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Wanderers saw a brave comeback halted dead in its tracks at Bloomfield Road – leaving travelling fans with that familiar sinking feeling.
Having trailed for most of the game thanks to a thunderbolt from Connor Ronan, Bolton had fully deserved to be back on level terms through Kean Bryan.
But in an instant the joy turned to despair – flipped like the proverbial pancake – and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pounced to restore the Seasiders’ lead with another close-range effort.
It was hard luck for Wanderers, whose performance merited more than it got in the end.
Bryan’s timely return from injury meant Wanderers could line up with a back three. Hill also shook things up by giving Joe Bunney his first start on the left side of midfield and dropping Daryl Murphy to the bench for the first time this season.
Chris O’Grady came in to start while Jacob Mellis was dropped to the bench.
Ali Crawford was also included in the starting line-up, somewhat surprisingly after Hill had voiced his concerns about the idea after the weekend’s defeat in Milton Keynes.
The game set off at the pace you would expect of a local derby and Wanderers, to their credit, looked like they would give as good as they got early on.
Dennis Politic had an early sight of goal after turning on to Luke Murphy’s pass but Taylor Moore was able to get back at him before he could get a shot off.
The youngster was more involved in a central role behind O’Grady than he had been in the last couple of away games – and actually had the ball in the net at one stage, only for the referee to blow for a foul.
But any progress was halted in its tracks by a wonderful strike from Ronan, whose rasping strike from the edge of the box caught on the wind and seemed to sail past Matthews before he could properly react.
That left Bolton in an oh-so-familiar position away from home. The warning signs were there – Toto Nsiala enduring a nervous 45 minutes in which he could easily have conceded a penalty after Nathan Delfouneso skipped around him and was eventually sent crashing to the floor.
Referee Paul Marsden also turned down another two penalty shouts from the home side, firstly as Gary Madine went to ground protesting he had been pushed by Nsiala, then as Callum MacDonald’s cross bounced off the hand of Jason Lowe.
If fortune was smiling on Bolton at one end, they were doing little to take advantage. But for Politic’s disallowed strike the only chances they manufactured in the first half were from distance.
Blackpool’s defending was stout. James Husband made one vital intervention on one occasion Wanderers clicked – Lowe’s cross-field pass knocked down by Crawford into O’Grady’s path but the danger was cleared before a shot could be produced.
By the end of the half Wanderers’ supporters were in irony mode again, cheering a shot from Hamilton which cleared the bar by a country mile.
Hill responded by switching his centre-forward at the break, Daryl Murphy coming on for the ineffective O’Grady, and going 4-2-3-1. Lowe moved to right-back and though Bunney started on the left he was quickly replaced by Joe Dodoo.
Within a few moments the Whites nearly dragged themselves back into it. Politic’s low cross from the left was steered towards goal by Daryl Murphy – it looked a certain goal but Chris Maxwell managed to swat the ball away before it crossed the line.
Blackpool nearly doubled the lead when Matty Virtue’s shot took a touch off Nsiala and dipped inches over the bar.
That set the home supporters off in taunting mode. “Bolton get battered,” they bounced, hopefully appreciating the wordplay on Shrove Tuesday.
To their credit, Wanderers pushed harder.
Politic scooted past Ollie Turton and tried to beat Maxwell at his near post – the Blackpool keeper having far too good an evening for that to happen – and Hamilton made it a one-man mission to score from at least 20 yards out.
Considering Saturday’s performance had been so widely criticised for its lack of attacking intent, few among the 1,194 could level that accusation at Hill’s side this time around.
On 74 minutes Dodoo sent in a looping cross which was knocked down by Politic to Daryl Murphy eight yards out but the Irishman’s tame header landed straight in the grateful hands of Maxwell.
Had he scored it would have been the perfect response to being dropped but the missed opportunity served to take some wind out of Bolton’s sails.
Blackpool nearly broke from a Wanderers corner – Ronan putting his shot over the bar – and then Madine failed to turn in Feeney’s cross from close range.
Then, out of the blue, salvation arrived. Dodoo’s cross fell for Kean Bryan, who was up for the corner, and the on-loan defender calmly placed the ball into the net.
The joy lasted all of 60 seconds. As travelling fans were voicing their retorts, Blackpool earned a corner of their own – one stabbed home by Dewsbury-Hall to the delight of those behind the same goal.
