Bristol Rovers 1-2 Bolton Wanderers - Match Report Post #56

A good win, top of the league, 3 of the next 4 games at home - it's all looking good.

Which means there's a fuck up just around the corner.

Parkinson out!

whatsgoingon wrote:

To Be Frank wrote:9 useful points to staying up this season. well done !!

the MIGHTY whites are back!

Let's just concentrate on getting to that 40 point mark 

shrewsbury needed 50 points for survival last season. So we've a long way to go to safety

not in the prem now... keep up will ya!

I think we finally have a manager who knows how to win games, previously we have had Lennon who when Mjallby left was clueless, Freedman who set out not to lose, but was clueless when we went a goal down, Coyle who was unlucky with Muamba and Holden, but in the end clueless, and Megson, well less said the better, let's all enjoy the ride.

3 wins in a row.

Fleetwood will probably beat us on saturday and bring us all down to earth with a bang! Let's hope not! If we beat Fleetwood we're on our way, the rest will be playing catch up!

We're gonna lose aren't we?

To Be Frank wrote:

whatsgoingon wrote:

To Be Frank wrote:9 useful points to staying up this season. well done !!

the MIGHTY whites are back!

Let's just concentrate on getting to that 40 point mark 

shrewsbury needed 50 points for survival last season. So we've a long way to go to safety

not in the prem now... keep up will ya!

Profuse apologies we're still not mathematically safe - Parkinson out, Anderson out, where are the ST when you need them

To Be Frank wrote:3 wins in a row.

Fleetwood will probably beat us on saturday and bring us all down to earth with a bang! Let's hope not! If we beat Fleetwood we're on our way, the rest will be playing catch up!

We're gonna lose aren't we?

I would like to see us a bit more on the front foot against Fleetwood.

I'm sure the football is better than those playing Pokemon at the moment! 


Another fantastic win today and top of the league we are!

karlypants wrote:II'm sure the football is better than those playing Pokemon at the moment! 


Another fantastic win today and top of the league we are!

I reckon we'll be up by Christmas, but I don't want to get carried away

whatsgoingon wrote:

To Be Frank wrote:3 wins in a row.

Fleetwood will probably beat us on saturday and bring us all down to earth with a bang! Let's hope not! If we beat Fleetwood we're on our way, the rest will be playing catch up!

We're gonna lose aren't we?

I would like to see us a bit more on the front foot against Fleetwood.

Yep. I think we've been shaky in all 3 wins, hanging on to a one goal lead. It's a good habit to win games that perhaps you don't deserve to, but soon I fear we will have a reality check and start slipping down the table. Part of me wants to believe we are good enough to win this league but we need more signings and that might not happen.

Good start though. Last time we had a good start to a season I was watching bolton playing leeds at elland road while we were sitting top of the prem. 2004/5 i think

Championship next season,Prem the next,and I'll be old enough for a discount on my season ticket.

MartinBWFC wrote:I think we finally have a manager who knows how to win games

I think we have a manager who has won three games.

Why not just leave it at that? I mean it's still possible that he'll be every bit the failure that Coyle, Freedman and Lennon were, and we all know you'll be straight on here the minute that seems like a reality, calling him all the names under the sun.

A bit more attacking required more my liking would be in order. ....  good win and looking down on the rest of them 

Our midfielders are scoring. Amazing. Just need to get a couple more from the strikers.  Would be nice to see Woolery some more.

doffcocker wrote:

MartinBWFC wrote:I think we finally have a manager who knows how to win games

I think we have a manager who has won three games.

Why not just leave it at that? I mean it's still possible that he'll be every bit the failure that Coyle, Freedman and Lennon were, and we all know you'll be straight on here the minute that seems like a reality, calling him all the names under the sun.

Fucking cheer up 

We bossed them in the first half and could have gone in more than two up at half time. 2nd half we didn't play with the same intensity and when Trotter was dispossessed he ended up giving them a free kick from which they scored. 

Great peach of a free kick from Spearing and again Wheater and Beevers looked a solid defensive partnership.

Zak Clough looked lively when he came on and went on a lovely run but decided to pass instead of shoot and the chance went begging.

All in all another decent performance. Our keeper had little to do apart from their goal from the free kick which he managed to get a hand to but went to one of their players.

Missed the opener from Vela as the traffic on the M5 was a nightmare with massive delays but all in all another satisfying result.

Report: Bristol Rovers 1-2 Bolton Wanderers

IN BRIEF

Bolton Wanderers made it three Sky Bet League One wins from three and maintained their perfect start to the season with victory at Bristol Rovers.

