Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Cardiff City 3.
Bolton Wanderers 2-3 Cardiff City
- From the section Championship
Anthony Pilkington's volley earned Cardiff victory against bottom club Bolton Wanderers in the Championship.
The Trotters, whose players were not paid last month, twice battled back from behind against the visitors.
Tony Watt struck in off the post for Cardiff before Gary Madine curled in a leveller from outside the area.
Scott Malone bundled in his rebounded effort to put Cardiff back in front, and even though Dorian Dervite equalised, Pilkington struck late on.
Pilkngton's volley from Kenwyne Jones's flick-on was enough to put the Bluebirds into sixth place, and was a further blow in an uncertain week for the Trotters.
Bolton, with just one league win this term and four points adrift of safety, are in a perilous financial state, with their players not paid in November and owner Eddie Davies not prepared to invest any more money until the club is sold.
There are hopes a takeover could be completed this week, and the north-west side are in dire need of some good news after a spirited performance against Cardiff failed to produce any points towards their survival bid.
Instead it was the Bluebirds who felt the boost of a much-needed win, having dropped down to 10th with one win from their previous six games.
Bolton Wanderers manager Neil Lennon:
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"I don't think a resolution is far away from the club being taken over.
"The wages will get paid and the players have been assured of that. So that's not been a distraction for them.
"But it's paramount the future of the club is safeguarded no matter who takes over. I know nothing about the interested parties but [adviser to club board] Trevor Birch is confident something will get resolved in the next few days.
"I am scratching my head as to how we lost the game. I don't know how many times I've had to do that this season.
"But if you miss simple chances then you are going to give yourself a problem. Games in the Championship are about both boxes and we didn't do well enough in both boxes defensively or attacking-wise."
Cardiff City manager Russell Slade:
"We got ourselves in a good situation and scored a great goal but to be fair to Bolton they didn't lie down all afternoon and kept fighting back.
"But we responded in a real positive way and played some good attacking football. At times we moved the ball really well and looked a good side but it is that consistency with and without the ball we need to find.
"We are doing it for spells but it needs to be for longer spells or more consistent in what we are doing all the time.
"At times we looked a good side and at others I thought 'that is poor.' But we looked a threat going forward with Pilkington in the side and it's nice to score a few goals in open play."
Line-ups
Bolton
- 1Amos
- 6Vela
- 4Dervite
- 31Wheater
- 20CasadoBooked at 90mins
- 7FeeneySubstituted forTwardzikat 90+4'minutes
- 21PratleyBooked at 69mins
- 18Danns
- 3MoxeySubstituted forDobbieat 69'minutes
- 14Madine
- 26AmeobiSubstituted forHeskeyat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Gouano
- 8Spearing
- 13Rachubka
- 19Heskey
- 23Dobbie
- 27Twardzik
- 45Holding
Cardiff
- 1Marshall
- 2PeltierSubstituted forda Silvaat 23'minutesBooked at 88mins
- 4Morrison
- 16ConnollyBooked at 89mins
- 28Malone
- 11Noone
- 17Gunnarsson
- 8Ralls
- 13PilkingtonSubstituted forAmeobiat 85'minutes
- 33WattSubstituted forDikgacoiat 88'minutes
- 9Jones
Substitutes
- 3da Silva
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 7Whittingham
- 10Mason
- 15Dikgacoi
- 21Moore
- 38Ameobi
- Referee:
- Tony Harrington
- Attendance:
- 13,241
Match Stats
Home TeamBoltonAway TeamCardiff
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away16
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away7
- Corners
- Home4
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Cardiff City 3.
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Filip Twardzik replaces Liam Feeney.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Casado (Bolton Wanderers) for a bad foul.
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Casado (Bolton Wanderers).
Foul by Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City).
Casado (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Casado.
Booking
Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Sean Morrison (Cardiff City).
Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kagisho Dikgacoi replaces Tony Watt.
Booking
Fabio (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Emile Heskey (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Casado.
David Marshall (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers).
Foul by Tony Watt (Cardiff City).
Dorian Dervite (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Sammy Ameobi replaces Anthony Pilkington.
Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Anthony Pilkington.
Attempt missed. Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is high and wide to the left following a set piece situation.
Attempt saved. Casado (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Tony Watt (Cardiff City).
Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal!
Goal! Bolton Wanderers 2, Cardiff City 3. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Kenwyne Jones.
Offside, Bolton Wanderers. Stephen Dobbie tries a through ball, but Emile Heskey is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Stephen Dobbie (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Gary Madine with a headed pass.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by David Wheater.
Attempt missed. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dorian Dervite (Bolton Wanderers).
Goal!
Goal! Bolton Wanderers 2, Cardiff City 2. Dorian Dervite (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Emile Heskey with a through ball following a set piece situation.
Foul by Sean Morrison (Cardiff City).
Emile Heskey (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Emile Heskey replaces Shola Ameobi.
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Stephen Dobbie replaces Dean Moxey.
Booking
Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt blocked. Dean Moxey (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Aron Gunnarsson.