Preview: Bolton Wanderers

15 January 2021

The 28,000 capacity University of Bolton Stadium will host Cheltenham Town on Saturday as the Robins head to Greater Manchester to take on Bolton Wanderers (kick-off: 3pm).

It's exactly a month since the teams last met at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, where a last gasp Ryan Delaney goal clinched the Trotters three points.

Both teams have struggled for victories in League Two since then so Saturday's encounter is a crucial one for both squads.

You can watch the match in full by purchasing an iFollow match pass, which is available to buy online for £10.

Team news

Conor Thomas and Sean Long are expected to feature again in the squad after they were both named on the teamsheet last time out.

Chris Hussey is expected to miss out though with an impact injury picked up in the Mansfield Town win.

Liam Sercombe is also definitely unavailable because of a knee injury. Scott Flinders is a doubt as he continues his recovery.

See what Michael Duff had to say about the game by watching for free on iFollow.

Opposition

In action in midweek, 17th place Bolton took a point on their travels to Devon as they battled out a 1-1 draw with Exeter City.

It was their fourth League Two fixture without a win having recently drawn with Carlisle United, but suffered defeats to Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers.

Their last win was actually against Cheltenham in mid-December and since then they have continued with the experienced Matt Gilks in between the posts as their goalkeeper.

Defensively youth product Harry Brockbank and former Everton youngster Gethin Jones featured in their back line on Tuesday, while the sizeable Ryan Delaney and Ricardo Santos are others who will also be looking to keep the Robins attack out this weekend.

In the January transfer window they've brought in experienced midfielder Kieran Lee from Sheffield Wednesday, and the ex-Manchester United man made his debut at Exeter. In this area of the pitch they also boast the likes of Antoni Sarcevic, who won promotion from this level with Plymouth Argyle last season, ex-Bury man Andrew Tutte and Scotsman Ali Crawford, a former teammate of Alfie May and Matty Blair's at Doncaster Rovers.

Their front line boasts huge talent at this level. Eoin Doyle turned down the chance to play with Swindon Town in League One this season after helping to fire them to promotion last term to sign for Bolton, while Nathan Delfouneso has Premier League experience with Aston Villa.

Also in their attacking set-up Arthur Gnahoua is a handful having joined from Macclesfield Town at the end of last season.

The manager: Ian Evatt

Before Christmas the departure of Tobias Phoneix from his Director of Football role at the Trotters has seen Ian Evatt go from Head Coach to simply manager with Saturday's opponents.

The 39-year-old took charge in July for what is his second permanent managerial position having led Barrow to promotion from the National League last season.

A defender in his playing days, he turned out for the likes of QPR, Blackpool and Chesterfield.

One to watch: Lloyd Isgrove

Lloyd Isgrove is another in the Bolton squad with promotion experience at League Two level having achieved the feat as part of Swindon Town's squad last season.

The tricky attacker has played 13 times this season in all competitions, registering one goal, and boasts a superb delivery from wide areas.

A product of the Southampton youth system, he has just turned 27 this week and can also recall time spent at Peterborough United (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (loan) and Barnsley earlier in his career.

Watch the match on iFollow

See the full 90 minutes live by watching online via the club's iFollow channel.

If you purchase a match pass then you can watch the game from the comfort of your own home. A match pass for the game is available to buy for £10.

Coverage

Follow @CTFCofficial on Twitter for regular updates, team news and photos. The club's Facebook page and Instagram account will also stay up to date with the latest score.

After the game visit the club website to read a match report and to see post-match reaction from the manager.

There will be extended highlights available to watch a short while after the match on iFollow.

Match Reports

Report & highlights: Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Robins

16 January 2021

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Bolton Wanderers v Cheltenham Town - Extended highlights - Sat 16th January 2021

Extended highlights of Bolton Wanderers v Cheltenham Town, Sat 16th January 2021 in the Sky Bet League Two

Cheltenham Town's first ever league visit to Bolton Wanderers ended all square despite Alfie May's fourth goal of the campaign.

It looked set to hand the Robins a narrow victory at the league's biggest arena but Eoin Doyle popped up four minutes from time to bundle home the equaliser and take a share of the spoils.

Bolton – and Doyle inparticular – carried the greater threat in the first period, producing a string of chances to break the deadlock but the Robins made them pay for their wastage nine minutes after the restart when May was alive to a loose ball in the box to stab home the opening goal.

It looked to be enough to claim the win but in the end, the home side forced the late equaliser to salvage a point to frustrate Michael Duff.

"It was frustrating," he told the media afterwards.

"We weren't particularly good in the first half but then when we did take the lead we conceded the goal, so we've just lost that edge at the minute.

"We just can't seem to see out that win and that's too many tight games now where it's happened. You got to see the game out.

"We weren't really poor but we're weren't brilliant either. Ultimately it's not a bad thing to come away to Bolton Wanderers and get a point, but as a manager you always want more."

His side have a big week ahead with matches against promotion rivals Newport County on Tuesday and Premier League giants Manchester City.

He made two changes here. Chris Hussey missed out after collecting a knock in the first half of last weekend's dramatic cup win against Mansfield Town so Lewis Freestone deputised at left-wing back. Meanwhile Finn Azaz came in for George Lloyd, allowing May to join Andy Williams in attack after his role behind the front two seven days ago.

May had an early sight of goal after just four minutes but Matt Gilks held it but the first half belonged to Bolton, who started the better of the two sides and enjoyed a lot of early possession although the first real chance of note arrived when Zack Elbouzedi shot high after 17 minutes.

Williams vollied one wide midway through the opening 45 minutes after a well worked move down the left, but at the other end Griffiths was sharp to turn away Lloyd Isgrove's effort, which picked up a deflection from Ben Tozer on its way through.

Bolton came the closest to a goal in the first period when Eoin Doyle met Isgrove's delivery from the right with a looping header, but Charlie Raglan was on hand to clear the danger on his line. The two combined again moments later but on this occasion, Doyle's header flew past the angle of the goal. The pair produced a third chance to call Griffiths into a diving stop with the interval approaching.

Then on the stroke of half-time, Griffiths produced a remarkable double save to deny George Thomason and then Antoni Sarcevic on the follow-up, although the assistant referee had flagged the second effort offside. The West Brom loanee would not have known that.

The breakthrough came with 54 minutes on the clock when Duff's side forced a corner from the left, which Conor Thomas took. Will Boyle met it at the far post and Matt Gilks spilled it, allowing May to pounce on the loose ball and bundle it home.

Boyle could have made it two ten minutes later but his header was saved by Gilks while at the other end, Griffiths did well to push away an effort by substitute Arthur Gnahoua from an angle down the left.

There was a first appearance of the season for Sean Long in the closing stages when he replaced Freestone for the final seven minutes, while Lloyd came on in place of Williams.

But the four changes the home side made paid dividend with four minutes remaining when Bolton poured forward, taking advantage of some hesitancy by Ben Tozer to hand Doyle a simple chance to find the back of the net from close range to take a share of the spoils.

BOLTON WANDERERS (4-3-3): Gilks; Jones (Brockbank 63), Almeida Santos, Delaney, Jackson; Lee (Tutte 46), Sarcevic, Thomason (Crawford 67); Isgrove, Doyle, Elbouzedi (Gnahoua 63). Subs not used: Delfouneso, Mascoll, Baptiste.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Griffiths; Raglan, Tozer (c), Boyle; Blair, Thomas, Azaz, Chapman, Freestone (Long 83); May (Addai 90), Williams (Lloyd 83). Subs not used: Harris (Gk), Bowry, Clements, Campbell.

REFEREE: A Haines