Bolton U14's v Wigan U14's (friendly)

Bolton U14's v Wigan U14's
"Friendly"
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Weather: Wet
Final Score Bolton 36 Wigan 7
Tries: Hodson x 3, Keogh x 2 Singleton x 1
Conversions: Price x 1, Hodson x 1, McDowell x 1
Team:
Atherton, Sam
Chadderton, Oskar
Gillibrand, Shane
Glynn, Mark
Griffiths, Blake
Hodson, Leon
Holt- Gregson, Fred
Jenkinson, Tom
Keogh, Oliver
Mallavialle, Ben
McDermott, Harry
McDowell, Sam
Price, Ben
Singleton, Logan
Waite, Levi
Watson, Jamie
Webster, Peter
Whittle, Connor
Winteringham, Connor
AKA The One Where Harry Got His Marching Orders
After beating the same team in the cup last month, Bolton were hoping for a similar result when they entertained Wigan in a friendly at Avenue Street, and so it proved , although the home side made heavy weather of it. The visitors were bolstered by the return to their side of a number of players from their summer stint in the lesser code and from the off showed a more confident and combative approach. This paid dividends, when after only three minutes, after almost complete possession and pressure, Wigan scored from a good passing move out of a scrum deep in the Bolton half and then converted the same with ease.
Bolton realised that they had a fight on their hands at this stage, and despite good play from Ben Price in the centre and second row Ben Mallavialle carrying the ball strongly forward, careless knock ons, dropped passes and a failure to capitalise at the break down meant that good industrious work was not resulting in points on the board. It was a relief for the home side when on thirteen minutes, Price drew the defenders and played the ball out for Leon Hodson to find a gap and open the scoring for Bolton. A Price conversion drew the scores level.
Although this first score was against the run of play it was a platform upon which Bolton could build and gradually the errors were eliminated from their game and on the stroke of half time, Oliver Keogh ran on to a deft Price kick to touch down and give the home side a slightly fortunate five point advantage at the break.
The opening part of the second half was a tense affair with only one score dividing the sides and the game delicately poised. There was then a blow for Bolton with an injury to playmaker Ben Price, but Bolton made a breakthrough through Hodson getting his second try with a try born of brute force as he shook off five tackles to touch down.
It was at this point that Bolton got into their full stride, despite being down a man due to the sin-binning of Harry McDermott for an inadvertent hand off to the face. Winger Logan Singleton got a well deserved try five minutes before the end, before Hodson completed his hat-trick and Keogh got his second try of the match to put a gloss on the scoreline and secure Bolton's fourth win in five games.