Report: Bolton 1-0 Coventry City
IN BRIEF
Wanderers made it back-to-back victories in Sky Bet League One as they ran out 1-0 winners over Coventry City at Macron Stadium on Tuesday night.
The scoring was opened in the 11th minute of the game, with Zach Clough notching his sixth of the season by lofting the ball over Lee Burge in the Sky Blues’ net after running onto a pass over the top of the visitors’ defence.
The Sky Blues did rally in the second period in a bid to force an equaliser, but the Trotters stood firm to pick up all three points in their latest outing.
TEAM NEWS
There was just the one change for Wanderers from the weekend, with Tom Thorpe coming into the starting XI in place of the suspended Liam Trotter.
FIRST HALF
Bolton began the game the stronger of the two sides, with Gary Madine’s cross causing all sorts of problems inside three minutes with Coventry keeper eventually having to tip the ball over the bar.
It was all Wanderers in the opening stages of the encounter, with Josh Vela’s cross and Madine’s consequent effort somehow staying out of the net due to some superb keeping by Burge.
It seemed impossible to comprehend as to how the Whites weren’t ahead, but they put any doubts behind them in the 11th minute of the game as Clough ghosted past the City defence before chipping the ball delightfully over Burge and into the net to the delight of the Bolton faithful.
Coventry just couldn’t make any real inroads in the clash with any potential attacks being snuffed out quickly and calmly by the Bolton backline.
Wanderers meanwhile were looking likely to add to their tally, with captain Jay Spearing orchestrating proceedings in the middle of the park.
Shortly after the half hour mark meanwhile, Mark Venus’ side enjoyed their first chance of the game as Kyel Reid thundering an effort goalwards from a tight angle which Ben Alnwick parried away from danger.
Right up the other end however, Clough spurned the opportunity to double his own tally when firing his shot straight at Burge.
Despite the visitors enjoying more spells inside Bolton’s third of the pitch however as the half wore on, Wanderers were comfortably dealing with everything that was thrown their way.
And come the half time whistle, the Trotters went in at the break a goal to the good.
SECOND HALF
Inside the opening stages of the second period, the visitors did cause a number of problems for the Whites with the Bolton backline having to recover from some lax defending.
Lewis Page meanwhile saw a thunderous shot from 20 yards deflect off Derik and into the welcoming arms of Alnwick.
A little more stunted a start than in the first half, Wanderers were slowly but surely settling into the game following the restart and looked to have notched a second of the game.
Clough latched onto the clever ball down the left flank, with the academy graduate cutting inside and teeing up an advancing Ameobi, only for Burge to palm his effort away from the net with Macron Stadium already celebrating.
Clough meanwhile was back in the thick of the action soon after, with a free-kick from 20 yards crashing against the post via the hand of Burge.
The frontman was single-handedly taunting Coventry at the game reached its hour mark, with the Sky Blues’ backline struggling to keep tabs on the 21-year-old.
As the game wore on though, Coventry were finding more space inside Bolton territory while substitute Ruben Lameiras saw a powerful drive palmed over the crossbar by Alnwick with 19 minutes remaining of the game.
The chance seemed to rejuvenate the visitors who had seemed destined to concede a number of goals in the first period, with them enjoying a spell of pressure as the game headed towards its final stages.
And Spearing was the saviour for the Whites as Jordan Turnbull’s bullet header ricocheted off the skipper and away from goal.
A second goal was needed for the Whites to put the result to bed, with Coventry throwing men forward and Gael Bigirimana saw a daisy-cutter pushed away by the Bolton shot-stopper with ten minutes remaining.
Up the other end of the field meanwhile, James Henry squandered a glorious chance to end City's hopes of salvaging a result but saw his drive clear the crossbar.
It was all hands to the pump for Wanderers as Venus' side threw everyone into the mix, with a backs-to-the-wall performance needed in a bid to stave off the pressure being created by the visitors.
A goalmouth scramble ensued in the 90th minute of the clash too, with no Coventry shirts able to turn home a loose ball in the box from a corner.
And with five minutes of additional time indicated, Wanderers were able to breathe a little after winning possession in City territory and with the composure of substitute Jamie Proctor, kept the ball inside the deepest depths of the Sky Blues' third.
And their efforts were enough as the three points were Bolton's at the final whistle.
FULL TIME