Bolton 1-0 Barrow

I think that.s the worst game I've seen this season. I think we should have arrows on the side of the pitch, so that our defence knows which way to kick the bloody ball, instead of to each other. I can only assume they are playing to how they were told to. Dreadful game, and I actually felt sorry for Barrow,

Another win but from all accounts we played poorly. I was shopping for an elderly neighbour today so can anyone tell me if the play was as bad as the reports suggest?

It was worse.

A horrible game.

A few firsts today.
We allowed their striker to have the ball under control unmarked in the middle of the goal 2 yards out and he didn’t score. How I don’t know.
We got away with a clearly obvious penalty decision that would have won the game for them.
We scored a goal in the dying seconds which looked offside. 
The referee made key decisions in our favour.
We robbed a team instead of being robbed for a change.

I only hope that behind closed doors Evatt gives them an absolute rollicking and spends the next few days working on tactics that will break down defensive teams because we sure as hell can’t do it by passing sideways and backwards for 90 minutes.

Three points is three points but we won’t get away with performances like that against teams further up the table.

We played sideways because Barrow had 10 men behind the ball and played out a plan that left no room behind, it wasn't a great game but we passed it around well if you have possession the other team can't score. That's another clean sheet and another win. Enjoy it we have suffered enough over the last 4 years, If you think the team deserve a bollocking having won 5 on the bounce i think you will be dissapointed, a bannana skin avoided another positive substituition, look at the positives. 

I don't think it was a penalty and it matters not if you think it was offside because a guy on the line and in the middle ruled it onside. 1-0  at this stage is all that matters.

wessy wrote:We played sideways because Barrow had 10 men behind the ball and played out a plan that left no room behind, it wasn't a great game but we passed it around well if you have possession the other team can't score. That's another clean sheet and another win. Enjoy it we have suffered enough over the last 4 years, If you think the team deserve a bollocking having won 5 on the bounce i think you will be dissapointed, a bannana skin avoided another positive substituition, look at the positives. 

I don't think it was a penalty and it matters not if you think it was offside because a guy on the line and in the middle ruled it onside. 1-0  at this stage is all that matters.

Completely agree.

Absolutely terrible game, clueless tactics, awful passing, clear penalty to the opposition, we deserved fook all.

Isn't it great when you get a last minute winner

karlypants wrote:It could have been a real banana skin this game and it would be a great achievement if we got promoted this season. 

Shame I missed the game as I fell asleep as my tendinitis pain eased off. 

I could do with nurse Whittam looking after me.

Sorry to hear about your STD, but it was inevitable.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

karlypants wrote:It could have been a real banana skin this game and it would be a great achievement if we got promoted this season. 

Shame I missed the game as I fell asleep as my tendinitis pain eased off. 

I could do with nurse Whittam looking after me.

Sorry to hear about your STD, but it was inevitable.

You could have told me you had something! 

No doubt you got it from Cecil! 

Watching sport is terrible for blood pressure. 

Bolton's square and backwards passing at snail's pace is infuriating enough, but: England RU team giving away a stream of penalties officiated by a referee who was in a world where common sense had no place; England's cricketers agreeing to ignore Covid in order to travel thousands of miles to fulfil fixtures where the expectation was for the games to be fair and even contests over 5 days, but where the hosts were favoured from ball one and finished after just 2 days.....

I've got a pounding head!

Report: Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Barrow


Shaun Miller came off the bench for the second Saturday in a row to earn Bolton Wanderers a deserved victory as they made it five wins on the spin against a stubborn Barrow.

The striker hit his third goal of the campaign to send his side home with the win following his heroics at Southend United just a week earlier.

Looking to go home with a stalemate, the visitors, making their first-ever trip to the University of Bolton Stadium, appeared to have frustrated Ian Evatt’s men, who had over 70% of possession throughout the game.

But substitute Miller had the final say yet again to propel Wanderers to seventh spot in the table.

The Wanderers manager made two changes from the side that beat Scunthorpe United in midweek.

Kieran Lee and Antoni Sarcevic came back into the starting eleven ahead of George Thomason and Nathan Delfouneso who were named amongst the substitutes.

Wanderers started with energy and purpose during the opening stages seeing plenty of the ball.

Declan John had a thunderous volley blocked by a Kgosi Ntlhe after receiving it from Isgrove’s corner.

John’s cross into the box shortly afterwards resulted in Doyle’s glancing header going narrowly wide.

Wanderers almost took the lead after 26 minutes when Dapo Afolayan’s near post headed from Lloyd Isgrove’s cross was somehow steered behind for a corner by Joel Dixon.

