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Ipswich Town 0-0 Bolton Wanderers - Match Report
Saturday, 22nd Sep 2018 17:26

Town recorded their fifth successive home draw at the start of the season as Bolton Wanderers left Portman Road following a hard-fought 0-0 stalemate, despite having been a man down for 47 minutes. The Trotters lost Marc Wilson to a red card on 34 after he hauled down Kayden Jackson but the Blues only created one serious chance - a Luke Chambers header brilliantly saved by Ben Alnwick - having been reduced to 10 men themselves late on when Jon Walters suffered an injury with all three substitutions already having been made.

Toto Nsiala returned to the Town starting line-up following the completion of his three-game suspension for his red card at Sheffield Wednesday.

The former Shrewsbury man is started at the centre of the defence alongside skipper Luke Chambers with Matthew Pennington moving to right-back with Janoi Donacien dropping out.

The St Lucian was again the loanee to miss out on a place in the matchday squad - only five are permitted in the 18 - with former Jon Walters fit enough to take a place on the bench after his achilles injury.

Bolton made four changes to the team which lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough in midweek with Mark Beevers, David Wheater, Gary O'Neil and Josh Vela dropping out of the starting line-up in favour of Wilson, Erhun Oztumer, Will Buckley and Craig Noone.

Jason Lowe scraped a weak shot wide for Bolton after five minutes following a long throw in an opening 20 minutes of little penalty area action. Town had most of the ball but without creating an opportunity.

On 21 Wilson scuffed a volley wide at the far post from a Oztumer cross after a corner, but Town were in control of the game even if they’d not been able to test Bolton skipper and keeper Alnwick.

In the 29th minute Grant Ward was bundled over by Craig Noone just outside the area on the left and Gwion Edwards, who had already sent in a couple of potentially dangerous crosses from the right, hit a powerfully-struck freekick into Alnwick’s midriff.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute when Wilson was shown a straight red card for denying Jackson an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Ward did superbly on the left to bring the ball out of a tight area following a Bolton attack, then sent Jackson away with a superb pass. The pacy former Accrington man burst away beyond Wilson, who dragged him back as he broke towards the area with only Alnwick to beat.

Referee Stephen Martin immediately awarded a freekick - with Town making few protests that it was a penalty - then showed Wilson his red card to little complaint from the Trotters players.

As Ward prepared to take the freekick, which was deflected wide off the wall, Bolton boss Phil Parkinson swapped Oztumer for Wheater.


A minute before the break, Trevoh Chalobah was booked for a foul on Will Buckley with Town subsequently making heavy weather of clearing the danger from the freekick and subsequent corner.

Town had continued to enjoy a great deal of possession and had passed the ball around confidently, although largely in unthreatening areas but still without testing Alnwick.

Seconds before the whistle, Ward ended a long spell of Town passing by scraping a shot well wide.

It had been a first half of few incidents aside from Wilson’s red card, which looked the correct decision, the Ireland international had been caught out by Jackson’s blistering pace.

Neither keeper, however, had been forced to make a save in the entire 45 minutes in which Bolton perhaps had the better of the chances - or perhaps more accurately half-chances - with the Blues backline not always defending with confidence.

Chalobah was replaced by Tayo Edun ahead of the second half with the Blues starting on the front foot.

On 47 Pennington scuffed a shot wide from distance after an Edwards cross had been cleared, then Jon Nolan mishit a bouncing ball well wide from 25 yards out.

Town, with Edwards and Ward having swapped flanks, continued to dominate possession but struggled to find a way through the unsurprisingly deeply encamped 10 men of Bolton. In the 59th minute Nolan found some space to hit a shot but curled it well wide.

Five minutes later, Nolan crossed into the box after a corner had been cleared and Nsiala nodded over.

Despite having had all the ball in the second half the Blues were still to test Alnwick and on 71 manager Paul Hurst made a double change.

It was little surprise that Walters was added to the attack alongside Jackson with Jordan Graham joining him on the left of a four-man midfield with Ward and Cole Skuse making way.

Walters hadn’t had time to make any impact before he pulled up with what looked like a recurrence of the achilles injury which saw him miss Tuesday’s game against Brentford in the 81st minute as he chased a ball on the right of the area.

The clearly anguished Ireland international was treated on the pitch before eventually making his way around the peripherary to the tunnel alongside physio Matt Byard with the game now 10 versus 10.

Bolton suddenly saw the chance of what had looked an unlikely victory and the Blues found themselves under pressure for the first time. On 83 a loose ball fell to Wheater inside the Town box but Chambers slid in to block.

Three minutes later, the Blues went close as close as they would come to a goal. Graham’s freekick from the left was flicked on towards the top corner by Chambers but somehow Alnwick was able to get across to brilliantly paw it out for a corner.

Despite the numbers having been evened up the game had returned to the pattern from prior to Walters’s injury.

Edun was booked for a foul in injury time as Town kept pushing in the closing stages but without being able to find the goal which would bring them their first win of the season.

