• Saturday, November 26, 2011
• Venue: The Reebok
• Attendance: 24,058
• Referee: Michael Oliver

• David Wheater [20]
• Leon Osman [44]
• Marouane Fellaini [49]
• Nigel Reo-Coker [59]
• Apostolos Velliosn [78]

Winning was the only option for The Wanderers who desperately needed three points to stand any chance of rising above the dreaded relegation line. The dull weather seemed apt for Bolton league position with the drizzle filled, floodlit air representing recent miserable results. Determination was key for The Wanderers; a winning attitude and lively start.

Indeed Bolton showed instant promise with a shot within a minute of referee Oliver’s first whistle blast but alas Kevin Davies’s shot rose harmlessly over Tim Howard’s bar.

Bolton Wanderers continued to look like the likely candidates to score first for the first 15 minutes or so. Chris Eagles and Ivan Klasnic combined well, and frequently, as Bolton attacked mainly via the left wing. Occasionally a long central ball would meet Kevin Davies’s head only to be flicked on to where he thought Klasnic should have been. A look of puzzlement on Klanic’s face often greeted Kevin once the ball had been cleared, unfortunately they seem to be on a different wavelength.

Everton did create chances too leaving Bolton to defend a series of three corners in quick succession, all of which were defended well but increased the heart-rate of many a Trotter fan 10 minutes into the match. The pressure was released by a Leighton Baines foul on Wheater from which the resulting free-kick led to Ivan Klasnic forcing Tim Howard to make a save with an attempt from outside Everton’s penalty area.

Then disaster — David Wheater was shown an instant red for a regrettable tackle on Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. Wheater failed to control an Everton clearance to the half-way line and lunged at the ball as Everton’s number 7 ran in. No intent to cause a foul, just blind panic after a bad touch gifted Bilyaletdinov the potential of an unobscured run down the left wing. A straight red seemed harsh—I am not even sure if contact was made—but hopefully a valueble lesson has been learned by 24 year old Wheater.

With Bolton down to ten men, Mark Davies dropped back into defence and credit must be given to The Wanderers who stayed in the game but were forced to make more long passes to bypass the midfield. Chris Eagles forced another save, while the constantly booed Bilaletdinov tested Jussi Jaaskelainen. Another test for Jussi came fairly late in the first half when he saved Johnny Heitinga’s shot created by an Everton free-kick. Moments later Bolton had a chance to equalise from a free-kick but Chris Eagles’ shot was blocked, the half ended goalless.

Having to play a majority of the first half a man down Bolton did well to leave the pitch at half-time with a clean sheet. However, there was an air of inevitability served by déjà vu.

The second half started with Bolton under pressure and within four minutes of the restart Everton were ahead. With the slightest hint of off-side Fellaini poked a low cross from Baines, which somehow illuded three defending players, beyond a helpless Jaaskelainen.

The deadlock was broken but Bolton remained stoic and continued to launch attacks which all too often ended with wayward passes that allowed Everton to counter attack. Although Klasnic did manage to force Howard to make another save, Bolton begun to look overwhelmed.

As the drizzle continued it was obvious that Bolton were tiring and, once again this season, missing their 11th man. Jaaskelainen was kept busy while Everton’s defence proved impervious to further attempts by Ivan Klasnic.

Baines perhaps should have doubled Everton’s lead on the hour but he scuffed his six yard shot over the bar.

Unfortunately Everton did eventually score a second. A long ball just beyond Jussi’s left post was acrobatically kicked across the goalmouth by Tim Cahill and struck in by Apostolos Vellios who had replaced Louis Saha less than 5 minutes earlier. The goal proved to be too much for The Wanderers who instantly looked dejected. A number of Bolton supporters decided not to wait for the final whistle, with little chance of The Wanderers getting back into the match they took the opportunity to begin their journeys’ home 10 minutes earlier than usual.

The dying moments of the match were on the whole uneventful; Everton relaxed leaving Bolton to defend. There were a couple of chances for substitute Gretar Steinsson to create a few smiles of consolation, but his shot was blocked, as were his crosses in the final third.

A disappointing result that left Bolton where they had begun the day in 18th position in the Premier League. Something needs to be changed. Whether that change ought to be Owen Coyle is open to debate but his dismissal would surely harm Bolton’s potential to get out of the current rut in which they find themselves.

Bolton face a tough trip to Tottenham next weekend and then it’s back to The Reebok for mid-table Aston Villa on December 10th. A slew of early Christmas presents in the form of goals and points could take Bolton out of the danger zone ready for 2012. Obviously ongoing injuries only add to the challenges Bolton are faced with but deals struck during January’s Transfer Window may be too late to save Bolton from relegation. It pains me to consider that but 10 defeats before December should be setting off alarm bells at The Reebok.

