Bolton Wanderers were defeated by Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening at the University of Bolton Stadium, with goals from Steven Fletcher and Rolando Aarons earning the Owls all three points.
Team News
For Wanderers starting eleven against the Yorkshire outfit, manager Phil Parkinson made two changes to his side from our last Sky Bet Championship clash against Millwall.
Andrew Taylor and Will Buckley dropped to the bench, with Jason Lowe and Craig Noone coming into the side as replacements.
First Half
Barry Bannan managed to find Steven Fletcher on the edge of the Wanderers box in the tenth minute, with his effort flowing straight into the grasp of Remi Matthews.
Callum Connolly, who was playing at the left side of the defence for this game, responded for the Whites as he took aim from distance, but had his shot blocked by a Wednesday defender.
Wanderers were no doubt the more positive side in the first half, but both teams found it difficult to create many clear cut chances.
Former Wanderers midfielder Bannan stepped up with a free kick that angled into the penalty area to find Owls striker Atdhe Nuhiu.
The target man rose highest and headed towards goal, but with no power or precision to trouble Wanderers goalkeeper Matthews.
With attempts on goal at a premium in the first period, a large chunk of the play occurred in the middle third of the University of Bolton Stadium’s hallowed turf.
Shouts of handball came following a Joe Williams snapshot from the edge of the area on 39 minutes, but referee Stephen Martin waved away any protesting Wanderers players.
The closest either side came to opening the scoring in this clash before the break was a Rolando Aarons effort from 20 yards, which petered wide of the mark.
That was before Sheffield Wednesday managed to open proceedings through Fletcher.
Owls midfielder Bannan pulled the strings with this chance, as he played a well weighted pass right into the path of the Scotsman, who coolly lifted the ball past Matthews and into the goal.
Second Half
Wednesday started off the second period brighter than Wanderers, with Michael Hector attacking a corner kick with menace but lacking the ability to strike the ball at goal.
Phil Parkinson’s men tried to level up proceedings with a Craig Noone half volley from just outside the Owls penalty area, but his effort looped over the bar.
However, a minute prior to the hour mark, Wednesday doubled their lead through Aarons.
A fantastically made through ball from Adam Reach fed the Owls winger through on goal, before finishing well past Matthews.
Wanderers were desperately close to getting a goal and launching themselves right back into this clash soon after the restart.
After a phase of play in the Wednesday box, Noone shot on goal that was blocked by substitute Sam Winnall, before Westwood gathered the following effort.
With 16 minutes of regular time to play, Sammy Ameobi took charge of a dangerous free kick from 25 yards out.
The tricky winger stepped up and struck the set play with venom, but didn’t have the accuracy needed on the effort.
Aarons continued to cause trouble, beating second half substitute Luca Connell down the right wing before finding Winnall.
The playmaker hit his shot on the volley, forcing a tremendous diving save from Remi Matthews to stop a certain goal.
Will Buckley managed to get in behind the Owls' defence shortly after, firing a cross into the area that Clayton Donaldson nearly acrobatically turned into the Wednesday goal.
Unfortunately for the Jamaican, his effort didn’t trouble Westwood.
The Trotters were unrelenting in their search to get back into this game, with a combination of Jack Hobbs, Ameobi and Mark Beevers coming close with simultaneous efforts to kick-starting a comeback.
With time winding down, Wanderers kept fighting but it wasn’t enough as Wednesday took all three points in this Sky Bet Championship game.
Full Time
Wanderers: Matthews, Lowe (C), Beevers, Ameobi, Noone (Buckley 66), Hobbs, Olkowski, Connolly, O’Neil (Donaldson 66), J. Williams (Connell 72), Magennis
Unused substitutes: B. Williams, Taylor, Wilson, Wheater