The final whistle was greeted by boos - brief but far louder than than those at half-time on Tuesday - and then muted applause as the players left the field.

Having played 47 minutes with an extra man Town missed a big opportunity to finally grab that elusive first win of the season.

The prodded and probed but only seriously threatened once when Alnwick superbly saved Chambers’s header.

In some ways Town might have been better off had Bolton not been reduced to 10 men, the Trotters having defended staunchly and in depth after the red card. A more open approach from the visitors with 11 players might have suited Town more.

The draw will up the already significant pressure on manager Hurst, despite the Blues having climbed a place off the bottom of the table on goal difference courtesy of Sheffield United’s 3-2 victory over Preston, former Blue David McGoldrick having scored the late winner.

Town have their next chance to finally end their winless run and reduce that pressure when they travel to Birmingham - who won 2-1 at Leeds today - next Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Pennington, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse (Graham 71), Chalobah (Edun 46), Edwards, Ward (Walters 71), Nolan, Jackson. Unused: Bialkowski, Harrison, Spence, Downes.

Bolton: Alnwick (c), Olkowski, Hobbs, Wilson, Grounds, Williams, Lowe, Buckley (Wildschut 87), Noone (Donaldson 90), Oztumer (Wheater 36), Magennis. Unused: Matthews, Vela, Doidge, O’Neil. Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire). Att: 14,755.


Photo: TWTD



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Zondervanromeo added 20:17 - Sep 22
Bring back Jim magiltion should never have been sacked been going backwards ever since
10

TonyMowbray added 20:19 - Sep 22
Im glad McCarthy went personally but very sad to see the state Evans has got us in now. His plan to get a top lower league manager and surround him with top lower leaugue players seems to be backfiring in a big way. In principle i thought the idea sounded promising and plausible.......in reality it looks to be failing miserably. Real shame.
6

Zondervanromeo added 20:29 - Sep 22
I remember got long after Evans got rid off Jim he started operation Premiership what a joke . been dying I slow death ever since bring back Jim let's start playing football again before we fall through the trap door
5

sixtyblue added 20:33 - Sep 22
Watching PH this afternoon at different intervals he seemed to get smaller and smaller and I then realised he was hoping the ground would swallow him up.
4

GFH added 20:34 - Sep 22
Hurst out Burley in.
4

timkatieadamitfc added 20:36 - Sep 22
I was slated and down marked on here when I dared to suggest that we were signing too many lower league players. It's not just the way we are playing but the fact we barely look like scoring in games.
It's not rocket science league 1 players = league 1 team, which it looks like we are heading
7

blueboy1981 added 20:40 - Sep 22
I think it's wrong to keep heaping blame on Evans, this is Hurst's squad created by himself - Evans gave him money to spend wisely, what more can anyone ask ? - other than to give a rookie Manager at Championship level, an open cheque book - which just ain't going to happen.

It will always be questionable whilst Evans is the Club owner as to his ambitions for the Club, and also his reason for the ownership of such - but to keep blaming him for results on the field is incorrect.
Many wanted 'a young, ambitious English Manager', Evans provided, and many were happy with that - I hasten to add I wasn't convinced personally, and have made no secret of my out and out choice of appointment, which didn't happen. I then pledged my full support to the current appointed Paul Hurst, but still not convinced, and therefore not surprised at the point we find ourselves now.

We need experienced to haul us out of this situation, Paul Hurst needs experience to help him - the ultimate solution would be to bring that experience in to work beside him. Would Hurst accept that ? - his choice, or walk - because at this time he simply hasn't what it takes at this level to succeed.
Obvious to all - including him - or should be.
1

blueboy1981 added 20:43 - Sep 22
...... omit the 'd' off 'experienced' - should read:- 'experience'.
-1

BluePatriot added 20:45 - Sep 22
The question is how long is the bull in the china shop allowed to
Continue ? Evans you need to help him or sack him
don't stay stum !!
1

wayway added 20:58 - Sep 22
Burley in??? who is he going to bring in Finidi George, Sereni and Le Pen
-6

LWNR2013 added 20:59 - Sep 22
For me, there were 3 fundamental ‘wrong decisions':-

1j breaking up a credible and improving back line by dropping Donacien and moving Pennington to right back just to accomodate Nsiala - STRANGE

2) Playing (signing!) Jordan Graham - WHY?

3) Playing JW today - DESPERATE

4) All of the above - NAIVE

We would have lost if not for Chambers, Skuse and Gerken.



