BOLTON 0

ROVERS 1

(Dack, 22)

Bradley Dack scored his eighth goal of the season as Rovers chalked up a second away win of the season to move ninth in the Championship after a 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers.

Dack scored midway through the first half but Rovers had to dig deep in a second half which lacked quality from both sides.

And Rovers had a slice of luck to see the game out, as a penalty decision given for a foul by Charlie Mulgrew was reversed for offside.

David Raya made two important saves in the first half as Rovers kept a fifth clean sheet of the season to move in to the international break on the back of a victory which saw them avenge a run of six consecutive defeats away to Bolton. 

Tony Mowbray made four alterations to the side which lost to Sheffield United as Richie Smallwood failed to start a league match for the first time since signing last summer.

His midfield partner Corry Evans also dropped to the bench, as did Amari’i Bell and Adam Armstrong, with starts for Charlie Mulgrew, Jack Rodwell, Joe Rothwell and Kasey Palmer.

It was a creative team selected by Rovers who enjoyed plenty of early possession in the middle of the pitch, with Rodwell and Harrison Reed getting plenty of early touches.

A number of balls in to the box, aimed at Danny Graham, were well defended, as the wait for a first sight of goal went on.

Rovers’ dominance of the ball continued, but they were to hand a good chance to Bolton in the 18th minute. As Rovers failed to clear a cross, Bradley Dack brought down Joe Williams on the edge of the box. Josh Magennis stood over it, and went for power, only for it to deflect high over the bar.

Williams then fired wide a shot of his own from distance, as David Raya watched it wide, as the hosts showed their first signs of life.

But Rovers’ bright start would be rewarded in the 22nd minute, owing much to the work of Palmer. He turned his man on halfway and broke forward, driving at the Bolton defence. Neat interplay then allowed Rothwell to slide in Reed, who was well denied by Remi Matthews. The ball fell loose to Rothwell whose strike was excellently blocked the sprawling David Wheater, but Dack was on the spot to turn in the loose ball.

Balls in to their box had been a problem for Rovers in recent games, conceding seven of their last nine from crosses from the wide areas. Mulgrew was at full stretch to meet a Craig Noone delivery, as the ball whistled past his own goal, with Raya doing well to gather the resulting corner.

Bolton were getting the ball forward early, and after playing a Rovers press, threatened an equaliser. They worked a two-on-one overlap, with Will Buckley cutting inside and curling a low effort towards the left-hand post which the Spaniard turned behind. And he was to come up with an even better fingertip effort to stop Magennis’ header from point blank range nestling in the net as Oztumer swung in the right wing corner.

Having weathered an early Rovers storm it was Wanderers who were gaining control, with Magennis’ power causing concern to the Rovers backline.

So there was relief when Rothwell carried a threat going the other way, skipping beyond Pawel Olkowski with some neat footwark, with Reed advancing in to the area, picking up his pass and see his shot deflected behind by David Wheater.

Dack then worked an opening from a quick Williams throw, only for his cut-back to be deflected in to the arms of Matthews.

There was a scare for Rovers, again caused by Magennis though, three minutes before the break. Graham, back to defend a free-kick, did well initially, only for his clearance to be up rather than away, and after Magennis beat Darragh Lenihan in the air, the ball looped over Raya, only to be cleared off the line by a well-placed Mulgrew.

That allowed Rovers to take a 1-0 lead in to the break.

Bolton made a change of personnel at the break, while Rovers changed to a back three which saw Reed and Bennett deployed as wing backs.

Rovers were needing to show the same urgency as they did in the opening 25 minutes, but as the home crowd started to find their voice, Bolton were enjoying a decent start to the half. Yannick Wildschut, a half time sub, was freed by Oztumer, but lacked conviction when one-on-one with Mulgrew who did well to block his shot.

Sensing the need to change just before the hour mark, Mowbray continued with his back three, but sent on both Smallwood and Evans to shore up the midfield.

There was little conviction about Rovers in the final third though as the lacked conviction in the final third on two breaks shortly after the hour, one seeing Smallwood try to beat his man before shooting and was closed down.

Rovers appeared to be stuck between two approaches as the game ticked in to the final quarter. And they were almost made to pay as Wildschut again broke in behind, but with two men waiting for his pull-back, he passed the ball tamely in to the gloves of Raya.

Bolton sent on a second striker in Christian Doidge for the final 12 minutes, plus stoppages, as the second half continued to be tough going for both sides.

Armstrong had been sent on for Rovers to try and find a second goal, and he almost did that with 10 minutes to go. He held his width on the right to collect a long ball forward, and after driving in to the box, tried his luck from a tight angle, with Matthews standing strong to beat the ball away with two fists.

Rovers were having to defend plenty of balls in to their box, with subs Lloyd Dyer and Christian Doidge combining to win one off Mulgrew. After the initial corner was cleared, Oztumer’s follow up was met by Wheate, but he could only glance wide under pressure.

There was huge relief for Rovers though with two minutes to play as Bolton were awarded a penalty as Mulgrew tugged back Doidge. But the linesman had his flag raised, adjudging the Bolton striker to have strayed offside when being brought down as the decision was reversed.

That was the slick of luck Rovers needed as they saw out five added minutes to claim a third away win of the season.

Bolton: Matthews, Olkowski, Hobbs, Wheater, Grounds (Doidge, 78), Buckley (Wildschut, 46, Williams, Lowe, Noone (Dyer, 66), Oztumer, Magennis

Subs: Williams, Vela, Wilson, O’Neil

Rovers: Raya, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams, Rodwell (Smallwood, 59), Reed, Rothwell (Evans, 59), Dack, Palmer (Armstrong, 70), Graham

Substitutes: Leutwiler, Bell, Brereton, Conway

Crowd: 15,461 (2,482)