Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
BoltonBolton Wanderers2WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers1
Bolton held on to beat Wolves to claim their first win of the season and move up seven places, to 16th in the table.
Liam Feeney met a long ball in the box to fire Bolton ahead, having earlier gone close with a double chance.
Zach Clough made it 2-0 from the spot after Ethan Ebanks-Landell brought Wellington Silva down in the area.
Prince-Desir Gouano fouled Adam Le Fondre to allow Benik Afobe to pull one back from the spot, while Ben Amos did well to deny Le Fondre late on.
The victory was Bolton's first in 12 games in all competitions, dating back to 6 April, and a first triumph at home since overcoming Millwall 2-0 at the Macron Stadium more than six months ago.
Defeat leaves Wolves one point and one place ahead of Bolton.
| Bolton mark Le Fondre return with win | |
|---|---|
| Wolves' on-loan Cardiff City striker Adam Le Fondre - who had a spell with Bolton last season - scored both the Trotters' goals in their last home win, which came against Millwall in March. | |
Emiliano Martinez, starting ahead of goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, who kept a clean sheet on his Nigeria debut against Tanzania last week, was called upon early on by Feeney, with the winger then putting his follow-up effort wide.
Feeney eventually beat on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Martinez to open his goalscoring account for 2015-16, punishing Wolves' defence for failing to deal with a long ball over the top.
Ebanks-Landell went close to a quick response, while Afobe, Le Fondre and James Henry threatened, before Clough doubled the Trotters' advantage in first-half injury time following Ebanks-Landell's challenge to stop Wellington's fine run into the box.
Jed Wallace was off target for the visitors before Le Fondre went down under Prince's challenge, allowing Afobe to hit back from the spot. And Wolves continued to press in search of a leveller, with Dave Edwards going close and Le Fondre and Matt Doherty both calling Amos into action.
At the other end, Martinez twice kept Bolton out late on, foiling Emile Heskey before denying Mark Davies from close range, while Gary Madine wasted a good chance from 10 yards for the hosts.
Bolton Wanderers boss Neil Lennon:
"I am more relived than anything else. I've not had a run like that in my career either playing or managing.
"It's been a very frustrating time. But I thought the way we were playing, we could turn things around.
"I felt we deserved to win. Their penalty was soft and changed the psychology of the game for a while."
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss boss Kenny Jackett:
"We will play worse than that and win games. We had a lot of chances.
"I felt after a rocky first 15 minutes, we played well and dominated the majority of the rest of the first half. Then we had a real go second half trying to get back into the match.
"We showed some good spirit and played some good football. But we have to iron out one or two areas and lose some naivety in some situations where we have given away too many easy goals and sides haven't earned them."
Line-ups
Bolton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Amos
- 25Wilson
- 2Gouano
- 15Derik
- 3Moxey
- 16Davies
- 18DannsSubstituted forVelaat 50'minutes
- 7Feeney
- 10CloughSubstituted forHeskeyat 74'minutes
- 22Wellington
- 14MadineBooked at 55mins
Substitutes
- 6Vela
- 8Spearing
- 13Rachubka
- 19Heskey
- 23Dobbie
- 36Finney
- 42Walker
Wolves
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26E Martínez
- 2Doherty
- 23Ebanks-LandellBooked at 45mins
- 30Hause
- 3Golbourne
- 4Edwards
- 16Coady
- 7Henry
- 10Afobe
- 12J WallaceSubstituted forOjoat 61'minutes
- 29Le Fondre
Substitutes
- 1Ikeme
- 8Saville
- 17van La Parra
- 18Iorfa
- 20Ojo
- 25Byrne
- 48Enobakhare
- Referee:
- Scott Duncan
- Attendance:
- 14,698
Match Stats
Home TeamBoltonAway TeamWolves
- Possession
- Home43%
- Away57%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away21
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away9
- Corners
- Home8
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left following a fast break.
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Attempt missed. Sheyi Ojo (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Benik Afobe.
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Attempt saved. Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sheyi Ojo with a cross.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Ben Amos.
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Attempt saved. Adam Le Fondre (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sheyi Ojo with a cross.
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Attempt saved. Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the left side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by James Henry with a cross.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Ben Amos.
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Attempt saved. Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by James Henry with a cross.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Derik.
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Adam Le Fondre (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Derik (Bolton Wanderers).
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Attempt missed. Adam Le Fondre (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right.
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Foul by Adam Le Fondre (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Derik (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt saved. Mark Davies (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gary Madine with a headed pass.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Emiliano Martinez.
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Attempt saved. Emile Heskey (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mark Davies with a through ball.
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Attempt missed. Dave Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by James Henry.
