Bolton Wanderers thrash Sunderland on a record-breaking day for both clubs in League One

Bolton Wanderers hammered promotion-chasing Sunderland 6-0 to record their biggest-ever victory at the University of Bolton Stadium and hand the visitors their heaviest-ever defeat in the third-tier. 

Since moving to the ground from their old home of Burnden Park in September 1997, a Trotters side has never won by such a margin with Ian Evatt’s side at their best and January signings already making their mark.

Similarly, a Sunderland side has never been beaten so heavily in a third-tier game with Lee Johnson’s team having a day to forget and slipping out of the automatic promotion places.

A sold-out away end of over 5,000 and a healthy home backing saw a crowd of more than 20,000 in BL6. The start to the game was an even one with neither side able to create any clear-cut chances.

That was until the 19th minute when Dion Charles, signed on New Year’s Day, netted his second goal in as many games for the Wanderers with a cute dink over on-rushing Sunderland goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann.

Bolton’s new goalkeeper James Trafford, another January signing on loan from Manchester City, claimed an assist and the hosts’ dominance began.

Experienced midfielder Kieran Lee was a thorn in the side of the Black Cats throughout the afternoon but spurned a glorious chance to double his team’s lead before defender Declan John had a shot blocked away from the edge of the area.

Elliot Embleton had the only real effort of the half for Sunderland and brought a save out of Trafford, but Bolton were on top and before the interval they got the second goal that their play had deserved.

Dapo Afolayan was the scorer from a matter of yards out after a well-worked move involving Charles and Lee which started in their own half. After his goal, the former West Ham man paid tribute to Isla Caton, a young Hammers supporter who tragically passed away earlier this week after a long battle with Neuroblastoma cancer.

Seven minutes after the restart, Charles got his second of the afternoon and Bolton’s third with an acrobatic strike after he was allowed the space to do so due to some woeful defending.

As the fourth went in not long after through Lee, some Sunderland supporters vocally began to let their feelings known to their side and headed for the exit doors with more than half-an-hour left to play.

Northern Ireland international Charles came close to a hat-trick before being withdrawn by Evatt, while Embleton scuffed another shot wide of the mark for the Black Cats who failed to at all bring prolific frontman Ross Stewart into the action.

German goalkeeper Hoffmann could not have done much about any of the Trotters’ six goals and ensured that the scoreline was not worse when Fulham loanee Marlon Fossey got a shot away inside the box with a good stop down low.

At the other end, Trafford has now achieved three consecutive clean sheets for the hosts since signing on loan and made sure he would reach that mark with a fine stop one-on-one to deny Jack Clarke.

A quick-fire double towards the end added insult to injury for the few from the North East who were still in the away end.

Centre-back Danny Batth signed for Sunderland earlier this month from Stoke City and headed into his own net to make it five, while Welshman John put the cherry on top of the cake for Bolton with a volley which bounced into the ground before looping over Hoffmann and into the back of the net.

The Overview

A 6-0 result is not the Wanderers’ biggest-ever win but the biggest winning margin for the club since a 7-0 success over Swindon Town at Burnden Park in March 1997.

They remain 14 points off the play-offs, however, Evatt’s side have games in hand on some of the sides in League One and are about to embark on a winnable-looking set of fixtures, starting with another home game on Tuesday against Cambridge United.

As for Johnson’s Sunderland, it is never easy to take positives when you have lost in that manner, and in truth, there were not many available on a dark day for the club.

Now in their fourth season at this level, the Black Cats are still only a point outside of the automatic spots but some of their promotion rivals have games in hand.

They return home next weekend welcoming relegation-threatened Doncaster Rovers to the Stadium of Light in a game where three points is a must.

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