Another excellent opening post from Ian. I think the attendance will be approaching 20K with cheap tickets and Bolton on a bit of a roll. Not that much of a role because if we beat them on Saturday we go above them. They have won three drawn three and lost to Cambridge. The last win was a 5-2 beating of Ipswich.

As Ian has said Bolton look a mis match of youth and experience. Doyle has done really well at Bolton scoring twenty two times in fifty appearances. He is 33 yrs old, not the biggest as a lone striker but is obviously a dangerous finisher. They have two wingers currently playing well in Isgrove and Afolayan. West ham took a chance on Afolayan and signed him from a non league team and gave him a three and a half year contract. He never kicked a ball for them. Loaned out to several clubs until Bolton signed him. He has scored four times in seven games this season. I think he could be their most dangerous player. Only twenty four and now fulfilling his potential. I wouldn't to too worried about isgrove. Had a couple of years with Barnsley but never set the world on fire. Bolton have lots of experience to call on in players like Kieran Lee, Delfouneso and Kachunga to name just three.

The Bolton fans are full of it, but are weary about a physical side which will press high and put pressure on a back four to pass it out. We do that and more when on song. Bolton have scored fourteen times this season and let in ten. They have had a 0-0 draw in the seven league games as well. I will stick my neck out andd say they will be goals in this game (lol).

I am going 3:1:4:2 Victor

Harding Ihiekwe Mattock

Barlaser

Ogbene Rathbone Lindsay Ferguson (if fit) if not Bola

Smith Grigg.

Score 2-2

Slowly getting there thanks Smiler. You make a very good point about Smith spending more time in the penalty area. I just think he has either missed the target completely or found the goalkeeper with close range efforts for a long period now. He would still be the first name on the team sheet and if he starts converting more of the chances he gets he will go in January for a six figure fee imo

The macron 

Agree Whiston. It looks very weak but. Wiles and rathbone will have to be on top of their game

We were excellent

Ps great to see Ben Wiles getting goals. He is capable of getting into double figures this season. It feels like a confidence thing with Wiles sometimes - hopefully that double will help. He has got everything it takes to be a top midfielder in this division.

Intuition is a funny thing. It seldom disappoints. Whether it's felt before , during or after an event we just can't shake that feeling that we knew it.

This was one of those times.

The difficult thing is extracting fact from fiction . Is intuition based on a psychic or spiritual gift, or is it simply the brain computing facts and arriving at conclusion way deep inside the clack -clack of the machine and beyond...

It might well be that Bolton are our perfect opponents. There isn't any question as to how we will play and the same goes for this Bolton team. Both teams are going to come out to the middle of the ring and throw punch after punch. So far, so even. The difference would amount to 3 key things.

1. Ben wiles may never score a better brace
2. Micheal Smith provided as much trouble than their 3 attackers.
3. Belief and quality.

It was fine margins at the near full but rusty stadium, but those margins are where week after week winners win and losers are forgotten.

It works if you work it.

The millers were good value all over the pitch. They battled, committed, were brave and in the second half showed ultra concentration to keep shape as a defensive containment unit while still providing the threat that kept Bolton occupied and unable to throw all caution to the wind.

Wood was at his fierce best . Despite a worrying booking high up the pitch in the first 5 minutes he maintained his discipline and positional play from then on. REG, whose inclusion looked like the weak link proved to us he is mobile, a good reader of the game and crucially he's not rash. We certainly conceded too many free kicks again but considering our deep line it was good value. Does anyone remember those woeful months with stubbs in charge ? This was the kind of defending he was surely aiming for. The problem was that he expected too much too soon and he didn't build a squad or culture. You have to earn the right.. Well, this full 90 minutes was a purring testament to years of building a squad that looks at home in L1. Wouldn't it be a shame to lose too many of them as 12 are up for contract talks. Buts let's savour the day.

We looked confident at kick off and gave as good as we got. That intuition I spoke off had its first reality test in those first minutes before wiles struck an unstoppable thunder bolt . Bolton were quick coming forward and were stretching our central defender s and for a few minutes before and a few after our goals it seemed this was going to be what most suspected- a goal avalanche. However, that quality we had, that forever commitment started to win out. Bolton kept coming forward but at the other end we looked as intent on scoring again and for my money looked the more likely to do so. For sure , if Doyle had buried his chance like everyone at the ground expected him too the game would have changed. No point in speculating. i don't engage in ifs or buts or yets when it comes to Rothetham Uniteds luck or outcomes and so I'm sure not going to idle away with boring nonsense like a motd host. Facts are facts. Intuition is intuition. Yesterday both were in alignment.

Wiles goals were both spectacular. His first could be seen from the away end like the return of hayleys comet . Long before it is at its glorious zenith the while world can see its trajectory what a sight it was. The fans went into delirium based in the sheer beauty and certainty of it busting the back of the net. The second was brave, incredible well crafted and timed to perfection. At first the thoughts go through the mind...why did you head it down (is that still taught as conventional wisdom) . It looked like it would bounce too high or be intercepted by keeper or defender and an annoying goal mouth scramble ensue where the roulette wheel offers more certainty to the football fan. Instead it bounced gloriously and perfectly and seemed to nestle so acutely in the upright that I wondered if it would bounce out and not cross the line. In reality it was unstoppable.

Bolton didn't stay down and came out to try and dominate the play but as we ticked passed an incredible incident and quality packed 30 minutes the feeling we'd make it comfortably to half time began to seep through and I was reminded of both my intuition and the facts.

Barlasar had been quality. Wiles having a worldy although he still managed to lose the ball in dangerous areas. Wood was a talisman and Smith and grigg were solid and effective.

Ogbene faded after just 15 minutes . Rathbone ! Phew!

The second half was as comfortable as you can feel 2 nil up. The play soon settled into a pattern much less frantic and unpredictable as the first. We dropped pretty deep but not as deep as we were forced to in those horrible stubbs games. For the most part we kept them wide and outside the box. When they did get in we were able to turn them and keep tight with successions of men running out and retreating back in line. It was like more like a netball game at this point , or perhaps a 5 aside defensive posture. There were a few situations where the angles were made and desperate lunges from Bolton players may have been related but in truth we didn't feel or look like Conceding. Indeed, it was the millers with the best chance when Smith combined with grigg after what looked like an awful ball into him. Smith turned took a touch but the angle was just too keen and it fizzed across
Goal and iht the inside of the post but crucially it needed ...

Great game good result did question him.taking barlaser off. But next two games at home lets see if we can kick on and get 6 pts

ian wrote:

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...perhaps 5 more centimetres on the angle or an anticlockwise spin. 

 

PW made some early changes that he layer reported as fatigue from Tuesdays effort as well as a decision to drop deep . If it had gone wrong it would have been death by a thousand cuts , but remember the God's had already given the game away for this one. 

 

Summary

 

Bolton are a work in progress. I don't think they will be on the top six at the end of the season. They might but I'm not convinced. They are a good looking team going forward but they have too many flaws for this season  

 

After Tuesdays great and similar performance this was a huge effort. Bolton don't let you rest and ask questions. We stood up and triumphed. It's the kind of game that suits us. My intuition and the facts are now history.

 

Onwards into fates feeble hands.. 

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 Thanks for the report Ian, enjoyable & entertaining... UTM