After Saturday’s kick in the teeth the stakes for this one were even higher than before. A win and some of the damage is repaired, we would at least end the three-game mini-series against play-off contenders with four points and would move up to 10th in the table, just four points off a top-six place; a draw and a return of two points would look inadequate given our position; a defeat and the cry would go up that the season is already over and the management team had better start planning for another season in this bloody division rather than shelling out anything in this transfer window (and we’re not exactly being flooded with rumours as it is).
We could take heart from the job we did on Bolton at The Valley back in August, but that was really water under the bridge and would in any event be likely to spur them on in front of their fans. After all, their need for the points was just as great as ours, with murmurings of discontent with manager Evatt not quietened by them having needed a stoppage time own goal to get a point at home against Cambridge on Saturday.
In the event we got exactly what we needed – and ultimately, despite the stats and Evatt’s comments, what we deserved. A win looked unlikely through the first half, as Bolton dominated possession and chances, highly improbable when they took the lead on 55 minutes, and almost impossible in the subsequent 15 minutes or so as they led us a merry dance. But Bolton didn’t put us away, thanks to good saves by Maynard-Brewer and some dogged defending, and the game turned on its head as our substitutes made an immediate and lasting impact and as we equalised shortly after the changes. After that, we gained in strength and Bolton quite frankly fell apart, exemplified by the disgraceful stamp on Small’s leg when he was on the ground (and for the record their captain should have been sent off before the break, which would also have changed the game). They lost their composure as passes went astray and, while our winner may have had an element of fortune, by then it came as no surprise.
Evatt reportedly after the game talked of their performance being one of the best of their season, adding that “they got the win but they were very direct, very simplistic; I’m not sure I would want to watch that every week”. And the match report on the Bolton site talked of ‘sucker punches’. They are deluding themselves if they don’t also look at their team’s lack of character when it mattered. For sure we’re not playing the beautiful game; if we’d set out to match them for passing and movement alone we would have been beaten. They are well versed in that approach. But there’s a time and a place – but it seems some have a rigid approach to the game and how it ‘should’ be played. That’s their choice. Every team has to play to its strengths and on the night ours proved superior to theirs (and if comparisons are to be made Rotherham looked a far better side than Bolton when it came to forward movement and defending).
Rant over (and I’ve just seen the reports indicating Evatt may have been sacked), back to the game. In contrast with recent matches, there were decisions for Jones to make on team selection. Give the same players the chance to make amends for Saturday, look at whether some tired legs might need a rest and tweak a little, or perhaps make more extensive changes to personnel and/or formation? Jones went for the first option, with an unchanged starting XI and bench.
The first half was an edgy affair, with the contrasting styles of play producing more stalemate with few chances than an end-to-end affair. After a lengthy early stoppage due to an emergency in the stand (we all of course hope the person involved is OK) Bolton’s first real chance came as their dangerous right-side wing-back got to the byline in the box and his low cross was nearly converted, perhaps kept out by Maynard-Brewer, then a couple of wayward Gillesphey passes threatened to let them in. Our threat came primarily down the right side with Small, who had the beating of his man but didn’t manage to make it count, with either shots from cutting inside or crosses. And having created the first chance their guy rounded off the half with an effort of his own, poking a shot from inside the box which needed a strong hand from Maynard-Brewer diving to his left to keep out.
The first half was notable for some inconsistent card choices by the ref. Mitchell received an early yellow for a tackle close to the box deemed a foul (which raised the question of a red if a goalscoring opportunity, although there seemed to be cover), then Docherty, seemingly for kicking the ball away. Then in the lengthy first-half stoppage time their captain was quite rightly booked, then shortly after took out Mitchell as he was clearing the ball. Mistimed perhaps but surely another yellow. Instead the ref opted to give him a lecture. Would have been the guy’s own stupid fault if he had seen red – and that would have changed the game.
We had come under the cosh late in the first half with a spell of prolonged Bolton pressure – and they started the second half in a similar fashion. A cross from the right resulted in a looped header from their guy which hit the top of the crossbar with Maynard-Brewer beaten, other balls across our box only narrowly evaded their target. So it was no big surprise that they took the lead, although the nature of the goal was disappointing from our perspective. We were caught upfield and failed to cut out the break, with their guy in space down their right. Plenty of defenders were trying to get back but none made it in time as his low cross was tapped in from close range.
After that Bolton dominated us and threatened to make the game effectively safe. Jones made a timely decision to change the formation, with Mitchell withdrawn and Anderson on to bolster midfield, with Edwards switching to the right side and Small over to the left in what was now a 4-4-2. That did help to steady us and we saw out a very rocky period, ahead of the cavalry arriving.
On 68 minutes Jones made a triple change, with Aneke on for Leaburn, Godden for Berry, and Edmonds-Green replacing Edwards, who had looked decidedly uncomfortable on that side. Campbell moved wider.
Aneke had an immediate impact with his physical presence and within a couple of minutes we were level. A corner was half-cleared but the ball was put back to Gillesphey on the right side. He curled in an excellent cross and with Bolton’s defenders not reacting Jones (the player) met it and deftly turned it into the corner of the net.
To say it was against the run of play would have been an understatement, but the game had changed with the substitutions and now Bolton’s frustrations at being pegged back fed into their play. They couldn’t handle Aneke, Godden was looking likely to get on the end of knockdowns, Campbell was a threat – and behind all this Anderson was giving an excellent display of disrupting their free-flow in midfield.
To perhaps even things up on the cards front, Small I think came close to an early bath. He was involved in some handbags with their wing-back, who had clearly lost his rag over something. Both saw yellow. And not long after Small took him out along the touchline. Fortunately the ref was consistent in his not handing out second yellows.
The game was up for grabs now and on 86 minutes we won it. A ball into their box was half-cleared and there seemed no danger at all as a high ball was contested on the edge of the area. But their guys failed to deal with it and an excellent first touch by Anderson and a turn saw him in on goal. His decent shot – which I think might have been going in in any event – took a wicked deflection and looped up over their keeper and into the net.
All that remained was to see out the time with some corner flag antics, which we managed to do. It was with one of those that Small ended up on the floor and their guy quite clearly stamped on his leg. The TV replays left no doubt. Just how the ref decided on just a yellow is a mystery – unless set alongside his previous reluctance to pull out a red. In the end it mattered not.
The win changes the picture once more (perhaps even with respect to the chances of an addition or two before the window closes). We now have games at home against Shrewsbury and Bristol Rovers, followed in February by away at Blackpool, home to Stevenage and away to Peterborough before a trip to Birmingham (something that nobody in history has ever enjoyed). Nobody’s suggesting that any of these five games are going to be easy, but it would be disappointing if we don’t take perhaps 10 points out of the 15 available. Where that would leave us is impossible to say, but teams above us will be playing each other – on Saturday Huddersfield play Bolton, Leyton Orient play Reading. We have to see this period ahead as a real opportunity to get truly into the mix.
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