DANNY WARD was on the scoresheet yet again for Bolton Wanderers Reserves but the striker was unable to prevent his team from succumbing to a defeat.

The Yorkshireman was on target to cancel out Nick Blackman's first-half opener with 15 minutes of the tie remaining, but the hosts regained their advantage four minutes later through Ryan Brooke.

The game started brightly with Latics forcing pressure on Adam Bogdan's goal. Blackman should have put his side in front after only six minutes, but the frontman was unable to find the target from six yards out as he rose to meet Andy Holdsworth's centre.

Danny Shittu limped off the field early on with what appeared to be a hamstring problem and was replaced by Australian youth international Aaron Mooy.

Blackman was once again making a nuisance of himself as he latched onto a rebound from a set-piece only to steer his shot wide.

Wanderers registered the game's first effort on target when Ward forced Latics' keeper Josh Ollerenshaw into action.

The chance kick-started Wanderers as an attacking force and Ricardo Vaz Te managed to get his head to Riga's corner. The Portuguese star, however, couldn't direct the ball towards goal.

Bogdan made a smart save from Brooke as Oldham bounced back, but the Hungarian international was powerless to prevent the hosts going in front when dangerman Blackman netted from 12 yards out.

Following the restart, the visitors were quickest out of the traps as they searched for an equaliser and were desperately unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet from three quickfire opportunities.

First, Ward crashed an effort against the woodwork from 18 yards out, while Gavin McCann saw his strike cleared off the goal-line. Then, Michael O'Halloran hit the post from a tight angle.

There was no doubting Wanderers' ascendency and the woodword once again came to Latics' rescue when Mark Connelly saw a shot clip the Ollerenshaw's cross bar.

The visitors got their just desserts on 75 minutes when Ward latched onto a through-ball before finding a way past Ollerenshaw.

But for all Wanderers' second-half dominance, Brooke managed to restore his side's lead just four minutes later when he connected to Smalley's pass and finding a way past Bogdan.

Wanderers lost the services of Riga towards the end of the contest after the Dutchman went off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury,

Wanderers: Bogdan, Hunt, Stokes, Sheridan, Connolly, Shittu. O'Halloran, McCann. Ward, Vaz Te, Riga (Subs: McDonald; Blakeman; Eckersley; Mooy; Harsanyi)