Bolton Unlucky to Lose Coin Flip Game

Bolton welcomed back Pete Brogan from injury, Jeremy Rees from his recent gay cruise through the Med and James Dennis who had finally stopped crying after tripping over a ball circa 2 years ago. Also welcomed back was Danny Barlow who was gratefully accepted from the 3rds (cheers chaps). The player shuffle also saw a position shuffle with former hooker Rob Terry being haphazardly bundled into the number 10 shirt.

The first half provided a very tense and tight affair as both sides butted heads and found themselves even, Bolton pressured continuously but lacked a killer instinct to cross the white wash that ultimately would cost them the game. They got close a few times though Santo ‘walk it off lad’ O’Brien going close and breaking his ankle in the process (although until I see an X ray this shall remain in the Ryan Wignall fake cast pile…) and a missed penalty. Hooker Mark Crow was winning good ball in what this ‘prop’ (word used in the loosest of meanings) shall term an unstable scrum at times giving Paul Sutcliffe and Pete Brogan a platform to make hatfuls of yards and with a lineout that was functioning well Bolton’s rolling mauls were providing a fruitful weapon. Defensively Bolton also looked sound, Tom Lee as per stopping everything in midfield and even when down to 14 men Stuart Evans providing a top class tackling display to stop anything that did make it out wide.

A very even half drew to a close with both side trading penalties, Wigan going up 3-0 only to be near instantly pegged back to 3-3 by the boot of Danny ‘chilli’ Barlow. A low scoring half that was a testament to both sides defensive work rather than a lack of attacking prowess. At half time Bolton felt confident they could kick on and snatch a win, they begged and borrowed Phil Caswell from the thirds (again cheers chaps) to cover for the injured O’Brien and headed back into the fray.

The second half was very much the same as the first a stupidly even contest however it would be Wigan who would sneak the win. Under pressure in their own 22 Bolton failed to clear and from the resulting 5m scrum were caught out by Wigan’s quick pick and go game, leaking a try on the blind side. Conversion slotted as well Bolton were 10-3 down. The fight back was on as Bolton literally camped out in Wigans 22 for the remaining 20 or so minutes of the game, several rolling mauls went close, as did numerous pick and go attempts by the pack but ultimately Bolton were panicky and absorbed by white line fever instead of trusting their wider options and were rebuffed by a determined Wigan defence. With the game drawing to a close Bolton were punished for taking one pick and go too many, a turnover ball was hacked clear and Wigan’s winger raced away to score. Resultantly the final score doesn’t represent how even the game was and how up to that point either side could have grabbed the win.

FT Bolton 3 v 17 Wigan.

Fraser Hart MOM – Rob Terry