Report: Difficult week for Bolton ends on low with Cardiff loss

Bolton remain rooted to the foot of the Championship table after a 3–2 home defeat to Cardiff.

This loss can be added to the long list of games that Wanderers could — and should — have taken three points out of.

The fact that they took nothing from it will be a bitter pill to swallow, particularly after the week that the club has gone through.

The club announced that the players hadn’t been paid for November at the start of the week and then financial adviser Trevor Birch described Bolton’s situation as “increasing perilous”.

Despite pulling a goal back to draw level on two occasions, poor defending was the Whites’ undoing all afternoon.

Cardiff played some neat stuff in the second-half and looked vaguely threatening on the counter-attack, but they didn’t create a lot.

Instead, it was Bolton who created the more clear-cut opportunities and will be kicking themselves for two “simple chances”, according to manager Neil Lennon, that were missed.

It was Bolton who started the better of the two sides, without creating any real chances, so it was against the run of play when Cardiff took the lead after 13 minutes.

Tony Watt picked the ball up on the left, cut inside past Dorian Dervite far too easily and beat Ben Amos at his near post for his first City goal since joining on loan from Charlton.

The response from Wanderers couldn’t have been better; similar to Watt, Bolton’s Gary Madine collected the ball on the left flank, cut inside and fired a rocket past David Marshall.

Neil Danns then had Marshall scrambling with a long-range effort, before the Cardiff keeper saved a strike from Whites skipper Darren Pratley.

At the other end, Aron Gunnarsson had the visiting fans celebrating, but his strike from 25 yards hit the side netting.

Bolton’s next opportunity should have seen them take the lead but, somehow, Cardiff managed to keep it out.

Following Dean Moxey’s cross from wide, Pratley’s shot was deflected on to the bar, Feeney’s rebound was blocked off the line and then the two players failed to connect with Ameobi’s cut-back properly.

And they were made to pay as, five minutes after the restart, an unmarked Scott Malone managed to scramble Kenwyne Jones’ pass home.

Watt had a second ruled out for the Welshman for offside, before Bolton went up the other end to equalise.

Emile Heskey flicked on Stephen Dobbie’s drilled cross, leaving Dervite six yards out to power his first Bolton goal past Marshall.

How Wanderers then failed to take the lead is a mystery; Madine flicked on Vela’s cross to the back post and Dobbie left his marker, but he amazingly managed to shoot wide from six yards out.

Football can often be a harsh game — and that proved to be the case.

With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Kenwyne Jones flicked the ball over the Bolton defence for Pilkington to volley past Amos.

The hosts had a couple of chances late on but, in truth, never looked like equalising for the third time.

And a late Jose Manuel Casado sending-off, for two bookings, wrapped up another frustrating afternoon for the Whites.

Men of the match

Bolton: Darren Pratley — Wanderers’ skipper looked more like himself and got through a lot of work. He had a couple of chances, which he could have done better with, but at least he was getting himself in the positions to have them.

Cardiff: Tony Watt — scored one, had one disallowed and looked a threat all afternoon. Post-match, Neil Lennon said that Watt was offered to him a couple of weeks ago, but the club couldn’t afford him. He could have put some of those simple chances away for Bolton.

Key moment

You can look at either Pilkington’s late winner, or Dobbie’s sitter at 2–2. If Bolton would have gone ahead with 15 minutes or so to go, Cardiff would have struggled to find a way back into the game.

What next?

For Cardiff, they are now in the play-offs and looking up. After a hit-and-miss start to the campaign, they now seem to be hitting their stride, although I have seen far better sides visit The Macron side.

For Bolton, matters are becoming more bleak by the week. If Lennon’s side aren’t doomed already, they will be if they don’t start to pick up points soon. The squad does lack quality, but there are worse in the Championship. Quite clearly, confidence is lacking at present. The sooner the ownership situation at the club is sorted, the better.