Bolton Wanderers were defeated 3-0 by Nottingham Forest in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday evening.
Team News
Manager Phil Parkinson made five changes to the line-up that started at Rotherham United.
Mark Little and Josh Vela both came in to replace Pawel Olkowski and Gary O’Neil, with Craig Noone, Yanic Wildschut and Andrew Taylor coming in for Marc Wilson, Clayton Donaldson and Lloyd Dyer.
First Half
Five minutes in and Yanic Wildschut had the first chance on goal for Wanderers, as his long range effort flew inches away from the target.
Moments later and Forest took the lead through Joe Lolley, as the forward curled his effort into the top right corner from 15 yards.
With only minutes of the first period remaining, Lolley stung the gloves of Ben Alnwick at his near post with a fierce shot from close range.
Second Half
Wanderers came out with some menace early on, with a Joe Williams whipped cross into the area narrowly missing the intended targets on Clayton Donaldson and Craig Noone.
Forest were awarded a penalty when Mark Little had been adjudged to have brought down Lewis Grabban in the penalty area.
Forest top scorer’s penalty was then saved by Ben Alnwick fantastically well, getting down to his left and palming it for a corner.
Aitor Karanka’s men doubled their lead just after the hour mark, as Lewis Grabban latched onto a through ball and ultimately dispatched it past an onrushing Alnwick.
The Whites went on the search for a goal, with a Noone free-kick finding the head of Josh Magennis, but the Northern Irishman was unable to put his effort on target.
Second half substitute Matty Cash nearly provided Lewis Grabban with Forest’s third, but the winger’s ball across goal was just out of reach for the forward.
Joe Williams had an effort at goal with thirteen minutes to spare in the second period, but his powerful strike on goal finished just over the crossbar.
Cash played another great cross field ball to Grabban to set away the marksman, but David Wheater was back to block the danger.
With eight minutes to spare, Alnwick was believed to have fouled Lewis Grabban in the area, as he ultimately scored from 12 yards to extend Forest’s lead to three.
Full Time
Wanderers XI: Alnwick, Little, Taylor (Doidge 85), Lowe (Oztumer 69), Vela, Noone, Hobbs, Williams, Magennis, Wildschut (Donaldson 45), Wheater (C).
Unused substitutes: Matthews, Murphy, Wilson, Dyer