Weekend News: Bolton Wanderers Fans “Worldwide” Gave Final Reason Why Victory Over Wigan Was The…

Bolton Wanderers fan column – Wigan reaction, Bristol Rovers

Oh, it’s good to be a Wanderer,
by Liam Hatton.

There was a scuffle – first there was a Jay Matete header, then there was a George Thomason overhead kick into the path of John McAtee who in return did the same, which then found George Johnston before the ball eventually fell into the path of Chris Forino.

After that? Well, it was pure pandemonium. Forino and the entire Bolton team absolutely Emmanuel Adebayor’d their way 100-plus yards to the opposite end of the pitch. Awaiting them were over 4,000 Bolton Wanderers fans in an utter frenzy. 

Yes, it is probably the worst Wigan side over recent years. Yes, it has been over a decade since Bolton have tasted victory over their bitter rivals – and if you don’t call them rivals then you don’t understand football and are dismissive of the emotions this particular fixture carries. 

All of that aside, this was oh so sweet. The game was hardly one for the footballing purists as Wigan did their job for large parts, which involved playing for fouls and going direct from the back. Bolton were drawn into that nitty gritty game also, rarely using their pace out wide with quick buildup until later on when Wigan started to fatigue.

It was a game of few chances as Nathan Baxter was rarely tested at one end of the pitch. Josh Sheehan went close in the first half whilst Thomason saw a shot parried over and Johnston saw an effort go high and wide late on. 

But then the goal came and whilst it may not have been prime Barcelona 2009, not one single fan in attendance or watching at home cared about the how. All that mattered was the ball crossing that white line. 

The silence from the home fans, oh the silence was delightful. The elation from the away end, oh the elation was shin splitting (I can attest to that). This was a win in terms of this Bolton team showing they are not ‘bottlers’ in local derbies, but the bigger picture may just spur them on to a playoff push, should they get there. 

There can be a lot said about the pre-match endeavours from Wigan Athletic. Be that Ollie Norburn calling out Wanderers and why they don’t show up in these fixtures, or the fireworks, or MC Finchy blasting out Ozone Bounce before an announcement of ‘Bolton get battered everywhere they go’ rung around the stadium.

Of all the overconfidence Bolton have been accused of ahead of this fixture in recent years and especially that of former manager Ian Evatt, who himself has made comments which have backfired, you would think that Wigan would know better than to follow suit.

You reap what you sow and we have found that out the hard way. We know full well how it feels as this team have had our number countless times over the years. But with a new manager and a seemingly fresh outlook, maybe things are turning a corner.

There are still ways to go to secure a playoff spot, but it is back in Bolton’s hands. This game alone can’t define their season, because it means nothing if they follow it up with a loss on Saturday. 

But on this night you remember that goal, the celebrations, MC Finchy’s blunder and Carlos Mendes Gomes waving Wigan’s corner flag at full time. 

I love this club.

Utilising Tuesday’s Momentum

By Lee Sidebotham.

Tuesday night’s game will live long in the memory for me and thousands of supporters, but there’s no point winning the way we did just to lose to Bristol Rovers this weekend.

The win against Wigan takes some of the weight off future games against them while also giving us some much-needed momentum now at a crucial time in the season.

We need to remain focused on the task at hand which I’m sure Steven Schumacher will have reminded the team. We need to use this morale to our advantage and get results against the Gas and Millers in the next few days.

It was by no means a flawless performance on Tuesday and there are plenty of things to address ready for the two games.

We need to work on our build up play more. We seem to be going back to our old ways again and trying to find the perfect goal too often.

It also goes without saying that we need to finish our chances more. There have been too many games this season we should have had the result sealed by half-time, only to allow the opposition a way back into it in the second half. We know from just a few weeks ago that Bristol will take a chance if it’s presented to them and we cannot allow that to happen again.

Rotherham on the other hand have nothing really to play for but will still be looking to prove a point. They’ve been our bogey team in recent years, but with the sacking of Steve Evans last week, this may or may not prove to be a good time to play them.

I wouldn’t be against rotating the side especially after two big clashes on the spin. I’d like to see Carlos Mendes Gomes get a run out especially after his celebrations at the end of the game on Tuesday. He impressed me in the Birmingham fixture too and I think he can offer us a lot in the remaining games ahead.

I’ve also missed Szabolcs Schon in the line-up. I get it though, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Josh Dacres-Cogley have been outstanding over the past few months. I called for us to start playing a 5-2-3 wide a few weeks ago so all three can be implemented into the team and I’m still all for that. Aaron Collins just didn’t seem to suit playing as wide as he did on Tuesday.

I know a lot of fans told me prior to Tuesday night that the game against Wigan was make or break time. Well, we now need to prove that and make a break for the Play-Offs.