By james art LUKE SOUTHWOOD…6.5.
Made some great saves from May and Laird to keep Birmingham at bay. A short shot in the first half was the only real blemish in the notebook.
JOSH DACRESS-COGLEY…5.5.
Put in a half-decent shift against his former club, all things considered. I got an early yellow card so a night against Pike, Leonard and Hanson was not fun.
RICARDO SANTOS…6.
Just as he did against Burton on Saturday, Santos got the basics right and defended the box well under a lot of pressure.
GEORGE JOHNSTON…6.
As brave as you want from the stand-in captain and his efforts were appreciated by the traveling fans. Wins a lot in the air.
RANDELL WILLIAMS…5.
Pressed for the most part and failed to impact the game going forward as much as he would have liked. But another who has set foot.
JOSH SHEEHAN…4.5.
It’s not a game that suits his strengths, with the majority of his assignments being defensive. He ran hard, especially in the second half, and had one shot blocked after a clever corner.
JAY MATTE…4.
Chosen for his strong defenders, but it’s hard to make a case for him against Iwata, Williamson and Co. I struggled most of the night.
SZABI SCHON…4.5.
Lots of effort, a couple of poor challenges when the pressure was on, but another player who just couldn’t find his target with the ball in the first half.
KYLE DEMPSEY…4.
Subbed in the first half and picked up an injury that now puts him in doubt for the next few games. He was also in good shape.
SCOTT ARFIELD…4.
His first league start since the opening day of the season and not a night he will remember fondly. Retention of the ball was a real problem and the Scot struggled to keep hold of it.
DION CHARLES…4.
Ungrateful, indeed. He tried several times to go it alone and use his pace, but was totally outmatched. We hope for better luck against Peterborough.
Subs: McAtee 5, 46 (for Dempsey) – Bolton’s most threatening player on the one hand, but also the one who spurned their best chances.
Collins 4.5, 58 (for Arfield) – But in one exchange with McAtee, struggled to keep hold of the ball.
Adeboyejo 4.5, 58 (for Charles) – Eight touches, none of which were anywhere near the box. Such a night.
Forrester 4.5, 70 (for Williams) – Not the happiest of returns. Contact for the penalty, as hard as it is for the Wanderers to discuss it.
Not used: Hutchinson, Lolos, Inwood.
Birmingham City (4-2-3-1): Allsop; Laird, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata, Seung-Ho; Anderson, Williamson, Hanson; May.
Subs: Leonard 26 (for Hanson), Gardner-Hickman 64 (for Laird), Stansfield 64 (for May), Yokohama 83 (for Anderson), Dykes 83 (for Pike).
Not used: Peacock-Farrell, Sanderson.
Attendance: 25,793.
Referee: Stephen Martin – 5/10: Ian Evatt described the referee’s performance as “poor” and on a night where Bolton took tons of pressure, they could feel a little aggrieved that the officials conceded so little. The penalty was controversial, but probably the right one.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Luke Southwood.
His saves from May and Laird early in the second half guaranteed Bolton a fighting chance, albeit a slim one.
MOAN OF THE MATCH – Love it or hate it, Evatt’s plan was to keep things tight and try to open up the game in the closing stages. Conceding after three minutes was not part of the script.
MAGICAL MOMENT – The Wanderers support of over 2,000 travelers were determined to enjoy their night regardless. Their banter with the home fans always brought a smile, even when the football didn’t.
ATMOSPHERE – Fireworks, flames, light shows… Everything is like Hollywood. But St Andrew’s sounded good under the lights with the Bolton supporters playing their part.