Gary Madine’s second half goal secured Bolton’s first victory in 17 games against their Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers in the lunch time kick off.
It was an entertaining game of football with both sides needing three points after losing their previous games.
Bolton saw plenty of the ball in the opening quarter of the game and had a penalty shout turned down after the ball hit Blackburn midfielder Hope Akpan's arm, but the referee ruled out the claim.
The Trotters best chance of the half came from the talented Zac Clough as he rifled an effort off the crossbar and was followed up by Gary Madine, whose shot was cleared off the line.
Blackburn came out of the blocks in the second half and came close as Conway knocked in a free kick, finding the head of Shane Duffy but it went wide of the post.
The game started to become scrappy, but it was Bolton who broke the deadlock after a long throw from Dean Moxey was neatly controlled by Madine, who hit it on the volley.
The Trotters had a late scare after Blackburn’s Welsh international, Tom Lawrence had a shot deflect off the post, but Bolton held on for the win and recorded just their second win of the season.
Bolton’s Championship position remains unchanged but they are now only four points off 21st placed. Blackburn has now lost back-to-back games and they remain in 15th place, but that could change depending on the other teams picking up points around them.
Football League World Writer, Ashley Williams looks at 3 things we learned from the game:
1) Renewed hope for Bolton
Bolton’s chances of survival seemed almost impossible a few weeks ago after the club were threatened with a 12 point deduction due to financial troubles.
Their troubles increased on the field after a 4-0 hammering to fellow strugglers Rotherham United on Boxing Day. Their second win of the season could give them something to fight for as they are only four points away from jumping out of the bottom three.
The Trotters face Huddersfield next week and they will see this as a massive opportunity to beat the Yorkshire side as they are struggling near the foot of the table. The club will need to beat the teams around them if they are going to survive.
2) Blackburn’s lack of threat up front
Blackburn lacked a threat up front in their loss to the bottom of the table side, with Jordan Rhodes' dry spell continuing.
The Blackburn striker has not scored since his penalty in their 2-1 victory over Preston – seven games ago. They have also only scored three goals in their last six games and are slowly slipping towards trouble.
Paul Lambert will need to inject some confidence in Blackburn’s strike force that is clearly suffering at the moment.
3) Bolton need to keep hold of their star players if they are going to survive
Bolton were given a Christmas nightmare after being placed under a transfer embargo on Christmas Eve.
Today’s performances from Gary Madine and Zac Clough indicate that Neil Lennon will need to keep of Bolton’s star players if the club have any chance of fighting relegation.
However, if a substantial offer comes in for their key players, they may be forced to sell as they will need all the finances they can get at the moment.
Bolton and Blackburn fans…What did you think of the game today? Are you worried about Blackburn’s lack of threat up front? Does Bolton have any chance of survival? Let us know your thoughts and opinions below!