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Barnsley vs Bolton Wanderers. Sky Bet League One Play-Offs Semi-Final.

7:30pm, Friday 3rd May 2024.

Oakwell Stadium.

Bolton Wanderers 3

D Charles (23rd minute, 53rd minute pen)
R Williams (94th minute)

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Barnsley 1-3 Bolton Wanderers: Dion Charles' double gives Ian Evatt's side League One play-off semi-final first leg win

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final first leg between Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers at Oakwell on Friday night | Dion Charles scores twice as Ian Evatt's side establish the lead in the tie ahead of Tuesday's second leg

Dan Long

Digital football journalist @DanLong__

Saturday 4 May 2024 16:23, UK

Bolton took control of their League One play-off semi-final against Barnsley with a 3-1 first-leg win on Friday night.

Dion Charles steered in a superb Paris Maghoma cross to put Ian Evatt's side in front midway through a cagey first half at Oakwell.

And the striker took his tally for the season to 20 in all competitions after the break when he beat Liam Roberts from the spot after the goalkeeper had clattered Josh Sheehan.

Barnsley did pull one back, when substitutes Conor Grant and Sam Cosgrove combined for the latter to thump in to give the Tykes hope.

But Randell Williams remarkably scored straight from a corner in stoppage time, to put Bolton firmly in charge of the tie ahead of Tuesday's second leg at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, which is live on Sky Sports Football.

How impressive Bolton took control at Oakwell

Barnsley and Bolton had faced off against one another at this stage last season, with the former going on to reach the play-off final, where they lost out to Sheffield Wednesday after extra-time.

On paper, it looked as though Wanderers had the chance to exact revenge, particularly as their opponents had won just one of their last nine in the regular season and parted ways with manager Neill Collins 11 days earlier. Pre-match, however, Evatt refuted claims that could play into his side's hands.

At first, it was cagey, as first legs often are, and chances came at a premium. But, with their first shot of the game, Bolton took the lead.

The move was as slick as they come. Josh Dacres-Cogley found Maghoma, who exchanged passes with Aaron Collins and delivered a cross from the right into Charles, who caught the bounce perfectly and steered into the roof of the net.

Less than 10 minutes into the second half, the visitors were gifted the chance to double their advantage. Sheehan chased down Jordan Williams' weak header backwards and won a penalty when Roberts clumsily brought him down in the box.

The goalkeeper got a hand to Charles' low strike, but could not produce a strong enough save to keep it from nestling in the bottom right corner.

Barnsley had had more of the possession after the break, yet done little with it, so it came as something of a surprise when they halved the deficit through Cosgrove, who pulled one back within 10 minutes of his introduction.

Their confidence was boosted by that goal and they might have had one back had it not been for a stunning save from Nathan Baxter, who dived at full-stretch to his left to claw Adam Phillips' header away.

Hope was extinguished in the 93rd minute, though, when Cameron Jerome blocked off Roberts, which allowed Williams' set-piece from the left to drift over everyone in the box to spark joyous celebrations in the Bolton technical area.

Devaney: Anything can happen in second leg

Barnsley interim manager Martin Devaney told Sky Sports:

"It's disappointing. The first goal, we've got our striker off the pitch. The second one is obviously a mistake, but Jordan [Williams] has been excellent all year.

"It's tough because I thought, for long spells we were on top, Especially in the second half, we got the goal and had a couple of chances with Adam Phillips.

"The fans were right behind us [after Barnsley's first] and we created some good stuff. Sam [Cosgrove] came on, caused a couple of problems and took his goal really well. The momentum was there, so it's just disappointing for the last goal to go in.

"There's still belief. We go there on Tuesday being positive. If we get that first goal, anything can happen. We've got to go for it."

Evatt: Bolton players know they need to replicate that on Tuesday

Bolton manager Ian Evatt told Sky Sports:

"I'm pleased with the outcome. For 70-75 minutes, we had control and we deserved a two-goal advantage. Barnsley are a team that constantly ask you questions and we gave them a goal that changed the momentum and lifted the stadium, which was then something that we had to cope and manage with.

"Nathan, our goalkeeper, made some fantastic saves, but again, [we showed] the importance of set-plays at the end to add the third and make it back to a two-goal lead.

"There was a lot to like about that performance tonight. There's stuff we can manage better, especially in that last 15 minutes. Giving them a goal was not like us. It was unfortunate, but I'm extremely proud of the way the players went about their business tonight.

"We have to go and win again; we have to replicate that. Obviously it will be different because the environment here is different and our pitch and stadium is bigger than this one and our fans are going to come in their numbers. The queues this week have been incredible and they are going to create a really raucous atmosphere, which helps us.

"The messages in there have been extremely good: stay grounded, stay humble, half the job is done. They know we need to go and replicate another type of performance like tonight to get us through to Wembley."

'Frustrating for Barnsley to concede a late third'

Curtis Davies on Sky Sports Football:

"Bolton managed the game well, I think that's the difference. For the first 15-20 minutes, Barnsley were the team on top without actually causing any problems in terms of shots on goal.

"Once Bolton got ahead, they controlled the game, got the second and then, from there, they played quite a deep shape for them. They were happy to see the game out and would've been happy to take a 2-0 lead back to their ground, but it wasn't to be.

"The most frustrating thing is that, just before the corner [which Williams scored from] Kyle Dempsey gets through and Liam Roberts makes a really good save and Barnsley could have gone through to the second leg with only a one-goal deficit.

"But for Bolton to score straight from a corner... the goalkeeper is getting wrestled with by Cameron Jerome, but I'd like to see the man on the front post do better."

What's next?

Barnsley and Bolton will face off against one another in the second leg at the Toughsheet Community Stadium at 8pm on Tuesday May 7, live on Sky Sports Football.

The winners will advance to the Sky Bet League One play-off final, which will be played at Wembley on Saturday May 18.