The wait goes on for Bolton as they still look for a first win of the season, but they were far more than a match for high-flying opponents Blackpool last night.
A team that was haemorrhaging goals after a brave first couple of performances has been defensively sorted, after yet another clean sheet – we haven’t conceded or trailed at home in open play since that August afternoon against Ipswich now. Jack Hobbs was rewarded last night by picking up the Sky Man of the Match award. Liam Feeney, now apparently a cross between Kevin De Bruyne and Filipe Morais, was kept quiet and reduced to one big moment, where he lashed one against the bar. Attention will now turn the other end of the pitch, a good performance last night was just missing that spark up front, not really helped by the players still working their way into full fitness.
Ali Crawford may have recreated his spectacular effort against Rochdale, but last night his free kick would be stopped by Blackpool’s Jak Alnwick. He was the one going forward who looked the best, Thibaud Verlinden got booked and ran the risk of getting a second yellow card after the break, while Joe Dodoo made his debut, nearly getting on the score sheet with his first touch. Hoepfully, goals will come, as that seems to be the final piece in the jigsaw.
There was however, some bad injury developments last night, While Sonny Graham proved to be an adequate replacement on the night, Liam Bridcutt’s suspected fractured collar bone appears to rule him out for a couple of months, potentially taking the brain and engine out of the team. It also emerged that Will Buckley fractured his knee cap prior to last night, and he will be out for a while too. We don’t have any luck with injuries.
There are nearly two weeks without a game now, before we play Rochdale for what already feels like the 75th time this season. It’s a game that for the first time really this season, there may be disappointment if we don’t win.