Bolton Wanderers Res 4-1 Oldham Athletic Res
Stu Vose

Two quick second-half goals helped an experienced Bolton side secure victory at Leyland.

The Premier League outfit led courtesy of a sole Ebi Smolarek strike at the break but had extended their lead to three goals by the 56-minute mark.

Danny Whitaker's smart volley gave the visitors some hope and they came close with further chances before Robert Sissons rolled home the killer fourth just before the end.

Coach Lee Duxbury named a number of experienced heads against a Bolton side which included Ali Al-Habsi, Danny Shittu and Nicky Hunt, amongst others.

They started brightly as a Whitaker blast was deflected wide before a moment of real controversy just six minutes in.

Shittu was penalised for a trip on Alessandra in the box, but the referee reversed his decision following a brief consultation with the linesman on the near side.

The decision proved to be a turning point as only seven more minutes elapsed before Smolarek met a left-wing cross to poke the ball beyond Josh Bell.

Striker Ryan Brooke almost replied for Athletic but couldn't force the ball home under pressure from Al-Habsi following Shittu's miscue in front of his own goal.

At the other end Bell had to be alert to take the ball away from Javlon Campbell and Smolarek had a close-range goal chalked off for offside.

Campbell had his goal early into the second period when he netted from three yards and it looked all over when Temitope Obadeyi's shot struck a covering defender and spun past Bell for 3-0.

But Lee Duxbury's visitors didn't lie down and they got back into the game when Andy Liddell's deep cross pulled Al-Habsi across his goal and Whitaker stole in to ram a volley into the roof of the net.

Now on the scoresheet with 30 minutes remaining, Latics began to get forward more regularly and Lewis Alessandra tested Al-Habsi with a close-range header.

The striker then laid on a decent shooting chance for Andy Liddell who dragged a shot just wide, but Bell was forced to intervene at the other end soon after as he somehow clawed Riga's header over the top.

But any hopes of a revival were cut short when midfielder Sissons nipped in to steal a loose ball and steer a shot into the far corner to settle matters with nine minutes remaining.

Athletic did have a chance to pull another goal back in the dying minutes, but Kieran Lee lashed his shot over the top from close range.

Latics Res: Bell, Rowney, Lomax, Esdaille, Stam, Liddell (Kilcourse), Whitaker (McGrath), Stephens, Lee, Brooke, Alessandra.

Subs Not Used: Cowan, McCall, Ollerenshaw.