A few thoughts on tonight’s loss to that lot.
Firstly, the Vital Bolton editor did not attend this latest pre-season friendly. Not that it will stop me writing something about it, in the absence of nobody else offering.
For those who showed less interest in the game than me, for the record I didn’t check the score until the 80th minute, Burnley led at half time before Jay Spearing levelled the score.
At that point I thought this is where Andre Gray was going to pop up and score the winner like February’s Championship encounter. He had scored the opener from the spot, but this time Josh Ginnelly was the man who scored a late Clarets winner.
The more pre-season goes on, more it seems the results are just going to plan, beating the non-league sides (bar Mansfield) and the Danish second tier team Helsingor, while losing to a Premier League side by the same scoreline as last season. Preston at home on Saturday could be a nice little barometer ahead of the new season.
From looking on the Twitter machine (you can follow us @VitalBolton if you staggeringly aren’t already) those who went seem fairly positive how things went. the Bolton News brief report gives a nod to the organisation of the team, and it’s nice to see Spearing come up with a goal and Max Clayton back on the Macron turf.
We seem no closer to knowing who will get the nod between the sticks, both Ben Amos and Mark Howard got a half each again, Howard making some decent saves in the second half from all accounts.
On the triallist front, Neal Eardley and David Wheater both got 67 minutes so their hopes of a deal are still very much alive.
Onto Saturday then…