Burnden Aces

Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Peterborough United

• February 26, 2013 | By Chris Mann
• Short URL: http://b-ac.es/adbad

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• Championship, Craig Dawson, Match Reports, Peterborough United
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• See Also

• Freedman Pleased With Gritty Win

Bolton recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season, as Craig Dawson's early goal gave Wanderers a 1-0 victory over Peterborough United.

Following Saturday's 4-1 victory over promotion candidates Hull City, Wanderers were under pressure to produce a similar display against the Championship's bottom club and they got off to the perfect start.

Jay Spearing's corner caused havoc in the Peterborough defence and Dawson rose highest to head the ball past Robert Olejnik and into the back of the net.

That would prove to be the only goal of the game in what was an otherwise uninspiring contest, with the other major talking point being an injury to Mark Davies - who limped off the field just 24 minutes into the game.

In what has been a rare event since Dougie Freedman was appointed as manager in October, Wanderers lined up with the same eleven that started against Hull at the weekend and, just as they did against the Tigers, Bolton got off to the perfect start.

With just five minutes on the clock, Dawson's ability to cause danger at set-pieces resulted in the opening goal of the game. Spearing's corner from the right flank picked out the run of Dawson, who got the better of Michael Bostwick to head the ball into the net.

Bolton continued to press forward in search of a second and it should have arrived four minutes later, but Marvin Sordell's hurried strike landed in row Z when he should really have hit the target.

Lee Chung-Yong then had two chances to double the lead, but he was penalised for a handball in the first instance before shooting over the bar as the game reached the quarter-hour mark.

The South Korea international was enjoying himself down the Bolton left and he came even closer to scoring in the 18th minute, but his bending strike was tipped behind by a superb save from Olejnik.

With 20 minutes gone, Mark Davies went to ground just outside the Peterborough penalty area with no opposition player in the vicinity. The midfielder appeared to twist either his knee or ankle and despite making it back onto the field of play, he was replaced by Stuart Holden four minutes later in what was his first league appearance since March 2011.

Bolton appeared to miss the creativity of Davies as the first half wore on, with their next chance not coming until 10 minutes before the break - as Dawson headed wide from another Spearing corner.

Marcos Alonso fired a 25 yard strike over the top shortly afterwards, but it was Peterborough who had the final chances of the half.

An unmarked Nathaniel Mendez-Laing somehow succeeded in scuffing a volley wide of the target from only six yards as the game entered first-half stoppage time, before Lee Tomlin's deflected strike flew inches wide of Adam Bogdan's goal - as Wanderers took their slender 1-0 lead into the break.

No substitutions were made at the break and it looked as though Wanderers were still struggling to adapt to life without Mark Davies, with little attacking impetus coming from either side.

Bolton's second change of the evening arrived just before the hour, as Craig Davies came on for the ineffective Marvin Sordell - who had struggled to get involved in the game.

As the game passed the hour mark, Peterborough began to up their game and Danny Swanson's shot from the edge of the area was a warning sign for Freedman's men.

Mendez-Laing scuffed a shot across the face of goal at the midway point of the half, while some last ditch defending from Alonso prevented Tommy Rowe's dangerous cross from reaching any oncoming forwards.

With 20 minutes remaining, Wanderers hit Posh on the counter attack and almost created a goal out of nothing. Craig Davies did well to get goal-side of the Peterborough defence and hold-up the play, before laying the ball off to David Ngog. The former Liverpool forward took aim at goal, but his placed effort flashed inches wide of the target.

Ngog would be replaced by Kevin Davies as the game entered the final 15 minutes, before Alonso came close to scoring what would have been a sure bet for Goal of the Season. The Spaniard picked up a bouncing ball at the right-hand corner of the penalty area and took one touch to control, before flashing a dipping half-volley agonisingly wide of Olejnik's left-hand post.

Other than Alonso's narrow miss, the final 15 minutes provided little to talk about as Wanderers held on to claim back-to-back victories for the first time this season and their third consecutive home win.

Freedman's side are now unbeaten in five matches - having picked up 11 points from a possible 15 - and move up five places to 10th position in the Championship table. Wanderers return to action when they make the trip to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon.

Bolton Wanderers: Bogdan, Ricketts, Knight, Dawson, Alonso, M Davies (Holden 24), Spearing, Pratley, Chung-Yong, Sordell (C Davies 58), Ngog (K Davies 72)
Subs Not Used: Lonergan, Wheater, De Ridder, Medo
Booked: Alonso
Goals: Dawson 5

Peterborough United: Olejnik, Little (Alcock 85), Bostwick, Zakuani, Rowe, Mendez-Laing, McCann, Petrucci (Payne 42), Swanson (Newell 71), Gayle, Tomlin
Subs Not Used: Day, Brisley, Ferdinand, McDonald

Referee: Andy D'Urso
Attendance: 15,675

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