A Very Cold Encounter

Rochdale visited The Avenue on Saturday. The weather was very windy and freezing rain swept across the pitch.

The game started with Rochdale very much on top. Their forwards drove the ball well and Bolton’s defence was severely challenged. Rochdale scored their first try in the seventh minute and added the conversion. They scored their second try in the twenty-second minute. Up to this stage Bolton had not had much of the ball. Slowly, but surely, Bolton came into the match and began to string some plays together and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions.

Half-time Score: Bolton 0 Rochdale 14

The second half started with some very wet and cold players on both sides. In the fifty-third minute Rochdale converted a penalty. Bolton pressurized Rochdale and should have scored as they were camped in Rochdale’s twenty-two for quite some time. Rochdale scored two more tries in the fifty-eighth minute and in the seventieth minute. The referee called the two captains together and it was agreed that because of the failing light and the extreme cold the game was finished early.

Final score: Bolton 0 Rochdale 29

Rochdale were a well-drilled team, but Bolton’s defence stood up well to them. It was a pity that Bolton didn’t score as they had deserved to. Over 2018 Bolton first team has had some great successes and the players should be very proud of their achievements. They can go into 2019 with renewed vigour and try to emulate the successes of 2018.

Man of match: Niall Murphy