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This was one of those clunky performances which last season would have seen them sunk by a couple of goals. Yet there are signs in this team during the early part of the campaign that there will be nowhere near as many sob stories as there was last time around.
Very few fans in the newly-named University of Bolton Stadium would have thought the Whites entirely deserving of the two-goal lead given to them by Will Buckley and Josh Magennis on the hour. But on how many occasions in the last 12 months has Phil Parkinson’s side felt they had at least an equal share of the game, only to find themselves behind? It made a refreshing change to be on the opposite side of the fence.
This team looks capable – for the first time since the League One promotion season – of administering a sucker punch. And they nearly got away with it too.
The Robins hauled themselves back into it thanks to Andreas Wiemann and Jamie Paterson, two goals which left Parkinson shaking his head in disbelief. Over the course of 90 minutes, however, the Wanderers boss will know a point apiece was probably the right result.
Only one aspect of an odd game will be remembered, and that is the inconsistent refereeing of John Brooks, the former linesman in his first season as a referee at this level.
“There were a lot of decisions where both sets of staff on the touchline were like ‘he’s called that wrong,” said Parkinson, treading the finest of tactful lines after the final whistle.
“I think he’s new to it, an inexperienced ref, and he’ll get better for that. But there were a lot of things I couldn’t understand.
“There was a shot where his linesman gave a goal kick and he over-ruled and gave a corner. Everyone in the ground could see Ben (Alnwick) hadn’t touched it.
“The first Bristol City goal was offside. And those decisions just add up over the course of the game.”
Wanderers received six yellow cards from the Melton Mowbray official and will now be saddled with a £10,000 fine, due largely to the frustration which built into the second half over the referee’s patchy performance.
Bristol City could be equally aggrieved and should probably have had a second-half penalty when Niclas Eliasson appeared to be tripped by David Wheater, only to be cautioned for diving.
It all made for a rather tetchy atmosphere around the ground which bore little relationship to the football being played.
The first half was disjointed, notable only for a floated free kick by Eliasson which bounced off the crossbar, otherwise, it was a keep-ball session for the visitors, who struggled to cut through.
Wanderers sat too deep, with Parkinson reasoning nerves may have played their part in the first game in front of home fans since that last-day escape against Nottingham Forest.
“We had four debutants who hadn’t played at home, even in pre-season, and there was a little bit of edginess. I said to the lads at half time ‘we’ve had the warm-up.’” He said.
Whatever was said during the interval, it worked. As the link-up between Magennis and his supporting midfielder was hugely improved in the second half.
Wanderers still had to defend well after the restart, Ben Alnwick denying Callum O’Dowda from close range and Andy Taylor making a goal-saving block on Weimann.
Craig Noone, who had recovered from a stomach bug to take Sammy Ameobi’s place on the right side of attack, would help lead the fightback. The Liverpudlian had looked bright at West Brom and after spending most of the first half as a secondary right-back, he was able to push on after the break.
Eliasson’s penalty appeal – and yellow card – looked to be a turning point. Within a couple of minutes Bolton fans were celebrating as Josh Vela’s cross was headed goalwards by David Wheater and turned in by Will Buckley.
Two minutes later Vela found Pawel Olkowski on the right, and the Pole’s inch-perfect square pass allowed Magennis to turn and tuck a shot inside the post.
In doing so, The Northern Irishman became only the sixth post-war Bolton player to score in his first two league games.
Bristol’s response was swift. Pack sliced through the defence with a fine pass to Weimann – who looked suspiciously offside but steadied himself to slot the ball under Alnwick.
You never quite got the sense Bolton would see the game out in the same way they did at West Brom. The way they did conceded, however, left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Parkinson had defied the old managerial guideline by bringing a substitute on at a set piece. Noone had run his race and done well to last 80 minutes. His replacement, Adam Le Fondre, would be a useful man to have around in order to kill the game off.
But when the ball was cleared, Wanderers just did not look set. Bristol broke quickly and unchallenged down the left and Paterson was able to cut inside Olkowski to bury his shot via the post.
Wanderers all of a sudden looked shaky. Olkowski made a great block to prevent sub Mo Eisa from grabbing a winner and a flurry of bookings gave the visitors cheap possession to exert pressure at the end.
