Bolton Wanderers U23 (2) – QPR U23 (1)
U23 Professional Development League
Team: Bowman, Felix, Domi, Bettache, Carlyle, Gubbins, Tilt, Douglas, Walker, Mesias, Bansal-McNulty.
Sub Not Used: White
This was a good entertaining encounter played at high tempo. The home side just edged victory 2-1, but the R’s did indeed play well in defeat.
In the first-half Bolton had the majority of the chances and went one goal up two minutes before half-time. Eddie Brown’s lucky shot took a deflection and looped over the head of R’s keeper Myles Bowman.
It could have got worse as shortly afterwards on the stroke of half-time a Bolton strike from the edge of the area hit the base of the post.
After the interval, Rangers went on the offensive and soon equalised with a thunderous blast from 20 yards right into the roof of the net. Great goal from Aiden Mesias and scores were level at 1-1.
Unfortunately Bolton regained the lead on the hour mark amidst a spell of end-to-end football by means of a cross-shot from Joe Muscatt. They subsequently nearly scored a third when an attempt hit the crossbar.
In the last few minutes Bolton went on the defensive as the R’s pushed to get on terms but a breakthrough was denied.
Paul Hall made three changes in the second half; Ben Wells for Kai Douglas on 61 minutes, followed on 74 minutes by Themis Kefalas and Marcus Brooks coming on for Nathan Carlyle and Chay Tilt respectively.
The attendance at the University of Bolton Stadium was by my own personal head count 172. Surreal really because the ground holds 27,000!
Bernard Lambert (Kerrins)