Max Clayton scores on his return from injury against his former club
Max Clayton scored on his return from injury as Bolton Wanderers Under-23s fought out a 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra on Monday night.
The forward completed an hour, having missed the opening months of the campaign, and equalised for the young Whites from the penalty spot against his former club.
Bolton were fortunate not to find themselves behind in the opening minutes after the Railwaymen missed an early penalty.
At the other end, the Trotters should have opened the scoring themselves as Robbie McDaid failed to convert a close-range header.
Wanderers fell behind in the first half but responded well after the break as the created a number of opportunities.
The Whites managed to net a deserved equalise after Jack Earing looked to create a goalscoring chance only to be denied by handball, with Clayton making no mistake from the resulting spot-kick.
And with neither side able to find a winner, both sides were left with a hard-fought share of the spoils come the final whistle.
Speaking to bwfc.co.uk after the game, coach David Lee said; "We responded well after being let off the hook when Crewe missed their early penalty and created a couple of chances.
"Robbie should have scored in the first half, and although we fell behind, we dominated the game throughout the second half.
"We created several good phases of play, with our goal coming as a result of one of those moves.
"It was good to see Max Clayton play 60 minutes as part of his recovery, while we are pleased with the players’ efforts.
"They are working hard both in and out of possession. Their development is important and they are all showing learning qualities which is great to see.
"Overall it was a pleasing second half with many positives."
TEAM
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Spooner, Lonsdale, Honeyball, Lavelle, Marsh (Brockbank 75), Tanner, Earing, McDaid, Clayton (King 60), Samizadeh (White 80).
Subs: Turner, Moore.