Bolton 3-4 Watford

I thought you posh types called it Dinner?

You were dragged up really, weren't you?

Go on, admit it.....

Some of the best football I've seen us play for many a year though, and the combination of Bannan, Janko, Clough, Vela and Le Fondre is very exciting.

at the back though pretty embarrassing, and honestly Lennon probably should have shut up shop at 3-3 we were totally exposed for their 4th which was just silly really but applaud the ambition.

Clough is a class act and hes only 19 years old.

2 cracking finishes from him again today, not getting carried away though.

Le Fondre is quality as well, so is Bannan.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

observer wrote:
How does a lady eat tea?  Curious.

Exactly the same way as men. You've not met many women have you.

You would be taking tea I believe, though the verbiage may be correct for her majesty and her subjects.  Quite curious as to why eating tea would be acceptable.

Entertaining game, Wrong result, Draw would've been fair.

Not completely Pissed Off but not fucking nearly Happy either.

That one should have been 6-6 and only the goal keepers kept it below that IMO.

Entertaining game that just went the wrong way for us.  I think that has done us for a serious run though. Just to far behind again.  Still can't say it wasn't fun.

Report: Bolton 3-4 Watford

IN BRIEF

Bolton Wanderers lost at Macron Stadium in the league for the first time under Neil Lennon as they fell to a dramatic late defeat against promotion-chasing Watford.

Despite falling behind to an Odion Ighalo strike, goals in quick-succession from Zach Clough and Adam Le Fondre had fired the Whites ahead at the break.

However, visitors Watford fought back with Almen Abdi scoring from range before Joel Ekstrand headed the Hornets in front.

Clough netted his second late on to seemingly earn Bolton a share of the points, only for substitute Troy Deeney to steal victory for Watford right at the death.


TEAM NEWS

Neil Lennon made one change to the Wanderers side that beat Fulham on Tuesday night as Zach Clough came in for Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Meanwhile, with the Icelander on the substitutes’ bench and Matt Mills still injured, David Wheater captained the side on his 28th birthday.


FIRST HALF

Wanderers started the match brightly and were unlucky not to take the lead inside the opening five minutes after Adam Le Fondre and the returning Zach Clough combined in the Watford area.

Receiving a low pass from Clough in the centre, Le Fondre got the ball out from under his feet well but was unable to keep his subsequent shot on goal down for what was the game’s first opening.

Continuing to press forward, birthday boy and stand-in skipper David Wheater had the next chance for the Whites to open the scoring, coming on the quarter-hour mark.

However, despite leaping highest at the far post to connect with Barry Bannan’s inch-perfect first-time cross, the defender was always leaning back to make the header as his effort floated over the bar.

At the other Andrew Lonergan was called into action for the first time, saving with his legs to deny Almen Abdi inside the area after he was picked out by Ikechi Anya.

Wheater was involved again moments later as Bolton once more threatened to take the lead; his glancing header from Liam Feeney’s inswinging corner drifting narrowly wide of the far post when goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was caught flat-footed.

Having marked his Trotters debut with a goal, Saidy Janko came close to making it two from two from Wanderers’ next attack after being picked out down the right-hand side by Le Fondre.

With space in front of him to run into, the Manchester United loanee powered a strike at goal from the edge of the area only to see his effort fly into the side-netting.

Watford took the lead soon after through in-form striker Odion Ighalo as the Nigerian showed quick-feet to turn Wheater on the edge of the Whites’ area, before calmly slotting past Lonergan into the bottom-corner.

But Bolton responded well and almost equalised within minutes of falling behind as a Josh Vela cross caused havoc inside the Hornets area.

With the ball eventually falling to Le Fondre in space, the forward rifled a half-volley towards the bottom corner with Gomes beaten, only to see Ben Watson emerge at the last-minute to boot clear off the line.

The Trotters remained in control of proceedings as the half wore on despite the score-line, with Bannan the next player to test Gomes in the Watford goal.

