In quotes: Bolton v Millwall

The final word on Wanderers' victory over the Lions as bwfc.co.uk rounds up manager, player and local press post-match reaction

Goals in each half from Josh Vela and Tom Thorpe ensured Wanderers returned to winning ways against Millwall on Saturday. 

Rounding up the manager, player and local press' post-match reaction alike, bwfc.co.uk offers the final word on the match... 



How bwfc.co.uk saw it...
Wanderers bounced back to winning ways as they eased to a comfortable victory over Millwall at Macron Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

Following a slow start to proceedings, the Whites opened the scoring in style as Josh Vela’s volley from the edge of the area nestled into the back of the Lions’ net.

Bolton’s advantage was then doubled 12 minutes into the second half, with Tom Thorpe notching his first for the club with a powerful header from a corner kick to make sure of the win.

I’m so pleased because when you lose a game, the response is always important. 

We’ve had a few setbacks this week with Mark Howard and David Wheater's injuries, so a strong character was needed today and it was shown. 

I thought we did everything we set out to do pre-match so I’m very pleased with the win.

From back to front I think everyone did the job. It was a real commanding performance, we were dominant and I felt like we controlled the game how we wanted.

It was a performance of real confidence and when you go 2-0 up, you have to then stamp your authority on the game. 

At times you think let’s keep going forward and score more goals but on the other side, you think of a clean-sheet and how that’s a great basis to win a game.

I actually used to play for the Under-18s in the number 10 role. I do think if I’m getting in the right positions I can score goals. 

I was told to shoot more and I just saw the ball bouncing and said to myself, I really fancy a go here and thankfully it went in.

I like it further forward as it gives me a licence to run in behind and be the leading guy who presses to force them to make mistakes.

Jay is the one who keeps it together in the midfield and I have the licence to get forward now. He is the main cog, he’s the talker, he’s passing it around.

The manager is massive on shape. He likes us to get back in our position quick and pick up our men. He’s just got us all working very hard for each other and the team.

I am disappointed for our players. We didn’t do the basics well enough as we have done in previous games. 

We didn’t get into enough good positions with quality and I thought we lacked a little bit of belief in our play until the last 15 minutes or so when we played on the front foot.

The loss of influential main men Mark Howard and David Wheater before the game forced the Whites into a late cast change – but any worries were soon pushed aside as the understudies shone and goals from Josh Vela and Tom Thorpe left fans demanding an encore.

It has been a while since we were really able to have fun at Wanderers, yet anywhere you looked on Saturday afternoon there was a smile to be seen. 

Characters are developing in Parkinson’s squad and though the last couple of weeks have shown it won’t all be plain sailing this still looks a team who are destined to stick around at the top end of League One.

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