Liam Feeney hits bar for Blackpool, who move fourth, but both sides lack cutting edge
Monday 7 October 2019 22:55, UK
Bolton picked up their fourth point from five games with a 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Blackpool.
The Trotters, coming into the game some 13 points adrift at the bottom of the league given their 12 point deduction, matched their promotion-chasing hosts after growing into a game of few chances, but failed to test opposition goalkeeper Jak Alnwick enough to really threaten a winner.
The closest either side came was at the other end, when Callum Guy's dragged shot almost turned into the perfect assist when it picked out Liam Feeney at the back post, and he hit the bar with Remi Matthews well beaten.
Bolton's fans thought they had taken the lead just after half-time when Oliver Turton's header from a corner almost nestled in the corner of his own net, but instead flashed a whisker wide of the post.
In the end, the game fizzled out into a draw neither side particularly wanted, but one that left Bolton boss Keith Hill beaming come the full-time whistle, having kept up with a side with much higher ambitions for their League One campaign.
Blackpool would move a point behind second-placed Wycombe with a win at the University of Bolton Stadium, and cheered on by a packed-out away end they set the tone 18 minutes in when Guy's shot was left to run out of play by the Bolton defence, unaware Feeney would sneak in at the back post and come inches from opening the scoring.
But from there, the high-flyers' intensity dropped. Bolton took that warning as a wake-up call and with Thibaud Verlinden causing all sorts of problems down the left, came close themselves when the Belgian slipped in Daryl Murphy, who was denied by the onrushing Jak Alnwick.
The hosts ended the half the stronger and kept that up after the break too, with Turton almost giving them a helping hand when he dived to beat Murphy to the ball, but almost found the back of his own net in the process.
But if chances were at a premium before the break, they were nowhere to be found after it.
Joe Dodoo made an impact on his Bolton debut from the bench, fizzing a cross-cum-shot just wide of the far post, with Armand Gnanduillet finding the top tier with an incredibly wayward shot at the other end, but ultimately both sides played out a hard-fought draw.
The point moves Bolton to 18 points adrift of 20th-placed Tranmere, and lifts Blackpool up to fourth.
Bolton host Rochdale in their next game on October 19, while Blackpool are at home to Rotherham on Saturday.
