| Bolton Wanderers | Middlesbrough | ||
| Fletcher | 16′, 28′ | ||
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
57% 14 2 8 11 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
43% 18 5 8 6 |
Boro blues for troubled Bolton
There were many doubts if this game could actually go ahead and from the perspective of both sets of fans many more who probably wished it wouldn’t. Despite the hanging dreariness of the dark misty clouds enveloping Teesside and its surrounding “Valley” since the Bristol debacle swiftly followed up by the Swansea capitulation hordes did travel across to Lancashire in the first literal ray of sunshine in over a week in the hope of seeing a ray of hope. The heaviness of the atmosphere on Teesside was nothing however compared to the state that Bolton now find themselves in. News that a deal to sell the club is again imminent will hopefully save them but the fear is to whom and why.
TP had Lewis Wing definitely out and George Friend likely missing so that would necessitate a shuffle in defence with his only LB now on sick leave. Ironically TP’s best performances this season have usually come when he has been forced to make changes rather than intended them so with that exceedingly small crumb of comfort maybe Pulis might actually screw things up significantly enough to win against the Championship’s second worst side. Bolton had lost their last seven games against Boro with the Teessiders winning their last three at the former Reebok then Macron and now Bolton University Stadium.
That Bolton’s players have had to strike in support of employees’ wages, survived another High Court winding-up order and that the EFL had to rush an advance payment to them to keep the ground open didn’t bode well for Phil Parkinson’s preparations. Added to that Parkinson looked to be sweating on ex Boro midfield “maestro” Gary O’Neil (perhaps more of the Austin variety) due to illness along with Jack Hobbs and Luke Murphy both struggling. Jason Lowe and another ex Boro man Yanic Wildschut definitely remain sidelined with ankle injuries. It was likely however that there would at least some sort of Boro reunion with Captain David Wheater, Andrew Taylor and Sammy Ameobi all in line to at least make the squad.
A somewhat reduced travelling army of around 900, certainly from those that witnessed that Rhodes rescue three years ago saw TP go with a back three of Ayala, Flint and Fry or perhaps a back four with Shotton as RB. Saville and Howson were included so they may be operating out wide or Shotton and Saville as the wing backs but truth was that nobody really cared to debate it that much such was the apathy. Britt and Fletcher were starting with Clayts benched and Besic and Mikel in the middle. JOM wore the armband but strangely Gestede had made the bench after being ostracised since Newport, perhaps this was another TP wind up or just more tactical stupidity. Tav of course wasn’t selected despite the bizarre ramblings on the lad this week. For the Trotters O’Neil, Wheats and Ameobi all started with Taylor on the bench.
Gary O’Neil got proceedings underway for Bolton in a very desolate and sad looking Stadium. Ameobi got a quick effort of sorts fired at Shotton to absolutely no effect and a half-hearted penalty appeal from Assombalonga was ignored. Initially it looked like Bolton seemed to be sitting back clearly lacking confidence adopting a cautious approach. In terms of the Boro line up it looked like a flat back four with Dael operating as LB that morphed as the game went on into a back three . The Bolton defence looked in a very generous mood if early forays were anything to go by and a Fletcher effort over the bar in the tenth minute signalled that Boro were looking the better of the two sides. An early goal either way would like as not collapse the deck of cards for one side. Ameobi then had an attempt at the other end but as he got into the Boro box he blazed it into the travelling army.
Wheater blocked Fletcher and as Howson collected it it was the Redcar Rock again blocking to give Boro their first corner. Delivered by Saville, met by Flint and back out for another corner this time delivered by Howson which was punched out for a third Boro corner. Saville’s delivery this time was cleared for a Boro throw in. Fifteen minutes gone and in truth it was poor fayre but with Boro on top Bolton managed to shoot themselves in the foot with a poor mis-controlled back pass lighted upon by Britt whose shot then spun off a lunging defender’s shin pad to Fletcher who calmly slotted home from six yards out.
Ameobi again came at Boro and had Randolph scrambling if ever a warning was needed. O’Neil took a corner aimed at Wheater presumably but arrived at ex Pulis employee Wilson who screwed his shot and managed to take out the corner flag. A series of Boro throw ins saw us keep the big lads back until one near the corner flag saw Flint go up alone with the throw delivered in by Shotton but after a few scrambles and passes the chance was gone. Interestingly Ameobi was being kept up field on his own forcing Ayala and Fry to keep back tracking him.
A Howson break was blocked by Wheater and then an Assombalonga drive towards goal ended in Boro winning another corner. After Bolton cleared their lines it was Britt again closing down and angry again this time for not being awarded a free kick by Ref Stephen Martin. Seconds later as the half hour mark approached Saville intercepted and fed Besic who ran at the nervy Bolton defence sliding the ball through to Fletcher who despatched a curved ball past the despairing Matthews into the top right-hand corner. 2-0 and Bolton looked dead and buried but if Boro felt they could take their foot off the pedal Magennis quickly forced Flint to clear for a Trotters corner. O’Neil delivered it in, was cleared and Howson broke up the pitch courtesy of Britt tearing Bolton apart again, Fletcher met the delivery but fluffed his lies as the home fans started to vocally air their discontent at what was unfolding.