In the end, a point was readily taken. And four from a possible six at the start of the season is an impressive return indeed.
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Very few fans in the newly-named University of Bolton Stadium would have thought the Whites entirely deserving of the two-goal lead given to them by Will Buckley and Josh Magennis on the hour. But on how many occasions in the last 12 months has Phil Parkinson’s side felt they had at least an equal share of the game, only to find themselves behind? It made a refreshing change to be on the opposite side of the fence.
This team looks capable – for the first time since the League One promotion season – of administering a sucker punch. And they nearly got away with it too.
The Robins hauled themselves back into it thanks to Andreas Wiemann and Jamie Paterson, two goals which left Parkinson shaking his head in disbelief. Over the course of 90 minutes, however, the Wanderers boss will know a point apiece was probably the right result.
Only one aspect of an odd game will be remembered, and that is the inconsistent refereeing of John Brooks, the former linesman in his first season as a referee at this level.
“There were a lot of decisions where both sets of staff on the touchline were like ‘he’s called that wrong,” said Parkinson, treading the finest of tactful lines after the final whistle.
“I think he’s new to it, an inexperienced ref, and he’ll get better for that. But there were a lot of things I couldn’t understand.
“There was a shot where his linesman gave a goal kick and he over-ruled and gave a corner. Everyone in the ground could see Ben (Alnwick) hadn’t touched it.
“The first Bristol City goal was offside. And those decisions just add up over the course of the game.”
Wanderers received six yellow cards from the Melton Mowbray official and will now be saddled with a £10,000 fine, due largely to the frustration which built into the second half over the referee’s patchy performance.
Bristol City could be equally aggrieved and should probably have had a second-half penalty when Niclas Eliasson appeared to be tripped by David Wheater, only to be cautioned for diving.
It all made for a rather tetchy atmosphere around the ground which bore little relationship to the football being played.
The first half was disjointed, notable only for a floated free kick by Eliasson which bounced off the crossbar, otherwise, it was a keep-ball session for the visitors, who struggled to cut through.
Wanderers sat too deep, with Parkinson reasoning nerves may have played their part in the first game in front of home fans since that last-day escape against Nottingham Forest.
“We had four debutants who hadn’t played at home, even in pre-season, and there was a little bit of edginess. I said to the lads at half time ‘we’ve had the warm-up.’” He said.
Whatever was said during the interval, it worked. As the link-up between Magennis and his supporting midfielder was hugely improved in the second half.
Wanderers still had to defend well after the restart, Ben Alnwick denying Callum O’Dowda from close range and Andy Taylor making a goal-saving block on Weimann.
Craig Noone, who had recovered from a stomach bug to take Sammy Ameobi’s place on the right side of attack, would help lead the fightback. The Liverpudlian had looked bright at West Brom and after spending most of the first half as a secondary right-back, he was able to push on after the break.
Eliasson’s penalty appeal – and yellow card – looked to be a turning point. Within a couple of minutes Bolton fans were celebrating as Josh Vela’s cross was headed goalwards by David Wheater and turned in by Will Buckley.
Two minutes later Vela found Pawel Olkowski on the right, and the Pole’s inch-perfect square pass allowed Magennis to turn and tuck a shot inside the post.
In doing so, The Northern Irishman became only the sixth post-war Bolton player to score in his first two league games.
Bristol’s response was swift. Pack sliced through the defence with a fine pass to Weimann – who looked suspiciously offside but steadied himself to slot the ball under Alnwick.
You never quite got the sense Bolton would see the game out in the same way they did at West Brom. The way they did conceded, however, left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Parkinson had defied the old managerial guideline by bringing a substitute on at a set piece. Noone had run his race and done well to last 80 minutes. His replacement, Adam Le Fondre, would be a useful man to have around in order to kill the game off.
But when the ball was cleared, Wanderers just did not look set. Bristol broke quickly and unchallenged down the left and Paterson was able to cut inside Olkowski to bury his shot via the post.
Wanderers all of a sudden looked shaky. Olkowski made a great block to prevent sub Mo Eisa from grabbing a winner and a flurry of bookings gave the visitors cheap possession to exert pressure at the end.
In the end, a point was readily taken. And four from a possible six at the start of the season is an impressive return indeed.
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