• Saturday, November 19, 2011
• Venue: The Hawthorns
• Attendance: 26,221
• Referee: Neil Swarbrick

• Jerome Thomas [16]
• Ivan Klasnic (pen) [21]
• Jerome Thomas [28]
• Shane Long [56]

The Hawthorns may have been somewhere that Bolton Wanderers should have picked up at least a single point, especially after the ego boosting demolition of Stoke. Alas, not even a Ivan Klasnic equaliser from the spot could lever a useful point from West Brom.

After the match Owen Coyle told the BBC;

“The game looked evenly poised at half-time but we were not at the same level in the second half.

“The game was there to win, and we had a platform to at least get a draw, but we left with nothing and that is disappointing.

“At 2-1 we were chasing the game and, as much as we pushed on, we didn’t create the type of chances we did in the first half.”

For a more detailed match report visit the official BWFC website or go to BBC Sport.

• Sunday, November 6, 2011
• Venue: The Reebok
• Attendance: 20,028
• Referee: Howard Webb

• Kevin Davies [2]
• Chris Eagles [23]
• Ivan Klasnic [51]
• Jonathan Walters [76]
• Chris Eagles [73]
• Ivan Klasnic [81]

Yeah you read that right, Bolton won with an impressive five goals.

There are times when your faith in your chosen football club begins to dither or perhaps fade and there are times when that fading faith is fully restored and energised. Today’s result — thankfully — did the latter.

No sooner had Howard Webb started the game Bolton were lively and attacked instantly. Stoke allowed Chris Eagles to take a shot within a minute of the start but his attempt was blocked. Bolton had wait until the second minute to take the lead via Kevin Davies, when Ivan Klasnic’s quickly taken free-kick caught Stoke napping. Complaints were waved away and the goal stood.

Chris Eagles doubled the score before half-time and Bolton looked confident as the match progressed.

Shortly after the break, Klasnic scored with a nice shot from outside the box to beat Begovic. Bolton were slowly off-loading their misery which had accumulated due to a total lack of home wins and some frustrating away trips.

Klasnic assisted Chris Eagles in scoring his second, and went on to score a brace himself with 10 minutes to go.

Overall, a deserved win for Bolton who had reversed the scoreline that Stoke had embarrassingly shoved Bolton out of last season’s FA Cup with at Wembley. A small consolation for that semi-final but a valuable three points for The Trotters.

A giddy Owen Coyle told the BBC:

“The performance was one of high intensity from start to finish. It was outstanding, a great performance. I shouted for the back pass. We used a bit of football intelligence, very inventive and very clever thinking. It was a clever piece of play.

“We had to stand up and be counted today. The talking had to stop and we had to deliver — and we did. The players were up for the challenge.”

Let’s not get carried away with this result. I am sure that a majority of Bolton Wanderers fans are level-headed enough to enjoy today’s result while remembering that there are more challenges ahead and The Trotters need to take today’s boost to The Hawthorns a gather more points there.

Read the official Bolton Wanderers match report.

• Saturday, October 15, 2011
• Venue: The DW Stadium
• Attendance: 17,261
• Referee: Mike Dean

• Nigel Reo-Coker [4]
• Darren Pratley [23]
• Mohamed Diame [40]
• Franco Di Santo [45+1]
• David Ngog [45+3]
• Paul Robinson [63]
• Dedryck Boyata [67]
• Maynor Figueroa [71]
• Gary Caldwell [73]
• Kevin Davies (penalty miss) [73]
• Antolin Alcaraz [79]
• Martin Petrov [82]
• Chris Eagles [90+2]

Bolton Wanderers lifted themselves off the bottom with a deserved win away to Wigan. Loosing every Premier match since the first game of the season had left Bolton languishing at the bottom of the league. A two week break after the arduous defeats gave manager Owen Coyle a chance to imbue the squad with confidence and enthusiasm.

Reo-Coker and David Ngog ensured that The Wanderers were ahead at half-time — Diame’s super equaliser seemingly a minor setback in Owen Coyle’s plans. Chris Eagles ended a nail-biting second half in which Wigan fought to find another equaliser. The fans’ nerves could should have been settled with less than 20 minutes to go but Ali Al-Habsi saved his former team-mate’s effort from the penalty spot.

A drama-filled match which served as a morale booster for players and fans alike.

After Bolton’s victory Owen Coyle said;

“I thought we were terrific from the first whistle to the last. We scored three goals and, if the truth be told, we could have had five or six.

“It was never going to be easy – Wigan have a good squad and players like Di Santo, Rodallega and Moses have real quality. We had to make sure we played to our maximum and we did that.

“We trained very well over the last two weeks, coming off a difficult set of fixtures. We made the most of the international break, working at a high intensity in training and all I asked of the players before today’s game was to replicate that in the match.”

Full match reports can be found at BBC Sport, the official BWFC website or ESPN’s SoccerNet.

