Radcliffe Borough...1

Bolton Wanderers...1

BOLTON's big stars didn't come out to play, but Radcliffe Borough will still vote this friendly exercise a huge success.

Last pre-season the Wanderers brought a 40-strong first team squad to Stainton Park and all their Premiership players featured at some stage during the game.

On Tuesday night in front of a bumper crowd, the Boro first team squad and Bolton's youngsers still managed to provide sufficient entertainment to appease fans anticipating more worldly fare.

There was no Jay Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff or even Delroy Facey in the Bolton side, but, because of that, the game was a more evenly-matched, competitive affair and Kevin Glendon's men will be happy with their showing.

Boro can also fairly claim they weren't quite at full strength, with no Neill Hardy or Mark Dempsey in the side, but they took the game to Bolton from the off and were unlucky not to be leading well before Richard Landon surprised everyone with his spectacular 52nd minute strike.

Last season's 28-goal leading scorer, Jody Banim, was quick to get off the mark with a brace in Boro's 4-2 win at Radcliffe Amateurs last Saturday and he fired in the first warning shot against Bolton with a fifth minute effort that went just over the angle of bar and post.

The one name player in Bolton's starting line-up, goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, was a near frantic figure as he marshalled his defence in the face of some strong, early pressure from the hosts.

Paul Scholes lookalike, Scot Wilson tried a snap shot from outside the penalty area in the eighth minute that didn't trouble Jaaskelainen, but David Bean did seven minutes later when he thumped a header against the bar from a free-kick.

It was all one-way traffic.

Bolton did manage to force Danny Hurst into a save at the foot of a post in the 16th minute -- but that was the closest they got in the first half.

Bean's crossbar-rattling header must have got Jaaskelainen all shook up, for in the 24th minute he dashed off his line, the ball went one way, he went the other, but it also went the wrong side of Radcliffe striker Lunt and Bolton -- and Jaaskelainen -- were let off the hook.

Stalemate at the break then and no-one could have foreseen how that situation would be broken as Landon made everyone sit up with his cracking, long-range hook shot that thudded into the top left-hand corner of the Bolton goal.

The Wanderers came into the game as an attacking force more as the second half progressed. Hurst pulled off one great save on 77 minutes and Eamon Elliott cleared off the line twice in quick succession as Bolton pounded the Boro goal a minute later.

Hurst and the Boro defence were covering themselves with glory, so it was extremely unfortunate for them when Martin Moran's shot trickled in at the far post following an 82nd minute free-kick.

Honours even on the pitch then, but Boro, boosted by that 1500-plus crowd, will be more than happy with the evening as a whole.

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH: Hurst, Battersby, Whealing, S Kelly, Bean, Kaye, Elliott, E Kelly, Wilson, Lunt, Banim. Substitutes: Price, Landon, Felgate, Keeling. Attendance: 1500.