Bolton edged closer to the top of the league with a hugely significant 1-0 at Forest Green in the early Saturday kick-off.
For a while Wanderers went above their opponents and up into the automatic promotion places, but Tranmere went on to knock us down into fourth, but even then we’ve taken another point off the gap to them as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Mansfield,
Eoin Doyle would score the only goal of the game. In a first half where there wasn’t much quality, Doyle would light it up just over five minutes from the break, a cracking ball from Nathan Delfouneso, moved out to the right today as part of the plan to bring in George Thomason for Lloyd Isgrove, found its way to Doyle who volleyed home. Forest Green, a supposed footballing side, seemed quite happy to kick us for a lot of the half, But the early serious injury was to their player, Jamille Matt suffering a stomach-turning injury in the opening minute.
Whether their top scorer dented their plan or their abilities I don’t know, but Bolton weren’t put under much pressure throughout the game, Matt Gilks made a save. but Kane Wilson’s effort was from a tightish angle, there was also a moment when George Thomason played a poor ball but the Forest Green striker made a terrible touch, allowing the backtracking Declan John to get across. But ultimately, we were great at the back, with that partnership of Ricardo Santos and Alex Baptiste.
I thought the Afolayan penalty should have been given, there was definitely a tangle, but it’s happened, we won anyway, and we were reasonably comfortable in a big game. I don’t know if this unbeaten run will last all the way to the end of the season, it probably won’t, because how many teams go 22 unbeaten? But we’re in a fantastic position now and the way we’re playing, automatic promotion is a real possibility.