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Having trailed for most of the game thanks to a thunderbolt from Connor Ronan, Bolton had fully deserved to be back on level terms through Kean Bryan.
But in an instant the joy turned to despair – flipped like the proverbial pancake – and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pounced to restore the Seasiders’ lead with another close-range effort.
It was hard luck for Wanderers, whose performance merited more than it got in the end.
Bryan’s timely return from injury meant Wanderers could line up with a back three. Hill also shook things up by giving Joe Bunney his first start on the left side of midfield and dropping Daryl Murphy to the bench for the first time this season.
Chris O’Grady came in to start while Jacob Mellis was dropped to the bench.
Ali Crawford was also included in the starting line-up, somewhat surprisingly after Hill had voiced his concerns about the idea after the weekend’s defeat in Milton Keynes.
The game set off at the pace you would expect of a local derby and Wanderers, to their credit, looked like they would give as good as they got early on.
Dennis Politic had an early sight of goal after turning on to Luke Murphy’s pass but Taylor Moore was able to get back at him before he could get a shot off.
The youngster was more involved in a central role behind O’Grady than he had been in the last couple of away games – and actually had the ball in the net at one stage, only for the referee to blow for a foul.
But any progress was halted in its tracks by a wonderful strike from Ronan, whose rasping strike from the edge of the box caught on the wind and seemed to sail past Matthews before he could properly react.
That left Bolton in an oh-so-familiar position away from home. The warning signs were there – Toto Nsiala enduring a nervous 45 minutes in which he could easily have conceded a penalty after Nathan Delfouneso skipped around him and was eventually sent crashing to the floor.
Referee Paul Marsden also turned down another two penalty shouts from the home side, firstly as Gary Madine went to ground protesting he had been pushed by Nsiala, then as Callum MacDonald’s cross bounced off the hand of Jason Lowe.
If fortune was smiling on Bolton at one end, they were doing little to take advantage. But for Politic’s disallowed strike the only chances they manufactured in the first half were from distance.
Blackpool’s defending was stout. James Husband made one vital intervention on one occasion Wanderers clicked – Lowe’s cross-field pass knocked down by Crawford into O’Grady’s path but the danger was cleared before a shot could be produced.
By the end of the half Wanderers’ supporters were in irony mode again, cheering a shot from Hamilton which cleared the bar by a country mile.
Hill responded by switching his centre-forward at the break, Daryl Murphy coming on for the ineffective O’Grady, and going 4-2-3-1. Lowe moved to right-back and though Bunney started on the left he was quickly replaced by Joe Dodoo.
Within a few moments the Whites nearly dragged themselves back into it. Politic’s low cross from the left was steered towards goal by Daryl Murphy – it looked a certain goal but Chris Maxwell managed to swat the ball away before it crossed the line.
Blackpool nearly doubled the lead when Matty Virtue’s shot took a touch off Nsiala and dipped inches over the bar.
That set the home supporters off in taunting mode. “Bolton get battered,” they bounced, hopefully appreciating the wordplay on Shrove Tuesday.
To their credit, Wanderers pushed harder.
Politic scooted past Ollie Turton and tried to beat Maxwell at his near post – the Blackpool keeper having far too good an evening for that to happen – and Hamilton made it a one-man mission to score from at least 20 yards out.
Considering Saturday’s performance had been so widely criticised for its lack of attacking intent, few among the 1,194 could level that accusation at Hill’s side this time around.
On 74 minutes Dodoo sent in a looping cross which was knocked down by Politic to Daryl Murphy eight yards out but the Irishman’s tame header landed straight in the grateful hands of Maxwell.
Had he scored it would have been the perfect response to being dropped but the missed opportunity served to take some wind out of Bolton’s sails.
Blackpool nearly broke from a Wanderers corner – Ronan putting his shot over the bar – and then Madine failed to turn in Feeney’s cross from close range.
Then, out of the blue, salvation arrived. Dodoo’s cross fell for Kean Bryan, who was up for the corner, and the on-loan defender calmly placed the ball into the net.
The joy lasted all of 60 seconds. As travelling fans were voicing their retorts, Blackpool earned a corner of their own – one stabbed home by Dewsbury-Hall to the delight of those behind the same goal.
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