The hosts were well and truly on top but were up against a stubborn defence.

Afolayan’s shot on the turn after smart build-up play was blocked by a defender was Wanderers upped the tempo.

Ricardo Almeida Santos’ 45-yard pass found Isgrove in space and the winger’s centre into the box was cleared before it could find Doyle.

Afolayan’s shot from the edge of the box was saved by Joel Dixon who had to dive low to prevent the ball from going beyond him.

A rare attack by Barrow saw Gilks make a vital save to keep out Jason Taylor from close range after he'd latched onto Scott Quigley's pass-back.

Both sides remained unchanged as they took to the field for the second half.

John’s powerful right-footer was blocked by Bobby Thomas as Wanderers looked to seize the initiative just after the restart.

At the other end, Jones tracked by superbly after Barrow broke following a Wanderers attack. The defender got a foot in, to rob possession from Patrick Brough after the defender was shaping up to shoot following a counter attack led by Quigley.

At the other end, Wanderers broke well at pace and Jones cross into the box was cleared for a corner.

Saracevic’s well-struck volley at the far post was somehow kept out by Dixon after Afolayan found the Wanderers’ skipper following a good through ball from Isgrove, as Wanderers continued to probe.

Almeida Santos’ long-range pass found Afolayan whose ball made its way to Eoin Doyle. The Irishman struck the ball well from the edge of the box but Dixon was well-placed to catch it.

Evatt made a double substitution with just over 20 minutes remaining when Gnahoua and Delfouneso came on for Afolayan and Isgrove.

Within seconds of coming on Gnahoua showed a lovely touch to run into the box, his cross evaded everybody though and another opportunity went by.

Fellow sub, Delfouneso forced a save out of Dixon after he had twisted, turned and lost his marker after being played in by Lee.

Wanderers made another change with nine minutes to go when Miller came on for Doyle.

The striker was inches away from breaking the deadlock after John’s inch-perfect pass was cleared for a corner just before it reached the sub following a fantastic pass by Lee.

Wanderers survived a loud penalty shout right at the death, which never had any validity to it after Jamie Devitt tumbled following a collision with MJ Williams, but Miller showed his finishing prowess to claim the maximum with virtually the last kick of the game after being set up by fellow sub, Gnahoua.


Bolton Wanderers: Gilks, Jones, Williams, Almeida Santos, Doyle (Miller 81), Sarcevic, Isgrove (Delfouneso 69), Baptiste, John, Lee, Afolayan (Gnahoua 69)

Subs Not Used: Tutte, Thomason, Elbouzedi, Jackson

Goal: Miller (90+3).


Barrow: Dixon, Eardley, Jones, Thomason, Brough, Barry, Banks (Devitt 78), Taylor, Ntlhe (Kay 72), James, Quigley.

Subs Not Used: Lillis, Goodridge, Sea, Bramall.

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Thomason should be in before Sarcevic.

Despite Evans talking him up, I'm yet to see what all the fuss is about regarding Sarcevic. Thomason is more likely to unlock teams parking the bus.

wessy wrote:We played sideways because Barrow had 10 men behind the ball and played out a plan that left no room behind, it wasn't a great game but we passed it around well if you have possession the other team can't score. That's another clean sheet and another win. Enjoy it we have suffered enough over the last 4 years, If you think the team deserve a bollocking having won 5 on the bounce i think you will be dissapointed, a bannana skin avoided another positive substituition, look at the positives. 

I don't think it was a penalty and it matters not if you think it was offside because a guy on the line and in the middle ruled it onside. 1-0  at this stage is all that matters.

We played sideways because in the transition there wasn't enough movement ahead, players getting forward, unwillingness to try to thread it through quickly or take on players to disrupt the pattern of play - which was basically that we gave them time, every time to drop back into defensive formation before we started paying it around.. We resorted to playing it wide and then crossing into a packed box.

What you describe is the inevitable outcome of not moving it forward quick enough to give them no time to settle into their block.
Yes it's great to steal the points but we were robotic and slow in springing our attacks.

Was not able to watch it but from all the reports I missed nowt.

Take the three points and run.

I notice no goalie on the bench again - shear madness.

Carry on.

Watched Spuds demolish Burnley yesterday and they were lethal in transition - a model of what we should be adding to our game. From defensive block to the other end of the pitch in seconds with 4 or 5 players sprinting up the pitch before Burnley had time to reset. Sure it would be nice to have Bale, Kane and Son etc in our team, but we have to do something other than hold it up in the middle of the park whilst opposition defences settle back into banks. Our forwards are reasonably quick so there is surely the potential to do something along these lines?