Bolton Wanderers endured a frustrating evening against Aston Villa’s youth side in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, failing to convert their dominance into a victory.
Ian Evatt was quick to point out those players he trusted with a starting place had let themselves down after taking just a single point from the game. After a lacklustre 1-1 draw, Bolton’s woes were compounded by a defeat in the penalty shootout, with Aaron Collins and George Thomason having their efforts saved by the impressive Oliwier Zych.
Victor Adeboyejo’s late equaliser spared Bolton the embarrassment of losing in normal time after Trai-Varn Mulley gave Villa’s youngsters a surprise lead in the first half. Despite fielding a team with significantly more experience than Villa’s, who made 10 changes from their previous Premier League 2 match, Wanderers struggled to break down their resolute opponents.
Aston Villa took the lead with their first real attack when Brad Burrowes’ cross drifted over debutant goalkeeper Luke Hutchinson, leaving Mulley with a simple header into an empty net. Zych continued to deny Bolton with a string of excellent saves, including a crucial one to stop Lolos’s powerful drive just before the break.
Ian Evatt made changes in the second half, bringing on Adeboyejo and Kyle Dempsey, and it was Adeboyejo who salvaged a point for Bolton with a header from Collins’ cross. Dempsey almost won it with a fierce drive that rattled the crossbar, but the game went to penalties, where Zych’s heroics continued. He saved Collins’ and Thomason’s spot-kicks, with Burrowes sealing the win for Villa with a calmly placed penalty.
Ian Evatt’s Post Match Comments
Bolton manager Ian Evatt did not mince his words after the disappointing result, speaking to the Bolton News. “There were opportunities for others tonight, and they have let themselves down,” he said, expressing frustration at his side’s inability to make their dominance count. “That isn’t my fault, that isn’t the staff’s fault. Players want to play, but I’ve said many times, managers don’t pick teams, players do. And when you get an opportunity, you need to take it, and there are too many tonight who haven’t taken their chance.”
Evatt was clear that the poor performance had cemented the positions of his regular starters. “We’ve just scored how many goals in the last four league games? I think the team is finding itself again, but the ones who are in the league team have probably cemented their places,” he explained, indicating that many fringe players failed to prove their worth.
The manager also reflected on the missed chances that could have changed the outcome of the game. “We had the chances, we just didn’t take them,” he lamented. “They score with the one attack they had in the first half. We didn’t stop the cross, we didn’t defend the cross well enough, and then we just looked panicked, shell-shocked.”
Evatt praised Villa’s young goalkeeper, acknowledging that Zych had a “brilliant game,” but also criticised his own side’s poor decision-making in front of goal. “Some of that is down to our poor decision-making and execution,” he added.
Looking ahead, Evatt admitted the squad was feeling the effects of a congested fixture schedule. “The players are jaded. We’ve had a lot of long journeys, we had the Arsenal game, we have put a lot of effort into the last four league games and have picked up.” He emphasised the importance of refocusing on the upcoming league game against Burton Albion, stating, “That is everyone’s focus now, to move on to the next game against Burton here, and we need to be doing everything to win it.”
Writer’s View
Bolton Wanderers’ frustrating night against Aston Villa’s youngsters will be viewed as a missed opportunity by many. Despite dominating possession and creating a wealth of chances, their inability to finish cost them dearly. The contrast in experience between the two sides made Bolton’s performance even more concerning, as they struggled to break down a team largely comprised of under-18 players.
Evatt’s post-match comments suggest that some players have wasted their chance to impress, and his frustrations are understandable. As Bolton look to push on in League One, performances like this could force the manager to reassess his squad depth and rely more on his regular starters.