4

cat added 21:02 - Sep 22
First time I've left the ground throughly pished off and frustrated this season. Bolton going down to 10 men meant they sat back and stifled the game. Frustrating that we could not break them down and we lacked that cutting edge. I'm more like hanging onto the faith than keeping it now, we need to produce a result and soon, otherwise PH will lose the hardcore of them faithful fans like myself. On to the next one, let's hope the team deliver, pronto!
7

LWNR2013 added 21:05 - Sep 22
Whilst I believe Jackson, Donacien and Edwards are definitely good enough for championship the rest aren't up to it. However, unbeaten at home and on course for 23 points come May 2019. Still glad MMs gone but oh sh**
-1

jas0999 added 21:05 - Sep 22
Blue boy - always agree with what you say, but I can not agree re Evans. Let me ask you this:

- who appointed Kenae, PJ, MM and more recently Paul Hurst?
- who continued to support MM for two seasons too long?
- who sold millions and millions of pounds worth of players and probably only reinvested 25% in return?
- who oversaw this summers transfer activity? Selling players? Spending less in return? Allowing Hurst to overhaul the squad ...
- who keeps banging on about the debt despite actually purchasing it for a fraction in the first place but charged million pound interest payments on the full amount?
- who offsets the losses against his other businesses to make money? I.e. bemenifs from a so called debt which exists mainly on paper?

I could go on. But I think you are wrong about Evans. Sorry.
6

Swn98 added 21:05 - Sep 22
Well not much one can say after that Turgid display doubt if we could of scored had Bolton had 8 players.
lets assess the situation Supporters wanted Mick gone for:
Boring soulless football,
Upsetting the snowflakes with his language so they stopped coming.
His unwillingness to use youth.
The Outcome:
Terrible football never look like scoring at least we had a chance of snatching a goal under Mick.
There are still rows and rows of empty seats despite him going.
Its taken 10 games and the fans in SBR lower starting to bicker and threaten each other at least under Mick it took 5 seasons.
A team with not one youth team graduate in today'
The whole thing is a farce Hurst is way out of his depth in fact he sounded just like Jewell in the final throws of his miserable reign.
Having said that for all MM faults he would grinde out enough results out of this mainly terrible squad to keep us up.
Finally strange that the two best players on the pitch were Chambo and Skuse followed by an admirable display by Jonas.
All Mick players that the Numbskulls wanted out.
-4

blueboy1981 added 21:07 - Sep 22
wayway ........ move on please. Totally different time, day, and circumstances - you need to see / know the difference between then, and what's happening NOW.
That experience would be invaluable from Burley, he wouldn't be making the mistakes Hurst is.
3

oldblue added 21:13 - Sep 22
I hope ME and PH hold their nerve..unlike the majority of people on this site !!
1

blueboy1981 added 21:25 - Sep 22
jaso0999 - maybe you should absorb more of the content of my post ref: Evans, if you read between the lines I have limited allegiance to Evans as per my wording, just like most other people. However, the man responsible for team and tactics, today for instance, was / is Paul Hurst.

When a Manager is appointed, and most (not me) were convinced Hurst was the correct one - it then becomes his responsibility on the pitch, I am not aware of any controls Evans has inflicted on Hurst in completely blitzing his inherited squad, which he has literally demolished, as well as sent our youngsters away from us for the season. This is HURST'S chosen squad, not necessarily Evans.HURST clearly wanted people out.
I personally would not have enough faith in a rookie manager like Hurst to throw a cheque book at him, therefore cannot blame him for that - but I would put a huge question mark against Evans ability to appoint the right Manager, for just reason as you correctly point out.
3

Michael101 added 21:34 - Sep 22
44 not out,was Webster mcgoldrick,already gone before Hurst got the job??
1

TimmyH added 21:35 - Sep 22
hahaha...the 2 best players on the pitch were Chambers and Skuse followed by Jonas, said who?...oh you swn98 and your allegiance to Mick's boys (there's a surprise). To be honest Knudsen has been very average this season so far and Skuse does what he always does and that's break up play with a lot of side ways passing.
4

Zondervanromeo added 21:38 - Sep 22
Soooo frustrating we will end up with a getting gid of ph when it's probably to late so got to stick with him now really and hope he knows best
0

warktheline added 21:57 - Sep 22
He's not ‘our messiah'.....realisation set in after the Hull game! Cometh the hour cometh the man, it will ‘happen' but I foretell more ‘misery' will come first!
2

bobble added 22:04 - Sep 22
even the wallabies are winning a few matches and look like scoring when they play...whats going on ?
have these well paid professionals really sold off all our half decent players and replaced them with hopeless ones ?????
town have been in a slow sinking rut since magilton was replaced..wheres burley ?
0

bobble added 22:14 - Sep 22
bring back sears, he is better up front than any of these..bring back burley, he wants the job and is available..hurst might get better but we havent time to wait now.
letting the club go down for no reason but stubbornness is like whats happening with brexit...this season can still be saved but can hurst and his picks do it ???
4

Felstow1978 added 22:17 - Sep 22
Usual depressingly predictable sh1te on here from the moronic minority who need a moan about the Town to give their sad lives momentary sunshine. Why advertisers choose to pay money to attach themselves to this website I have no idea. Maybe a carefully constructed campaign to bring their attention to the incessant negativity would help them refocus their future advertising and marketing budgets
-7


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