In front of 700 travelling fans, Josh Vela fired Wanderers into an early lead at the Memorial Stadium. Jay Spearing’s wonderful free kick then doubled the advantage before the interval.

The Gas responded through Ellis Harrison early in the second half, but in the end the margin of victory could have been greater as Wanderers secured all three points and leapfrogged to the top of league table.

TEAM NEWS

Phil Parkinson named an unchanged starting team following the weekend’s win at AFC Wimbledon. The only change was on the bench, where Conor Wilkinson took the place of Max Clayton.

FIRST HALF

Whilst the home side started brightly, Wanderers wasted no time in silencing a vibrant crowd and were a goal up after just six minutes.

A swift counter attack saw Jamie Proctor collect the ball inside his own half before combining with Mark Davies. He slipped a neat pass into Vela, who after one touch slammed the ball beyond the goalkeeper at the near post via a deflection off a defender.

Much of the next 20 or so minutes passed without any real incident. Rovers striker Matty Taylor was lively in and around the Bolton penalty area, but saw any potential openings snuffed out by defensive duo Mark Beevers and David Wheater.

Midway through the half a moment of quality from skipper Spearing doubled Bolton’s lead.

Gary Madine, whose presence caused endless problems for the Rovers defenders, was hauled down 20 yards from goal. Spearing stepped up, before curling a delicious free kick up and over the wall and into the top corner.

Wanderers felt they should have had a penalty as half time approached. Madine was once again the focal point, superbly plucking a long pass forward out of the sky before being bundled over when attempting to pull the trigger. The referee remained unmoved.

Bolton comfortably saw the remainder of the half out by retaining possession in the midfield areas, sending the home side in frustrated at the interval.

SECOND HALF

The second period started in a much more open fashion, as Rovers pushed men forward in an attempt to reduce the deficit.

Sub Jermaine Easter saw a couple of speculative shots from distance deflect into Mark Howard’s arms, whilst up the other end Davies saw a slaloming run into the area halted a last ditch block from a covering defender.

On 57 minutes another Rovers sub, Billy Bodin, was fouled on the edge of the area. Lee Brown saw a free kick, not to dissimilar to Spearing’s earlier goal, tipped on to the post by Howard with Harrison reacting quicker than anyone to fire home the rebounds.

Clearly buoyed by the goal, the hosts piled men forward in an attempt to level the scores. Bolton responded by introducing Chris Taylor and Zach Clough in place of Liam Trotter and Proctor.

Madine continued to be the out ball for Wanderers, holding up play and winning a series of free kicks that both frustrated the opposition and ate up valuable time.

Bolton almost nicked a third in the final throes.

Clough latched onto a superb touch from sub Conor Wilkinson and embarked on a mesmerising run into the heart of the penalty area, weaving his way around three Bristol defenders. The attempted return pass to Wilkinson, who looked certain to score, was cut out.

Easter flashed a shot into the side netting in Rovers’ only late attempt of note, as time eventually ticked by and Wanderers secured their third consecutive league win of the season.

FULL TIME

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Happy days. I could get to like this winning lark.

Reebok Trotter wrote:We bossed them in the first half and could have gone in more than two up at half time. 2nd half we didn't play with the same intensity and when Trotter was dispossessed he ended up giving them a free kick from which they scored. 

Great peach of a free kick from Spearing and again Wheater and Beevers looked a solid defensive partnership.

Zak Clough looked lively when he came on and went on a lovely run but decided to pass instead of shoot and the chance went begging.

All in all another decent performance. Our keeper had little to do apart from their goal from the free kick which he managed to get a hand to but went to one of their players.

Missed the opener from Vela as the traffic on the M5 was a nightmare with massive delays but all in all another satisfying result.

Cheers for the report RT

First half we were lively, passed the ball, and played really well. I'm not sure what happened in the second half, but we went to ratshit all of a sudden, although we had enough nous to keep our nose in front.
In fairness to Rovers, they really pushed us, and played some excellent football, At one point I was thinking it would be a draw, and that it would have been a fair result. However, when we had our two subs on, we started to pick up again, at least well enough to hold on to our lead.
Overall, a good game, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Rovers do well if they carry on playing as they did last night.
As an aside, I was quite surprised to see, and speak to, Phil Brown, our ex, and Southend's current manager, in the local chip shop, an hour before the game. We're definitely in the lower leagues now

gloswhite wrote:As an aside, I was quite surprised to see, and speak to, Phil Brown, our ex, and Southend's current manager, in the local chip shop, an hour before the game. We're definitely in the lower leagues now

What did you talk about?