Bolton Wanderers’ lack of ruthlessness shows but Bodvarsson keeps playoff ambitions alive

Embed from Getty Images

Morecambe fans will be getting fed up with Bolton Wanderers after the Trotters scored another late goal against the Shrimps.

Just like Amadou Bakayoko nicked the three points away from the Reds back in February, it was Icelandic striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson who struck at the death to salvage a point for Ian Evatt’s side.

Wanderers still have aspirations of the playoffs, but their evident lack of a cutting edge may hold back any real promotion push in the last few games.

There’s no doubt that Evatt has constructed a team to play neat, fluent, attacking football, but it was one of those nights where Dion Charles just could not find the finishing touch.

The Preston-born Northern Irish striker has made a bright start to his Bolton career scoring six times and assisting his teammates on three occasions.

It was not Charles’ game despite having plenty of chances, and the former Accrington Stanley man cannot be accused of lacking effort, but his finishing ability seemed to leave him.

Morecambe allowed the Wanderers striker plenty of time and space in the seventh minute, but he got the shot all wrong, and it drifted out for a goal kick.

Bolton had all the play in the opening exchanges, and Charles came close again after being played in by Bakayoko, but the 26-year-old only managed to hit the bar.

The Trotters’ boss Evatt spoke of his frustration at his side’s lack of a finishing touch.

He said:

“I thought first half we were unbelievable at times, breathtaking, and you have to understand against teams like that, and you create that many chances even against a low bock you have to score.

“We have to be more ruthless and clinical.

“We had some great opportunities, some brilliant passages of play, and we weren’t ruthless enough.

“And then the last thing you need to do against teams that come and camp like that is give them a goal.

“And we’ve gifted them a goal.

“Then they’ve got a bit more spirit, a little more belief, and they’re hanging on and then it becomes really difficult.

“The one time we moved the ball with speed and tempo, two touch around the box, we scored.”

Cole Stockton is a continuous revelation as he keeps up his glorious scoring form.

It is not hard to work out what position the Shrimps might be in if the Huyton-born forward had not contributed his 22 goals this season.

His strike against Wanderers may not have been his most spectacular and was as easy a finish as afforded to Morecambe’s talismanic hero, but again it proves that Stockton is consistently in the right place at the right time.

George Johnston was the guilty party in allowing the Shrimps to score, but questions can also be raised of Manchester City loanee stopper James Trafford.

An overhit flick on by January signing Dylan Connolly looked simple for Johnston to deal with by playing the ball out for a throw-in but possibly due to overcoaching, the Scottish youth international attempted to pass back to Trafford.

Yes, Johnston’s back pass was weak, but there also should be questions raised over why the Cockermouth-born keeper was not offering a closer option.

Adam Phillips snuck in and whipped the ball off Trafford’s toe into the path of Stockton for an easy tap-in.

Wanderers had 81% possession on the night and were a constant threat, but the goal just would not come up until the 94th minute.

Evatt had thrown Bodvarsson into the mix to try and find an equaliser, and after many passes across the Morecambe box, the ball fell to the Icelandic international, who finished past Trevor Carson.

The draw is not favourable for either side, but it does keep the hopes of both sides alive, with Bolton now seven points off the playoffs, whereas the Shrimps are just a point from safety.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

[columns]
[column size=”1/2″][blog type=”timeline” posts=”10″ cats=”3055″ heading=”League One” heading_type=”timeline” /][/column]
[column size=”1/2″][blog type=”timeline” posts=”10″ cats=”1072″ heading=”News” heading_type=”timeline” /][/column]
[/columns]