Unleashing a thunderous effort from distance, only a finger-tip save from the former Brazilian international could deny the Scot as Gomes got enough on the ball to tip push it over the bar.

But Wanderers did get the goal their first-half performance deserved with their very next attack, taking advantage of Watford falling asleep at the back to level through Zach Clough.

Having seen Janko play the ball outwide to the offside Le Fondre, the Watford back-line were caught appealing for the decision despite the forward leaving the ball for the onrushing Feeney.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, the Whites wideman stole in before pinging the ball across goal to Clough, leaving the youngster with a simple finish at the far post.

Tim Ream came agonisingly close to scoring his first goal in Bolton colours moments later as he slammed a shot into the side-netting from an acute angle after the ball fell kindly to him at the far post.

However, the Trotters did soon found themselves ahead moments before the break as Le Fondre notched for his second goal in two games.

Running onto Feeney’s low cross, the forward connected with an instinctive finish at the near post to beat Gomes and fire Wanderers into a deserve lead at the interval.


SECOND HALF

Awakened by falling behind, visitors Watford had the better of the second half’s opening moments as Andrew Lonergan was twice called into action in quick succession.

First palming away Abdi’s curling free-kick, the keeper stood tall at his near post to keep out Anya’s stinging drive soon after.

The Hornets introduced Troy Deeney in place of Gabriele Angella as they searched for an equaliser, but it was the withdrawal of an extra defensive body that provided the Whites with an extra threat on the counter-attack as they twice came close to extending their lead in a matter of moments.

With Clough and Le Fondre combining well on the break, Gomes had to be alert to deny the latter at his near post on two separate occasions, after Bolton twice found themselves in two-on-two scenarios.

Meanwhile, only a rare poor first touch from Clough denied him a shot on goal at the near post after he was picked out by Janko’s low cross.

Lonergan continued to come on to in his ongoing battle with Abdi, as he twice denied the midfielder from distance before keeping out Ighalo’s rebound at his near post, unaware that the offside flag had already been raised.

However, there was nothing the keeper could do to keep out Abdi’s next effort as the midfielder found the back of the net with an unstoppable curling strike from range to fire Watford back on level-terms.

Rather than be disheartened at being pegged back, the Trotters again responded well with only a stunning treble-save from Gomes preventing them from instantly re-taking the lead.

Twice spreading his body to deny Le Fondre from close-range, the keeper showed great reactions to get back to his line and leap on Clough’s rebound at a time when the goal was gaping.

Clough was involved again soon after as he shrugged off numerous Watford challenges before bursting down the middle, but was unable to hit the target with his subsequent shot on goal from the edge of the area.

And Wanderers were made to rue their missed chances minutes later as Joel Ekstrand headed Watford in front, his flicked header from Abdi’s cross looping in at the far post.

Eidur Gudjohnsen came on in place of Janko with ten minutes left on the clock as the Whites went in search of a late equaliser, with the introduction of the veteran forward seemingly having the desired effect on his team-mates as they equalised minutes later.

With Feeney again the provider, Clough had the time and space in the area to unleash an unstoppable first-time strike past Gomes into the far corner for his second of the afternoon.

But in the dying embers of the game Watford took the lead through a substitute of their own, Deeney firing across goal into the bottom corner to put the Hornets back ahead.

The end-to-end drama continued as Wheater thought he had marked his birthday with another late equaliser after substitute Tom Eaves’ strike had been parried by Gomes, only to see his close-range strike ruled out for offside.

And despite further late pressure, Neil Lennon’s side were left frustrated at the final whistle as they suffered defeat at Macron Stadium for the first time in the Championship under the Northern Irishman.

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Unusual for both keepers to come out shining after a 4-3.

I would rather lose a 4-3 game in style and enjoy going to the game than win game 1-0 backs to the wall.

JAH wrote:No gloss at how our defence performed

ok, gotcha

JAH wrote:Well no side is going to poach NL off us after that defensive performance

Last week you were saying conceding four goals is ok as we have injuries. What's changed?