Meanwhile, Ivan Klasnic was probably pleased not to have been part of Croatia’s clash with Greece that saw riotous scenes amongst fans. Greece beat Croatia 2-0, however, Croatia still can still qualify for Euro 2012 and face Latvia on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Adam Bogdan watched from the subs bench as Hungary beat Moldova 0-2 and unsigned Gabor Kirarly showed the Wanderer how to keep a clean sheet. Hungary take on Finland but neither nation will be at next year’s European Championship.

Wales beat Switzerland in Swansea last night, 2-0. Wales manager and former Wanderer Gary Speed spoke of “nail-biting” match against, “the best team we’ve played.”

Recently not only did Cahill play his part in two successive clean sheets for England he scored one of the three goals against Bulgaria. England will be looking for another clean sheet as that would guarantee them a place in the Euro 2012 finals.

Good luck to Gary and the rest of the England squad, even if some of them have added to Bolton’s current misery.

Ivan Klasnic (Croatia) and Adam Bogdan (Hungary) have also been called up for international duty for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Duty calls for Under 21 international squad members too. Mark Connolly (Republic of Ireland), Gael Kakuta (France) and Dedryck Boyata (Belgium) are all in with a chance to represent their country for the U21 2013 European Championship qualifiers.

Finally former Wanderer Gary Speed, manager of Wales, will face Switzerland and Bulgaria in Group G of the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Good luck to Gary Speed and all six Bolton Wanderers players on their travels.

• Saturday, October 2, 2011
• Venue: The Reebok Stadium
• Attendance: 24,657
• Referee: Peter Walton

• Daniel Sturridge [2]
• David Ngog [10]
• Frank Lampard [15]
• Daniel Sturridge [25]
• Frank Lampard [27]
• Dedryck Boyata [46]
• Frank Lampard [59]
• David Luiz [61]
• John Terry [79]

Not so long ago Daniel Sturridge was helping Bolton Wanderers climb the league, his return to north left The Trotters firmly at the bottom.

While Bolton began the day at the bottom of the league any hopes of letting another club have a turn on the bottom rung soon evaporated as the former Wanderer took the visitors ahead after 90 seconds. With only 15 minutes on the clock Frank Lampard doubled the lead. The short history of the match repeated itself with the two goal scorers apparently taking turns to embarrass goalkeeper Bogdan to make the score a shameful 0-4 within half and hour.

After half-time Boyata took just 54 seconds to offer a glimmer of hope for Bolton. Optimism levels around the ground rose slightly but soon took a dive when Lampard completed a hat-trick just before an hour’s play. Beyond that Bolton did just enough to prevent their goal difference becoming a very negative teen.

Once again loosing was not altogether surprising but the margins that Bolton have lost by is a worrying factor that needs to be addressed.

Let’s stay optimistic though. Looking at the league after today’s match it is obvious that Bolton are struggling and look to be destined for The Championship. I am sure that Owen Coyle will not want to show his face at Turf Moor as the manager of the team he left Burnley for.

As the poet John Cooper Clarke once wrote:

I’ll tell you now and I’ll tell you firmly
I don’t never want to go to Burnley
What they do there don’t concern me
Why would anybody make the journey?

Full match reports are available from the BBC and the official Bolton Wanderers website.

The news soon broke after he tweeted:

“Floored, devastated, gutted, just a few words I can think of. I will continue to fight and I’m ready for another tough journey…..”

Bolton’s manager Owen Coyle spoke of Stuart’s unfortunate predicament saying:

“It is a big, big blow for Stuart, because he has worked so hard after he sustained the injury, but obviously the most important aspect is to ensure Stuart’s well being and that’s what we are focused on.

“He went for the procedure and it was picked up that the cartilage was damaged and needed to be repaired, which has now happened, and we will now support Stuart as he begins his recovery.”

Stuart, a keen Twitter user, also shared a photo of himself with fans when his younger brother Euan (currently with Stockport County) visited him in hospital.

You can follow Stuart Holden on Twitter along with BWFC24.

• Saturday, September 24, 2011
• Venue: The Emirates Stadium
• Attendance: 59,727
• Referee: Mark Clattenburg

• Robin van Persie [46]
• David Wheater [54]
• Gretar Steinsson [58]
• Robin van Persie [71]
• Alex Song [89]

Bolton Wanderers fail to make a good impression at The Emirates.

Full match reports are available from the BBC and the official Bolton Wanderers website.

League Cup, Third Round

Major changes for BWFC did the trick

• Sunday, September 20, 2011
• Venue: Villa Park
• Attendance: 22,261
• Referee: Darren Deadman

• Gary Cahill [39]
• Chris Eagles [54]
• Gael Kakuta [77]
• Barry Bannan [86]

Bolton Wanderers book their place into the fourth round of the League Cup with a pleasing win away from home.

Summer signings Chris Eagles and Gael Kakuta scored in the second half of the match which saw nine changes in the starting 11 which lost against Norwich City. A clean sheet for Adam Bogdan and a full 90 minutes for Stuart Holden could only add to the positivity felt by the club and fans alike.

Full match reports are available from the BBC and the official Bolton Wanderers website.