Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Cambridge United - Full time report

Though Zeno Ibsen Rossi put the ball past his own goalkeeper in the final minute of normal time the joy barely registered on a home crowd who had been unimpressed with everything they had seen to that stage.

John McAtee had briefly levelled the match after Josh Stokes’ capitalised on some awful home defending to score early on. Former striker Elias Kachunga then put the U’s back ahead as the defensive sloppiness continued.

Bolton had all the possession and control in the second half but not much shook Cambridge from their comfort zone until the very end, when George Thomason’s cross ended up in the back of the net.

Wanderers made three changes to the side beaten at Rotherham, with Luke Southwood preferred in goal to Nathan Baxter, Gethin Jones in for Will Forrester and Josh Dacres-Cogley picked on the right in favour of Randell Williams, who dropped completely out of the squad.

Knowing how Cambridge worked their way back into the game at the Abbey Stadium with 10 men, taking maximum advantage of the many free kicks and corners given to them in the latter stages, the message would surely have been to avoid such pressure this time around.

Bolton are working in a powder keg at present and though the supporters welcomed them on to the pitch with relative warmth, the last thing the players needed to do was to give negative vibes any chance to rise early on.

Within four minutes Bolton had conceded four set pieces, two emanating from sloppy defending by Ricardo Santos. Needing no encouragement, Danny Andrew whipped one of those free kicks to the far post where Kachunga’s header was flapped at by Southwood, and the ball dropped for Josh Stokes to nod in unchallenged.

The mood soured instantly. Wanderers struggled to get any passing rhythm in their game, finding some space on the wings with Josh Dacres-Cogley and Szabi Schon but too often failing to deliver any quality in the areas that really matter.

Schon drove one effort into the side netting, George Johnston sent another one over the bar, but just as the apathy really took a grip inside the stadium, Bolton managed to get themselves level in some style.

The ball moved through Santos, Randall and Schon, McAtee placed in his sixth goal of the season from close range to trigger something approximating excitement in the stands.

The enthusiasm lasted less than two minutes. Cambridge ventured down the right with James Brophy, and with Jones and Santos unable to do anything about his cross, Kachunga slammed the ball past Southwood to restore the lead.

By half time fans were showing their frustration again. Santos was substituted for Will Forrester and Cambridge’s plan was clearly to protect what they had got.

By comparison to Bolton’s first-half efforts, the U’s defence stood up superbly. Wanderers had plenty of possession but despite skirting the penalty box they rarely made inroads.

The one big chance manufactured on the hour fell to Aaron Collins, blocked well by debutant keeper Marko Marosi, who then did just as well to save Randall’s follow-up from close range.

Jordi Osei-Tutu injected a modicum of purpose on the right, Wanderers shifting to a back four with 15 minutes left to try and rescue something, to little avail. Even the appearance of Josh Sheehan from the bench failed to Another sub, Klaidi Lolos, wriggled around a couple of challenges to arrow a shot just wide, and Aaron Morley struck the wall with a free kick from the edge of the box.

The minutes ticked down and the anger returned. Fans called for Evatt’s head once again, made their feelings known on the style of football to which he had so publicly declared his preference.

It was building to a crescendo, and then Bolton manufactured a moment of good fortune. George Thomason broke into the box and drove a cross into the six yard box which bounced off Rossi and over the line.

Four minutes of stoppage time suddenly offered something that did not look at all possible for the whole afternoon. But Bolton didn’t manage to muster another attack of any note, Marosi spilling one late cross which went unpunished.

The “Evatt Out’ chants continued at the final whistle. Fans may have been spared defeat but their view on the current situation remains unchanged.

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