"A great game for the neutrals" doesn't hack it at the end of the day - even though it was in fact a great game. Lots more hype about Lennon from Sky (worryingly) before during and after the game but whilst the style is expansive and attacking it can always go either way when we're up against a team that is equally expansive and so it turned out.
Great to watch but in amongst all the fuss few people are mentioning that we're only 7 points above the drop zone and putting points on the board to pull away from that issue is surely the top priority at the moment.

In mitigation, Lennon did express his disappointment at our failure to shut up shop at 3 all.

wanderlust wrote:"A great game for the neutrals" doesn't hack it

Not when you're sat in your armchair in Norfolk maybe, but when you're actually in the stadium enjoying an end-to-end game you feel you got value for money.

I'd rather lose 4-3 like that, than 1-0 under Freedman.

and your point is 58?

Janko was clearly shattered which left us exposed in midfield.Obviously he's not played for a while and two games in a week with his wing back play showed in the second half,he swapped with Vela,but should have been subbed earlier as we were exposed as he could hardly put a tackle in.Watford started getting a foothold due to his tiredness and in my opinion should have been subbed earlier.
Lennon was correct after coming back to 3-3 as a professional team we should of taken the point.

In his 19 games we have won 9 D 5 L 5 that would be 32 points from 1/3 rd of the season and the bit of bad luck v Wolves 95 th minute goal and yesterday.We could of had a possible 35 points from 19 matches.Taking in to account the performance v Rotherham which I reckon we would have picked at least a point if it was not for the effort put in v Liverpool.

If Lennon gets a bit of funding of ED n Slimeside and a good start to next season it should be something to look forward too next season.

One last point is Danns is terrible in the centre of midfield.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:"A great game for the neutrals" doesn't hack it

Not when you're sat in your armchair in Norfolk maybe, but when you're actually in the stadium enjoying an end-to-end game you feel you got value for money.

I'd rather lose 4-3 like that, than 1-0 under Freedman.

Obviously I enjoyed watching the game surrounded by my home comforts and I definitely felt I got value for money, so I guess you're just going for another cheap shot.
Thing is, I probably had a better view than you as well as the benefit of replays so I don't think you are really qualified to comment on my grasp of the game.
The point I was making (in case you missed it in your eagerness to demonstrate how snide you are) was that whilst it was exciting to watch, we lost again.
And I would also prefer to lose like that than lose a war of attrition, but more than anything I would prefer to win - especially whilst we are still in danger of getting dragged back into the relegation zone. A fair point I think?

wanderlust wrote:
And I would also prefer to lose like that than lose a war of attrition, but more than anything I would prefer to win - especially whilst we are still in danger of getting dragged back into the relegation zone. A fair point I think?

There is absolutely ZERO chance of us going down.

I don't think we are really in a relegation scrap.Albeit a lot off sides grouped closely together by a few points.
We have enough quality to pull well clear starting with a win at Freedmans Forest next week.
Two seasons he has fucked up and we need to get back in the Premier especially with the new money deal coming in,in a few years.
Lennon is the man and if ED and Garslime have any love for this club,they might as well fund the players he has targeted in the summer window.
Or ED will never get his money back,although how owning the hotel purchased off De Veres,comes under a debt.ID say it is an asset.

wanderful life wrote:

One last point is Danns is terrible in the centre of midfield.

He's probably our best and most consistent player.

If you took your KKK hood off you'd see the game better.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:
And I would also prefer to lose like that than lose a war of attrition, but more than anything I would prefer to win - especially whilst we are still in danger of getting dragged back into the relegation zone. A fair point I think?

There is absolutely ZERO chance of us going down.

I like to think so. Perhaps a few wins will negate any possibility? I don't think that's an unreasonable request of a manager vaunted as the Messiah. Should be able to deliver that with all these signings. He's already delivered the style so a bit more substance should see us safely over the line and TBF not all teams we play will be as strong as Watford so I assume we can expect a charge up the table. It would just be nice to remove any possibility of relegation asap though.