Port Vale 0-1 Bolton

Shit pitch, shit opposition and we looked knackered - so great to get 3 points and a break to Saturday to recover a bit. Imagine there will be some catch up from teams around us when they play Tuesday so got to keep on it.

Thought all the subs did well today, especially Ebezedi (sic), wonder why Maddison was out?

We've gained 29 of the last 33 points available and are now just 4 points away from an automatic promotion slot. However Forest Green who are currently 3rd do have a game in hand on us so could go seven points clear in midweek.

But with that said it was only about three weeks back that Carlisle were just one point behind us with four games in hand. That gap has now extended to a ten point difference (although they still have 4 games in hand) as they've slipped up badly in recent games.

Forest Green have won 3, drawn 1 and lost one of their last 5 matches so I genuinely believe we will catch up with them in the next couple of weeks. At the moment we're 6th but only on goal difference and the gap in that between us and the teams above us who are also on 57 points is really not that big at all.

Report: Port Vale 0-1 Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers’ impressive run of form continued as Gethin Jones hit the only goal of the game to give Ian Evatt’s men another victory against Port Vale.

After a tepid first-half, not helped by a difficult playing surface, Wanderers upped the ante after half-time and deserved their win,

Wanderers remained unchanged from the side that beat Cambridge United at the University of Bolton Stadium in midweek.

Zack Elbouzedi was the only change among the substitutes where he came in for Marcus Maddison.

Matt Gilks required treatment after six minutes when his foot appeared to get stuck in the ground as he attempted to clear Baptiste’s under-hit back pass. The keeper though was able to carry on.

Wanderers were having the majority of possession during the early exchanges but weren’t able to probe into the Vale final third on many occasions.

The visitors lost the services of their captain Antoni Sarcevic after 26 minutes when he limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem. Lloyd Isgrove came on for the midfielder.

Devante Rodney dragged a shot wide after bursting through as Vale started to press Wanderers.

Doyle’s glancing header went straight into the arms of Scott Brown after Vale struggled to deal with a Wanderers corner.

Tom Conlon’s volley which came from Leon Legge’s throw took a deflection off a Wanderers defender for a Vale corner.

Rodney’s dipping volley just before the break flashed wide as Vale tried to steal a half-time lead.

Theo Robinson received Rodney’s lay-off but his low shot didn’t trouble Gilks who easily gathered the ball.

After a good spell of pressure, Wanderers took the lead on 63 minutes through Jones, whose left-footed effort left Brown flat-footed as it nestled into the back of the net. The Welshman received the ball just inside the box from Afolayan.

Evatt immediately made another change when he brought on Arthur Gnahoua for Dapo Afolayan.

Gilks then kept out David Worrall at the second attempt as Vale pressed forward in search of an equaliser.

David Amoo, who had earlier come on for Hurst, drilled a shot low and wide from distance.

Luke Joyce received a short corner on the edge of the box but shot straight into the hands of Gilks.

Wanderers made their final change with just under ten minutes of the game remaining with Elbouzedi coming on for Eoin Doyle.

The sub almost had an immediate impact when his ball into the centre was turned away for a corner with Nathan Delfouneso shaping up to shoot.

Vale, having used their subs, played the final moments of the game with ten men after Adam Crookes hobbled off the pitch with a leg injury.

Wanderers saw out the game expertly extended their unbeaten run to an 11th game with another victory on the road.


Bolton Wanderers:

Gilks, Jones, John, Lee, Almeida Santos, Baptiste, Delfouneso, MJ Williams, Doyle (Elbouzedi 81), Sarcevic (C) (Isgrove 26), Afolayan (Gnahoua 64).

Subs Not Used: Tutte, Miller, Brockbank, Thomason.

Port Vale:

Brown, Crookes, Joyce (Oyeleke 80), Legge, Smith, Worrall, Conlon (C), Mills (Taylor 80), Rodney (Cullen 80), Hurst (Amoo 69), Swann (Robinson 31).

Subs Not Used: Oyeleke, Cullen, Brisley, Taylor, Scott

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wessy wrote:That was a really hard watch, never got going quite a few players not quite on their game, but we won and played poorly, thats a good sign. Not sure you can blame the pitch, yes a slippery surface, but a big wide pitch with plenty of grass should suit our game, we have played better on much worse surfaces than today. Put the curse of MOTM to bed so that's good. Other resuts could have been kinder.

Agree - although Exeter losing helped the cause. They’ve been on a charge recently and it took a stoppage time winner from Cheltenham to turn them over.
Poor performance from us and vale tbh with neither team being able to string a cohesive move together for most of the game and scrappy affairs like that aren’t good for the nerves.
Keeping the run going is the main thing though, and hopefully we’ll continue against Wozzle.
In the meantime I’m hoping Mansfield can do us a favour on Tuesday and Exeter and Tranmere cancel each other out on Saturday.

T.R.O.Y. wrote:Shit pitch, shit opposition and we looked knackered - so great to get 3 points and a break to Saturday to recover a bit. Imagine there will be some catch up from teams around us when they play Tuesday so got to keep on it.

Thought all the subs did well today, especially Ebezedi (sic), wonder why Maddison was out?

He couldn't find his pink boot.

Let's face it before Christmas we were down in 16th and only a couple of points clear of the drop zone.  We've improved massively, especially mentally imo. Our heads no longer drop if the opposition scores and we seem to be learning how to close out games even when we're not playing all that well. Personally I think we are genuinely in a position to gain automatic promotion and if we can keep doing what we're doing we will get it.

Cajunboy wrote:
He couldn't find his pink boot.