Saville delivered in a free kick which Remi Matthews flapped at in close attendance with Britt, Fletcher pounced but the flag went up for offside with thirty five minutes gone. Ayala needed a solid challenge after a slip up by Shotton but Bolton were unable to seriously threaten as Boro again went marauding up the pitch. Boro were for the first time in a very long time looking comfortable so long as they kept Ameobi and O’Neil at bay knowing that a third would completely kill the game off as a contest. That third nearly came down the left, well worked with Saville and Fletcher into Britt who played Fletcher through nearly replicating his second goal of the evening but was ruled off side. Fletcher was grabbing the limelight but Britt was ably supporting him along with Saville.
A claim for handball against Saville was declined by the Ref and Besic was then fouled, from the resulting free kick Boro again broke needing O’Neil to come to the Trotters rescue. A shot by the youngster Connell was well off Randolph’s goal ending the half to a chorus of boos from the Home fans.
There certainly was a degree of empathy towards the Bolton fans frustration but to who where they booing? The owner was desperate to rid himself of the Club, the Players haven’t been paid on time for months and had to strike to ensure the non-playing staff were paid this week and what poor Phil Parkinson was supposed to do under those circumstances was a tall ask. It was however a very sad and dispiriting display from a side with a great history in the game.
TP will have had the most stress free half time for many a week. All he could do was screw it up as there looked very little in reality that Bolton would be capable of in terms of getting themselves back into this game. As good as the score line suggested the feeling was it was as much if not more down to Bolton being very bad than Boro being great. Still you can only beat what’s in front of you and Boro desperately needed a game like this to save themselves from setting even more unwanted records.
Boro took the field without any changes to what looked like a three quarters empty Stadium for the second half with Jonny Howson kicking off. Five minutes in and Saville cleared his lines conceding a corner which was met by Beevers who was all over Ayala but the ball went back in the direction from whence it came and harmlessly going out. Fletcher had another attempt this time driving in from the left, hitting it with his right only to see it headed out for another corner by Wheats Again a corner was delivered in by Saville but this one was cleared by Beevers but the flag had gone up for offside.
Ameobi and Olkowski worked a Trotters corner at the opposite end as Saville defended, as a scramble ensued form the corner Wheats connected with a volley but it went out harmlessly for a Boro throw. A succession of Fletcher/Assombalonga chances nearly saw Fletcher getting his third but the danger was snuffed and just as Bolton were clearing their lines Howson intercepted, fed Assombalonga but his chip cleared not only Matthews but the crossbar again and just in case we didn’t see it the first time seconds later he replicated the miss but this time the offside flag spared his blushes.
So bad were the Bolton defence that Fletcher, Saville, Howson and Britt were tearing them apart with ease every time we went forward. The traveling army started cheering nervy Bolton passes in defence with a series of disparaging “ole’s”. In a training ground routine JOM blocked Matthews view of a Howson free kick but Jonny slipped during execution enabling Matthews an easy collection. A Fletcher shot hit across the six yard box forced Beevers to put it out for yet another Boro corner which Flint challenged for but it went out for a goal kick.
The game was slowly dying as Bolton had mentally surrendered but Boro surely needed to add more goals to help their GD and this was as good an opportunity as they will have had all season. For me TP needed to be thinking about adding some spark to energise things and keep the pressure on Bolton. Just as I was thinking that, Clayton was being readied by the Boro bench which wasn’t the change I was thinking of.
Howson had a long range effort and then was immediately called into action again this time to block Beevers as Bolton tried to launch a quick counter attack. Phil Parkinson made a Substitution, taking off Williams and putting on what looked like one of the ball boys in Oztumer. Alarmingly Bolton were now getting closer in what was their best spell of the game.
A Wheater effort was met by Magennis but he was offside fortunately with twenty minutes remaining. A Flint error nearly allowed Bolton a way back in but thankfully the inability that they had displayed all night was consistent. A Saville effort to try and pick out his strikers went out for a Howson corner which ended after a flurry of activity in the Bolton box and ending with Britt being given offside yet again.
A long Shotton throw in saw Wheater win the header over Flint but at the expense of an increasing Boro corner count which was half cleared by Matthews but as Besic dithered Bolton broke. The Trotters made a hash of the chance after they overplayed the break out pass by the diminutive Oztumer. So far, a very underwhelming second half from Boro but considering recent results perhaps not so unexpected. Meanwhile Clayts had been restored to the bench with no changes introduced as yet from Pulis but looking imminent. The 17 year old youngster Luca Connell then went off carrying an injury with Connolly replacing him for Bolton.
Ameobi hit a ball aimed for Craig Noone off Shotton for a corner which Randolph had to come out and deal with as Clayts was again being warmed up on the touchline. Meanwhile Oztumer hit a shot off Besic this time with five minutes remaining. Fortunately O’Neil’s Corner didn’t cause any serious problems. Besic then finally made way for Clayts with just under five minutes to go. A minute to go of the 90 and Ameobi had the best Bolton chance of the evening forcing Randolph into his first real serous save. Britt then made his way slowly off the pitch for Tavernier to get another rare outing with three entire minutes of added time remaining. In the dying embers a rebounded Ayala clearance saw Ameobi released down the left, bend his shot forcing Randolph to pull off a fingertip save onto the crossbar to preserve the clean sheet.
A good Boro first half against a very weak and disparate Bolton side wasn’t built upon in the second half which was disappointing. Three points and in fairness the victory was never really in doubt in the end but getting that losing streak off their back was important. Besic, Saville, Howson and Assombalonga all had good games but with two goals Fletcher earned the MOM award.