Super Saturday: Bolton vs. Blackpool - Review

Article by e-Bolton Correspondent Alan Houghton

Check out the goals and footy chat on our Facebook page!

Blackpool & Bolton fans - We are looking for new writers! Interested? email e-football@live.co.uk

This was a close encounter of the local derby kind as we took on our Lancashire neighbours from Blackpool. There's never much between these sides and this match was no exception. Earlier in the season we had ground out a 0-0 draw at Broomfield Road, which was the start of our first good period of results after our worst start to a season for over a century.

Freedman made only one change bringing in David Wheater for the suspended ex-Blackpool Alex Baptiste. Blackpool included ex-Wanderer Chris Basham in midfield and the old warhorse Ricardo Fuller up front.

As at Yeovil, the Wanderers started well on the attack with Joe Mason and Lucas Jutkiewicz looking lively and Bolton took the lead when David Wheater headed in from a corner, his first goal for over two years. Then we eased off as the half progressed and Blackpool came back into it, squandering a host of chances to equalise. At least five shots flew narrowly wide if Adam Bogdan's goal and Zak Knight inexplicably headed against his own post and then missed a clearance which nearly gave a goal away. His mad couple of minutes shouldn't detract from his otherwise brilliant performance at the heart of the defence, although he seems to divide fan's opinions like no other player at the moment.

Half time failed to change the course of the match as Blackpool continued to press at the restart. It was a physical battle which Blackpool were winning but the tide turned when Chung Yong Lee came on for Mark Davies, who had taken a knock. We started to win and retain possession and when Jermaine Beckford replaced Joe Mason, he should have wrapped this match up as he put two glorious chances wide. Chung-Yong Lee also had a good chance to win it as he steered his shot woefully wide.

A valuable three points for Bolton keeps us above the main relegation battle while this defeat does Blackpool no favours as Barnsley, Charlton and Birmingham all won while Yeovil get a surprise point at Leicester. With eight matches to go, we are twelve points above the relegation places. It wasn't our best performance but it keeps the good run going, with only one defeat in the last eight matches. Matches like these are always going to be battles especially at the back end of the season. There are times when you have to win ugly. Jay Spearing again led the team brilliantly in midfield, while Alan Hutton had his best game so far for the Wanderers. We won despite having Mark Clattenburg as referee. He had an excellent match, talking to players and explaining decisions. It's just that our record when he is in charge is dismal to say the least as this was only our second win in the last eighteen matches with Mark in the middle!

Wigan Athletic are next up at the Reebok on Saturday. This should be a real battle as they are quite a skilful and physical team and have been on a superb run since Ywe Rossler took over. They will be a different class to Blackpool. We can have a real go at them as this result has taken the pressure off a bit. It was a match of two halves at the DW Stadium, where Wigan overran us in the first half but we got back into it in the second, going down 3-2 in the end. There are doubts over Mark Davies for Saturday but otherwise we should have a full squad to pick from, bar the long term injured players. So it should be a real cracker of a match.

© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football