Report: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Accrington Stanley

Wanderers played their fourth pre-season fixture of the summer on Saturday afternoon, recording a comfortable victory against Sky Bet League One side, Accrington Stanley at Bamber Bridge.

It was Stanley who started the game brighter with Wanderers looking to find their rhythm but the first chance came the way of Wanderers. The ball was worked wide to the right-hand side to Gethin Jones and his low delivery was inches away from being turned in by Eoin Doyle with the goalkeeper alert enough to get to the ball first.

Shortly afterwards, Wanderers took the lead. Antoni Sarcevic tried his luck with a shot inside a crowded penalty area and Nathan Delfouneso was in the right place at the right time to turn the ball home from eight yards out.

Ali Crawford showed great energy to burst into space and recieve a pass before forcing a corner, and it was his delivery that was almost powered into the net by the head of George Taft.

Stanley spurned a chance to equalise through former Wanderer Joe Pritchard who stumbled at the last moment inside the box and after Doyle saw a shot tipped around post by the Wanderers stopper, the Irishman got himself on the scoresheet. 

Cameron Burgess was penalised for a handball inside the box and Doyle sent the keeper the wrong way confidently from the penalty spot to double Ian Evatt's side's advantage.

Billy Crellin was excellent in the second half after not having a great deal of work to do in the first half and just before the hour mark he denied Pritchard superbly before holding onto Mark Hughes' corner after the experienced central defender had latched onto Dion Charles' corner.

Brandon Comley has certainly caught the eye in pre-season and he once again put in a very industrious and hard-working display; he set his sights on a first time shot from just outside the box after being picked out by Doyle's delivery from the left, but he couldn't keep his shot on target.

With literally the last kick of the game, Trialist scored from the penalty spot to put the icing on the cake on what was a great afternoon's work for Wanderers with an impressive victory against a strong Accrington side.

 

Wanderers Line-Up: Crellin, Santos (Darcy 83), Delaney (Senior 76), Taft, Jones (Hickman 64), Gordon, Comley, Sarcevic (Graham 90), Crawford (White 64)(Brockbank 77), Delfouneso (Trialist 73), Doyle (King-Harmes 90).

Goals: Delfouneso (13), Doyle pen (30), Trialist pen (90+2). 

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