WANDERERS took a big step towards Wembley as they took advantage of a fragile Barnsley to take the lead in the play-off semi-final.
Dion Charles scored twice, once from the spot, before Randell Williams grabbed a crucial third straight from a corner as Ian Evatt’s side held their nerve at Oakwell.
Twelve months ago they struggled to create or score on a night full of nerves at this stage, but during a tough match they always seemed confident they still had a goal in them.
Even when Sam Cosgrove got the Reds back within a goal – giving them the hope they barely deserved – there was still some quality left in the tank.
They bring Barnsley back to the Toughsheet on Tuesday night with a two-goal lead and a partisan home crowd.
Wanderers made just one change to the squad that started in Peterborough last weekend, Paris Maghoma returning to the squad after illness and Kyle Dempsey dropped to the bench.
Joel Coleman was also named as one of the substitutes, meaning Dan Nlundulu was not named in the matchday squad.
Before the match there was much discussion about the importance of scoring the first goal, of dealing the first blow to a home side that has been struggling with confidence of late.
In that sense, Bolton has succeeded. Charles’ strike in the 23rd minute was the only real moment of quality in the half that rarely caught its breath and therefore suffered from spectacle.
The Northern Ireland international had returned to scoring form from the penalty spot at London Road, but by finishing a fine move down the right involving Josh Dacres-Cogley, Paris Maghoma and Aaron Collins, he reminded us of the predatory instincts we really missed in the match. his absence earlier this year.
Maghoma’s cross was a thing of beauty. Had he seen more of the ball in the opening 45 minutes, Barnsley’s resolve would have been further tested.
Instead, early football was irritable, nasty and uneven. Adam Phillips was in one of those moods where he was going to shoot on sight, and his curling effort in the 13th minute, which raised the bar by a few yards, was the best of a bad bunch.
Eoin Toal and Ricardo Santos had to maintain their concentration against a steady stream of crosses from the right, with Corey O’Keefe getting behind Randell Williams on a couple of occasions.
Although Barnsley offered little ingenuity, they certainly did not lack commitment. And even after falling behind, it didn’t look like the Yorkshiremen would go away quietly.
Wanderers had a few more half-chances. Williams dived almost full length to get his head against Collins’ left wing, Charles overtook keeper Liam Roberts on the edge of his own penalty area but ran out of space, and a few other chances for Dacres-Cogley and George Thomason were charged.
It wasn’t always easy to predict what referee Will Finnie was going to call a foul, or ignore completely. As the half progressed there were bookings in midfield for Phillips, Thomason and Maghoma, making you wonder if we would keep the full quota of players on the pitch.
Bolton did not always seem comfortable when the more direct approach was required. Exploiting the space behind Barnsley’s full-backs and either side of the centre-backs was largely a matter of trial and error, with no shortage of fruitless running.
There was some concern at half-time about skipper Santos, who appeared to be moving unsteadily as his teammates jogged towards the tunnel in the corner alongside the traveling supporters.
He returned for the second half – still in some discomfort, to be fair – but was sufficiently fired up to quell an early John McAtee run on the edge of the penalty area.
Barnsley could only wish their defense around the penalty area had been as sharp. Eight minutes into the second half, Charles celebrated his twentieth of the season after scoring from the penalty spot and Bolton supporters sang about Wembley.
Jordan Williams – making his 200th appearance for the Reds – sold a header short to his keeper, and Sheehan nipped in before clattering to the ground.
Despite some typically provocative antics from Earl attempting to slow and deflect Bolton’s penalty taker, and a decent effort from Roberts, the lead was doubled.
Only a brilliant block from Nicky Cadden prevented a third goal a few minutes later when Williams broke away and pulled a ball back for Maghoma. From the corner, Santos put the ball in the net, but referee Finnie saw a foul and ended the celebration, at least for the Bolton players. The fans… Well, they were determined to sing all night long anyway.
From then on it was Bolton’s job not to give Barnsley any more encouragement. Home fans had made it perfectly clear that they did not like what they were watching and trouble broke out in the stands behind Nathan Baxter’s goal just before substitute Sam Cosgrove gave them a lifeline.
A rather speculative ball tempted Toal to drift towards the right side of the penalty area to try and win the ball, but neither he nor Gethin Jones succeeded, and another substitute, Conor Grant, picked out Cosgrove. Oakwell suddenly found his voice again.
Wanderers were suddenly the ones who couldn’t get out of their own half. Phillips thundered another shot, blocked by Thomason, and then brilliantly denied by Baxter after being headed down from a corner.
The fourth official showed six minutes of extra time, sending another ray of hope around the home fans, in between Tannoy’s warnings not to enter the field.
Phillips continued his one-man attack on the Bolton goal into stoppage time, firing home again from a low angle to provide Baxter with another important stop.
Bolton’s substitutes then combined – Cameron Jerome sent Dempsey through on goal – but this time it was Roberts who did the heroics, blocking the shot.
Wanderers didn’t gamble too many men forward for the corner, and they didn’t need to. Williams conjured up images of the late, great Paul Comstive as his corner found its way into the net unassisted.
There was still time for some drama on the edge of the penalty area, with Toal shoving his Papa Johns latest nemesis Cosgrove and taking a yellow card as the home crowd screamed for red.
“Dance around on your way up!” sang the Bolton fans as the players left the field after the final whistle. Well, there’s work to be done before that happens… But this was an important first step.