Bolton Wanderers secured their third straight win of pre-season with an assured 2-0 victory over Hibernian on Saturday afternoon.
A fixture that was set as Darren McGregor’s testimonial in celebration of his service to the Scottish side, goals from Amario Cozier-Duberry and Sonny Sharples-Ahmed ensured the Whites headed back to England with a win and performance that was impressive with the League One season just two weeks away.
Wanderers started the fixture on the front-foot in a bid to continue their positive start to pre-season, and enjoyed large spells of free-flowing possession with starting wingers Thierry Gale and Cozer-Duberry looking lively - both going close to opening the scoring in Edinburgh.
Cozier-Duberry saw a lot of the ball inside the opening 15 minutes, and it was the Brighton loanee who had the first opportunity of the match when cutting in from the right and letting fly with a curling strike but his effort whistled over Smith’s crossbar.
The former Blackburn man was in the groove and after another jinking run opened up the space for him to set the ball for Aaron Morley to shoot from the edge of the area, a vital block from O’Hara turned the ball away from Jordan Smith with the strike looking to test the Hibs' 'keeper.
Wanderers were in control of the game, and had the biggest opening of the encounter through Gale as the woodwork came to Hibs’ rescue. A teasing Morley ball from the right was met by the Barbados international at the far post but the ball came back off the post and Smith gathered at the second attempt with David Abimbola closing in.
A quickly-thought out free-kick from Morley almost opened up a chance for George Johnston but was cleared before Cozier-Duberry went even closer to opening the scoring with a similar strike to his earlier effort with the top corner looking like it’s destination, but flew just wide.
The hosts, who were using this as their last outing before their crucial Europa League tie against FC Midtjylland next week, were struggling to gain a foothold as Steven Schumacher’s side continued to push forward and another chance fell their way when Richard Taylor met a driven Morley corner but Rocky Bushiri did enough to turn the header over the bar.
With the game edging towards the end of the half, Hibs carved themselves a chance when Kieron Bowie found himself unmarked at the back post from a corner but Chris Forino made a huge block inside Wanderers’ six-yard box to turn the ball away from danger.
Szabi Schön was Wanderers’ only change at the break in place of Gale, and they started on the front-foot once more and within minutes went close again. A Morley free-kick - won by Cozier-Duberry’s lightning pace down the right - was perfect for Forino at the far post but he could not get the right connection and the Scottish side cleared.
The goal that Wanderers had been threatening, however, arrived 10 minutes into the second half and it was no surprise that it was Cozier-Duberry that produced the magic to break the deadlock.
Receiving the ball in space from Josh Dacres-Cogley down the right-hand side, the winger cut inside - beating his defender - before arrowing an unstoppable effort into the top corner in front of the travelling away end.
The hour mark hit, and Schumacher made a number of changes in an effort to get minutes into the legs of the whole travelling squad but Wanderers’ flow did not deter.
Josh Sheehan came charging onto a loose clearance from a low Schön cross with a first-time strike that had Smith rooted to the spot but it flew just wide.
Sam Inwood, who has impressed throughout pre-season, had a huge opportunity to double the lead when meeting a Schön corner unmarked but he looped his header over.
A clipped Sheehan free-kick into Joel Randall was to perfection, allowing the attacking midfielder to get his strike away. Initially blocked, he checked back onto his left foot and curled an effort towards the far corner but agonisingly came off the post and away.
The hosts, as they did in the first half, struggled to carve out any chances with the Whites standing resolutely in defence. Josh Campbell did have a speculative effort towards Wanderers’ goal, but it went aimlessly over the bar before Junior Hoilett saw his strike hit the bar and away to safety.
But it was the visitors who looked the most likely throughout to get the second goal, and it was Sharples-Ahmed who reacted quickest to grab an opportunist goal.
The Wanderers midfielder nipped in smartly to take the ball away from Jacob MacIntyre deep inside his own half and give himself a clear run through to goal, and he finished calmly when lifting the ball over Smith to seal the win.
With that, Wanderers secured their third consecutive win of pre-season and head into next week’s trip to Shrewsbury in positive spirits.
Hibernian: Smith (GK), O’Hora, Levitt, Bowie, Boyle (C), C Cadden, Iredale, McGrath, N Cadden, Mulligan, Rocky.
Subs: Sallinger, Johnson, Ekpiteta, Youan, Alasana, Klidje, Obita, Hoilett, Megwa, MacIntyre, Campbell
Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe (GK), Dacres-Cogley, Forino, Johnston, Taylor, Morley, Simons, Cozier-Duberry, McAtee, Gale, Abimbola.
Subs: Trialist, Toal, Inwood, Conway, Osei-Tutu, Schön, Sheehan, Mendes Gomes, Randall, Rice, Lawrence, Sharples-Ahmed