Bolton Wanderers vs. Latics

Sky Bet League Two - Matchday 6

17 October 2020

The Sky Bet League Two campaign continues with a short trip across to Bolton this afternoon (3pm KO).

Harry Kewell’s side fell to a 3-2 defeat last time out against current table-toppers Morecambe and are still in search for their first league win of the season.

Conor McAleny added two more goals to his tally against the Shrimps which makes him the joint top scorer in the division.

Form Guide

Bolton have had a difficult start to the season and despite being fancied by many to go straight back up they sit in 19^th after five league games.

Their only win in any competition this season came against newly promoted Harrogate Town with the Whites winning 2-1.

They have not fared any better in other competitions as they fell at the first hurdle in the Carabao Cup and have also been knocked out of the EFL Trophy.

The Trotters’ last six:

Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Grimsby Town
Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Bolton Wanderers (EFL Trophy)
Harrogate Town 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Newport County
Colchester United 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Forest Green Rovers

Head-to-Head

Latics have won 15 of the 55 games played between the two clubs.

The last time the two clubs have met, Oldham got the better of Wanderers, beating them 1-0 in April 2017.

Despite being reduced to 10 men in the 64^th minute, Latics went on to find the winner through Lee Erwin with quarter of an hour to play.

The result saw Sheffield United crowned champions of the division but despite missing out on top spot, Bolton did go on and secure automatic promotion to the Championship.

Watch Out For & Familiar Face

Ex-Latics forward Eoin Doyle was top scorer in the division last season.

Doyle had an incredibly impressive season last year, netting 26 times despite the season coming to an early finish.

His fantastic goal scoring prowess helped Swindon Town to claim promotion to League One.

Eoin Doyle at Portsmouth.jpg

With one goal in five games for his new club, Doyle is yet to hit the heights he managed at the County Ground.

The 32-year old began his career in Ireland and played for Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers before moving to Scotland where he joined Hibernian.

The Dublin born goalscorer had his first taste of English football when he joined Chesterfield in May 2013.

He netted 13 times in his first season with the Spireites and contributed to the club winning promotion to League One.

Doyle made a blistering start to the next season and as such won a transfer to Cardiff City in the winter transfer window

He struggled to find similar form in Wales and was loaned out to Preston North End where his deal was eventually made permanent. During his time with Preston, Doyle enjoyed a successful loan spell at Boundary Park.

He joined Bradford City in August 2018 and then went on to sign on loan and then on a permanent basis for Swindon Town.

In July 2020, Doyle joined Bolton Wanderers on a three-year deal.

Doyle is not the only link between the two clubs with David Wheater having played over 200 times for Wanderers and Latics legend John Sheridan playing for the Whites between 1996 and 1998.

In The Dugout

Ian Evatt is the man in the dugout for the hosts.

Evatt has had a mixed start to his short managerial career. In his first posting he was made caretaker manager of Chesterfield in 2018 but that ended in the Spireites relegation to the National League.

However, the 38-year old had great success in his second job. He managed to take Barrow back to the Football League after 48 years of absence in his second season in charge of the club.

Clearly impressed by what the young Head Coach had achieved with Barrow, Bolton identified Evatt as the man they believed could lead them back to League One and made a successful approach to Barrow to acquire the services of Evatt.

As a player, Evatt is best known for being a part of the Blackpool side that reached the Premier League under Ian Holloway.

Match Officials

Referee: Robert Madley
Assistants: Richard Woodward & Kevin Mulraine
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall

Sky Bet Odds

Bolton are 21/20 favourites to pick up three points whilst Latics are 9/4 to secure their first league win of the campaign.

The game to end in a draw is priced at 5/2.

Please gamble responsibly, for more information visit www.begambleaware.org

How To Follow The Game

Because the game is classed as behind-closed-doors, supporters can tune into a live match stream with commentary available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics, as Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talk you through the action.

This match is available as a live stream for the fee of £10.

Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.

Match Reports

Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Latics

17 October 2020

Zak Dearnley came off the bench and produced an incredible last-minute winner in the Lancashire derby as Latics pick up their first three points of the season.

Harry Kewell named four changes to his side ahead of the clash at the University of Bolton Stadium with Laurence Bilboe and Brice Ntambwe being handed their debuts and Danny Rowe and Dylan Bahamboula returning to the starting XI.

Latics had the ball in the back of the net with only eight minutes on the clock, however, it wouldn’t stand as the linesman already had his flag raised as Tom Hamer was in an offside position when he flicked the ball across goal.

Bolton Wanderers captain Antoni Sarcevic started to put his stamp on the game, creating two chances for the hosts. The first opportunity saw him inside the box, and he managed to get the ball to Nathan Delfouneso, but the striker was blocked by Carl Piergianni before Sarcevic played a great reverse pass through to Eoin Doyle, but Laurence Bilboe raced off his line to collect the ball.

The visitors then had two great chances of their own which both fell to the inform Conor McAleny. Callum Whelan flicked the ball into his direction as he raced goalwards and he could’ve slotted Jordan Barnett clean through, but he opted to shoot and dragged his effort wide from the edge of the box. Following that, Whelan found McAleny found inside the area on the left-hand side, but his curling effort went way over the crossbar.

Oldham broke the deadlock in the 28th minute as Rowe tormented his man on the left before delivering low across goal which found Ben Garrity at the back post and he tapped in his first league goal for the club.

But the lead didn’t last long as Ian Evatt’s side got themselves level just four minutes later after great work from debutant Peter Kioso on the right flank and he found Delfouneso on the six-yard box and he kept his cool to smash into the back of the net.

Shortly after the interval Garrity should’ve got his name on the scoresheet again as McAleny delivered an in-swinging cross from deep found the midfielder inside the box, but his attempt sailed over the crossbar.

Former Latics fans favourite Eoin Doyle had the chance to put his side ahead when a long ball over the top of Oldham’s backline found Sarcevic and he flicked it on over Piergianni’s head to Doyle and from outside the area he snatched at his opportunity and struck wide of the post.

The lively McAleny caused the Trotters defence endless problems all game and this time he found himself through on goal and he cleverly lobbed an effort over Billy Crellin, but he saw his effort rebound back off the post.

McAleny continued to search for a goal and nearly got his rewards as Rowe found him in a dangerous position inside the box and with his back to goal, he turned around and shot, but he smashed it over the crossbar.

In added time, substitute Dearnley found a winner as he received the ball on the edge of his own area and, impressively, ran the length of the pitch before making his way into the 18-yard box and smashing into the bottom corner to seal Harry Kewell’s first league win as Latics Head Coach and it’s the first away win in the league against Bolton since September 1982.

Bolton Wanderers XI – Crellin (GK), Gordon (Mascoll 83’), Almeida Santos, Delaney, Delfouneso, Comley (Tutte 73’), Doyle, Sarcevic ©, Crawford (Gnahoua 77’), Brockbank, Kioso.

Subs – Hickman, Greenidge, Darcy, Baptiste.

Goals: Delfouneso 32’

Oldham Athletic XI – Bilboe (GK), Jombati (Jameson 54’), Piergianni ©, Garrity, Whelan (McCalmont 76’), Rowe, Ntambwe, Barnett, McAleny, Bahamboula (Dearnley 85’), Hamer.

Subs – Chapman (GK), Fage, Grant, Keillor-Dunn.

Goals: Garrity 28’ Dearnley 95’

Referee – Robert Madley