Match Reports

Bolton Wanderers: REPLAY

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Evening everyone. What a great mood I am in; I get to talk positively about our football club! The majority of the match reports/analysis from me this season have been very doom and gloom, however I was quite impressed with the performance I saw on Saturday, even when it didn`t equate to a Wanderers victory.

It was great awareness from Chungy to get to the mishit pass back and hit it first time for our surprise opener. I have been critical of the winger`s performances since returning from his horror injury, but he looks like he finally might be getting somewhere. He hasn`t regained his pace, and he certainly isn`t playing as wide as he did under Megson/Coyle, but he is beginning to hit the back of the net with increasing regularity, which can only be good for his confidence.

A cheeky header from Marvin Sordell put us two up early in the second half, and I was pleased to see him do some talking ON the pitch. He partnered N`Gog very well, and his pace allowed us to counter attack in a way that just wasn`t possible once he was replaced by Kevin Davies in the second half. After this game, I can only see the lad getting more minutes under his belt.

One thing I was surprised with was the reaction to Andy Lonergan after the match. Did I watch a different game to the rest of you? Yes, he made a couple of aesthetically pleasing saves, but he made mistake after mistake, and is a very big part in why we have to play a replay a week tomorrow.

There were occasions where instead of catching a shot, he would punch them back out into the danger area. Luckily enough, Sunderland weren`t able to capitalise on this flaw in his game, but they benefited handsomely from his inability to command the backline, especially at set pieces.

Earlier on in the first half, I noticed the keeper`s inability to communicate efficiently with his defenders when faced with a corner. This resulted in him being knocked flat over, and then two minutes later at the next corner, the same happened again. I turned to my girlfriend and declared we would concede from a corner in this game, and we did just that.

Some bad organisation led to their first; and whilst their second goal was stunning, it could have been dealt with better so that it never reached Gardner in the first place. Two simple goals ruling our two very simple goals. And that was it, off to the Stadium of Light we will go, in a bid to play Everton (or Cheltenham, but definitely Everton) at home in the fourth round.

We might, however, have some interesting options to pick from come squad selection time. Tomorrow night in the reserve match against Oldham, four players are expected to make their playing comebacks. Dave Wheater, Sparky Mavies, Josh Vela?and Stuart Holden. Let`s hope they come through it unscathed, hey!

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