BOLTON WANDERERS 2, STOCKPORT COUNTY 2
Stockport County’s second successive Easter weekend test against fellow play-off contenders earned them a draw at near-ish neighbours Bolton Wanderers.
But the Hatters finished with 10 players after substitute Louie Barry – making the first appearance of his third spell as a Hatter on loan from Aston Villa – was sent off for two bookable offences late on.
The shortest League One away-trip of County’s campaign saw Adama Sidibeh’s added-time first-half strike cancel out the lead that Bolton had taken nine minutes earlier before Tayo Edun came off the bench to register his first goal as a Hatter shortly following the break and a Ben Osborn own goal 11 minutes from time left honours even.
Despite the dropped points – following back-to-back three-goal triumphs without reply at Edgeley Park over Wycombe on Good Friday and, prior to that, Wimbledon – County’s draw did maintain an unbeaten record (now standing at six matches) in all competitions at Bolton’s current, Horwich-based stadium.
It also left the Trotters without a league victory against the Hatters anywhere within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton for precisely 33 years with their having last defeated them there by the odd goal in three at the former Burnden Park ground on April 6, 1993.
The Hatters took to the field on an uncharacteristically sunny Bank Holiday Monday afternoon showing two changes from their initial line-up for the meeting with Wycombe three days previously. Captain Lewis Bate and Sidibeh were both handed starts, replacing Josh Stokes, who was named among the substitutes, and the injured Tanto Olaofe.
Each side fielded a player who had previously plied his trade for the opposition. For County, Josh Dacres-Cogley was turning out for the first time against Bolton since moving from there to EP in mid-January while the Trotters’ front line included ex-Hatter Sam Dalby who played four times for County on loan from Watford, half a decade earlier.
The hosts – sitting, at kick-off in third position three points above (but having played a game more than) fifth-placed County – also featured among their starters a quartet of full internationals, with Chris Forino, Johnny Kenny, Josh Sheehan and skipper Eoin Toal having respectively represented St Lucia, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland at senior level.
An opening-minute foray by County produced an early chance with Sidibeh meeting Odin Bailey’s cross from the left before heading over. And six minutes later, Bolton’s first effort on goal – courtesy of a well-struck volley from Ibrahim Cissoko on the left – was parried around the far post by Corey Addai.
The Trotters earned six corners inside the first 20 minutes, albeit without creating further attempts of note in the final third. Indeed, Ollie Norwood fashioned the next couple, either side of the half’s mid-point, first forcing home goalkeeper Jack Bonham to tip over a shot from the edge of the area and subsequently lofting a free kick from the left on to the top of the Bolton net.
A little end-to-end fare ensued as Cissoko drilled a low shot beyond the left post, Bailey’s angled shot along the left by-line was gathered up by Bonham, and Sidibeh went to ground in the Bolton area under a challenge from Jordi Osei-Tutu only for referee Steve Martin promptly to wave away any appeals for a penalty.
But, seven minutes before half-time, the hosts broke the deadlock with Kenny latching on to Toal’s long ball and dinking the ball home from the right edge of the six-yard box.
Three minutes were added on, during which Kenny went close to doubling his and Bolton’s tallies with a shot on the turn that flew narrowly over before the Hatters delivered a sucker punch, as Osborn’s delivery from the left for Sidibeh saw the Gambian striker bundle inside the far post from close range for his seventh goal of the season in all competitions.
County introduced Edun for Bate upon the resumption, and the change produced results within six minutes after a low Norwood drive was deflected to the feet of the substitute who duly converted from six yards out to open his goal-scoring account.
The hosts’ first change, meanwhile, saw Barbadian winger Thierry Gale brought on a few minutes after the hour. And, shortly afterwards, his squared ball for Kenny led to a shot that Addai did well to parry before Norwood – now wearing the captain’s armband – stooped to head the ball into the waiting arms of the County keeper.
Bolton sought to shake things up further with a triple-substitution 18 minutes from time and, seven minutes later, equalised, albeit through a Hatter as Osborn turned the ball into his own net with Dalby in close attendance.
Barry – to great initial acclaim from over 2,400 travelling County supporters – entered the fray with Stokes late on, only to collect two yellow cards in the space of five minutes and receive his marching orders in added time.
The dismissal could well have been a case of adding insult to injury, too – but fortunately, moments earlier, Forino’s header from a Ruben Rodrigues corner on the left had only struck the County crossbar.
Goals: Kenny (38), Osborn (79og) for Bolton. Sidibeh (45+2), Edun (51) for Stockport.
Stockport County (4-4-2): Addai; Dacres-Cogley (Dixon 66), Olowu, Pye, Osborn; Diamond (Barry 82), Bate (Edun 46), Norwood, Bailey; Wootton, Sidibeh (Stokes 82). Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Dodgson, Mothersille.
Attendance: 23,855 (2,445 away).
Report: Gareth Evans.