Bolton v Brighton..Match Thread

Very important game. Not a must win, but a win would be a catalyst and I think mean that survival will be a certainty(probably) a loss or draw isn't the end of the world (it may feel like it at 5pm) but it will be a long end of season.

Think Neil sees home matches and away matches differently. I think he'll go Amos, Vela, Wheater, Mills, Ream(if all fit), Danns, Bannan, Feeney, Clough, Gudjohnson and Le Fondre.

First thought that came into my head.....
Bore draw
And goal'less as well

But I'm still backing NL
COYWM

phew..that was a nervy one. vital 3 pt's. all about the result. was never gonna be pretty. felt we needed 2 to seal it, but got a bonus clean sheet.
Amos probably man of match..1 or 2 very handy saves. although we protected him better with him only facing 4 shotsOT...much better than Forest & Watford games when the keeper was facing double digit shots on target.
Wheater very good again..1 or 2 vital blocks. and the little diamond that is Zach Clough gets another. i did say we wanted to see him against bottom half sides . not his best game but it's all about producing in key moments.
nice to see Mcnaughton back in the fold. did well when he came on. i was gonna comment midweek on that one, i.e was it just a case of KM letting his head drop cos NL not giving him a chance due to loan restrictions, which is understandable. good to see NL doesn't hold grudges unlike someone we could mention.

17th in the table now with 40 pts looks a lot more healthy and some precious confidence back in the lads veins, in terms of the the win and the clean sheet.

Very tense at the end! We won because Zach Clough conjured an amazing angled shot after a beautifully balanced pirouette as he ran on to Vela's through ball. 

It it was a battle which we had to win. NL professes a wish to be on the front foot and his selection underlined this. But we always looked short in midfield and Clough, Heskey and Le Fondre saw little of the ball. I would imagine that we were on the wrong side of the possession statistics.It certainly felt like it in the second half.

i was impressed by Amos. He was quick off his line and made three very good saves. The first was identical to Pringle's early goal at Rotherham. But Amos got the angles right on his near post and dived up to claw it away. I like his kicking power although he spurned some roll outs. He reminded me of Jussi in some ways but the air of confidence was infectious. He held on to a strong goal bound shot of the type Lonergan has been parrying. All in all he reminded us of what good all round keepers bring to the whole team.

And in front of him Wheater was powerful, committed and strong. I think he would be my MoM for the blocks made and character . But between him and Amos

NL had a strange game. His switch of Vela to midfield was decisive and Vela took us up the pitch three or four times. Bannen was lightweight but neat. I thought Danns had another poor game bereft of Pratley. He kept at it but got caught more than once. Maybe if he had hit our one first half chance better he'd have gained in confidence. But he looks clapped out ?

Feeney had a quite dreadful game. He would not take his man on, kept dithering in midfield and his crossing and dead ball kicking was dreadfully inconsistent. His half time reward was to be moved to wing back / full back. What was NL thinking? Fortunately he got injured yet even in that he accrued three minutes of added time we didn't need. NL was forced to resort to MacNaughton, he who is unfit to play and can't train effectively. Well surprise! He was better than Feeney. Obviously rust he rushed a couple of clearances but he also crossed the field to mop up a left back gap and most importantly plugged the chasm of opportunity they were readily mining around Feeney. Towards the end NL did take Heskey  and Danns offoand brought Moxey and Eidur  on, too late perhaps but we got away with it. Janko  was a possible earlier sub but resisted by NL. Not sure why

 there weren't many chances at either end. They perhaps looked the likelier scorers yet we held them out well. Eidur brought a bit of experience to the party. We made no last minute gaffes and earned the nine point cushion. There will be better days but this was a well battled scrap and we came through. Maybe being on the front foot helped. In the end Clough made the victory

Amos 9 Vela 7 Wheater 9 Mills 6 Ream 7  Danns 4 Bannan 6 Feeney 2 Clough 7 Le Fondre 5 Heskey 5 MacNaughton 6 Eidur 6 

A bold selection, justified ultimately by the result. It was a hard won victory, and as has been highlighted by Andy L one which was founded on the performances of Amos and Wheater in particular. Mills was solid, Ream was defensively sound but his game was once again enhanced by his consistent ability to find a man with his passes.....it would be interesting to see him in midfield later in the season when/if our Championship security is established. Danns and Feeney continue to exasperate, energy is not enough when possession is routinely wasted, but both have earned some latitude since N L's arrival, although for how much longer if they continue to be ineffective ? In defence Vela was solid on the whole, but flourished when he got to grips with his midfield responsibilities and made  a few surging runs, one of which fed Clough for his sublimely executed finish. Bannan is unarguably lightweight, but his mobility and tenacity are much needed in midfield and with better support than that offered today  his creativity might well be more effective. McNaughton did enough for me to warrant his inclusion in the squad, perhaps a starting role on Tuesday will allow Vela to continue where he left off today. Le Fondre and Heskey worked manfully, and although as a front 3 they and Clough did not create many opportunities the latter's ability to run with the ball and his eye for goal should ensure him a starting role on Tuesday. 3 very valuable points gained today, a few more hard fought 1-0 wins will not go amiss if that's what it takes, and the clean sheet should be an enormous confidence booster..well done Whites!