welcoming arms of Alnwick.

A little more stunted a start than in the first half, Wanderers were slowly but surely settling into the game following the restart and looked to have notched a second of the game.

Clough latched onto the clever ball down the left flank, with the academy graduate cutting inside and teeing up an advancing Ameobi, only for Burge to palm his effort away from the net with Macron Stadium already celebrating.

Clough meanwhile was back in the thick of the action soon after, with a free-kick from 20 yards crashing against the post via the hand of Burge.

The frontman was single-handedly taunting Coventry at the game reached its hour mark, with the Sky Blues’ backline struggling to keep tabs on the 21-year-old.

As the game wore on though, Coventry were finding more space inside Bolton territory while substitute Ruben Lameiras saw a powerful drive palmed over the crossbar by Alnwick with 19 minutes remaining of the game.

The chance seemed to rejuvenate the visitors who had seemed destined to concede a number of goals in the first period, with them enjoying a spell of pressure as the game headed towards its final stages.

And Spearing was the saviour for the Whites as Jordan Turnbull’s bullet header ricocheted off the skipper and away from goal.

A second goal was needed for the Whites to put the result to bed, with Coventry throwing men forward and Gael Bigirimana saw a daisy-cutter pushed away by the Bolton shot-stopper with ten minutes remaining.

Up the other end of the field meanwhile, James Henry squandered a glorious chance to end City's hopes of salvaging a result but saw his drive clear the crossbar.

It was all hands to the pump for Wanderers as Venus' side threw everyone into the mix, with a backs-to-the-wall performance needed in a bid to stave off the pressure being created by the visitors.

A goalmouth scramble ensued in the 90th minute of the clash too, with no Coventry shirts able to turn home a loose ball in the box from a corner.

And with five minutes of additional time indicated, Wanderers were able to breathe a little after winning possession in City territory and with the composure of substitute Jamie Proctor, kept the ball inside the deepest depths of the Sky Blues' third.

And their efforts were enough as the three points were Bolton's at the final whistle.

FULL TIME

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Pitiful performance, and just goes to prove how utterly shit this league is. I reckon a Nuts XI could have beaten Bolton last night.

The defence is sound enough but in midfield and attack we are totally devoid of ideas. I agree with the above comments that Chris Taylor and Henry are utter bobbins, I'd go as far as saying Taylor is as bad as Trotter.

Don't agree with the comments about Ameobi though, he is all legs and no end product. We could put a performing seal out there and get the same result.

Clough has a habit of scoring which is great because he does bugger all else during a game. Why is he still so lightweight? Hasn't it crossed Parkinson's mind to beef the little shite up? Andi Peters did it in 3 months.

With January approaching Parkinson needs to get some quality in midfield and a striker who can actually score - sorry Madine, I appreciate the effort but there comes a time when you need to be able to shoot straight.

surely it's a good sign that we played poorly but still won though? Nat is right about Madine, he does put in the effort but he just has no goal threat at all.

I would say Chris Taylor is worse than Trotter (if that's actually possible)

Fabians Right Peg wrote:

Pratley is on his way back

 Any idea when?

Ok the second half was poor but credit to Coventry, for me the first half was up there with the best we have played, Spearing spraying out passes, Clough receiving a turning in the hole and scoring, Vela chasing down, you can't win with the procession argument, Hoof it long and we ask for a passing game, we passed the ball very well in the first half sometimes you need to go backwards.

no one at half time was unhappy, the problem was, we took our foot off the gas and they raised the bar, previous seasons we would have caved, we didn't yet another clean sheet. how the hell can you be unhappy with a team who wins 7 out of 8?

Question from the armchair:

The knob on comms from Tower kept referring to the keeper as "All-Nick".

I had assumed his name was pronounced like the town in the north east - "Annick".

Am I wrong?

Or is the knob from Tower?

Cheers.

Annick

talking of Tower, as much as i love Tony Kelly can they please get shut of him on the commentaries. He is shocking, even Henshaw was better than Zico

I sit next to the press box in the WSU,and I hear him before I see him. Love him though.

Anyway,who ever heard of a scouser that made sense.

boltonbonce wrote:Annick

Thanicks.

wanderlust wrote:

Fabians Right Peg wrote:

Pratley is on his way back

 Any idea when?

Parkinson's programme notes said a couple of weeks if I remember right.

wessy wrote:Ok the second half was poor but credit to Coventry, for me the first half was up there with the best we have played, Spearing spraying out passes, Clough receiving a turning in the hole and scoring, Vela chasing down, you can't win with the procession argument, Hoof it long and we ask for a passing game, we passed the ball very well in the first half sometimes you need to go backwards.

no one at half time was unhappy, the problem was, we took our foot off the gas and they raised the bar, previous seasons we would have caved, we didn't yet another clean sheet. how the hell can you be unhappy with a team who wins 7 out of 8?

Unhappy is not the correct word ?   maybe "concerned" ????  they had 18 shots, a better team would have put us away. They shipped 4 their prior game.
We need too get back to 90 mins of football not 45 mins.
Overall though things are much better than last season obviously....so onwards to Northampton for hopefully 90 mins of footy and three points.

terenceanne wrote:

Unhappy is not the correct word ?   maybe "concerned" ????  they had 18 shots, a better team would have put us away.

Stats don't tell the whole story, I thought the first half was some of the best football we have played for a number of years, yes the second half was poor but we hit the woodwork twice and clough missed a sitter in the first half.

a lot of their 18 shots where from distance and I can only remember Alnwick making a couple of stops.

One thing we are doing well is keeping clean sheets and defending as a team, even Madine was tracking back and filling in for Ameobi on the right side of midfield when he was caught forward.

There's lots of improvement with each game so I am optimistic that the consistency will come, not concerned.

Norpig wrote:talking of Tower, as much as i love Tony Kelly can they please get shut of him on the commentaries. He is shocking, even Henshaw was better than Zico

I totally agree with your comments about Tony Kelly.

Every game he is involved  with he winds me up with his moronic comments. Not to mention his whinning scouse accent.

If we were 3-0 down and 15 minutes to go, he'd still be saying if we can just get the ball forward we can still get something from this game.