Bolton played the first game of their new League One season at the weekend and despite coming up against division favourites Ipswich, the side managed to seal a point in a 1-1 draw with the club.

Last season, the Tractor Boys were arguably one of the better teams in the third tier in the second half of the campaign under Kieran McKenna. The side are now considered one of the favourites for promotion and it meant that the Wanderers had a difficult first league game of the new campaign.

However, Bolton played some good football during the fixture and even opened the scoring with an Aaron Morley penalty putting the away team in the lead. Lee Evans was quick to equalise for Ipswich but the two sides couldn't find a breakthrough and had to share points.

 

 

Now, with the club having done well to start off their season with an away draw against a decent team, Bolton player George Johnston said to the Bolton News that his side want to put on a 'good display' against bigger teams in the division and that the point was a good result for his team.

Johnston played the full 90 minutes for his team at the weekend and could be a key player for the team again this campaign. Joining the club from Wigan back in 2021, he has already played in 49 games for the club during his career and could be a regular in the side again this season.

Now, the player has admitted he was happy with their first showing back in League One too, as he said to the Bolton News: "Overall, a good point on the road. I think we defended as a team quite well. In possession, we weren’t our usual selves but we aren’t going to be able to play our usual stuff everywhere we go.

"I feel we know how to deal with these things better now. The first goal is massive – it silences the crowd and puts us on the front foot. From when we got the first goal until when they scored, we were kind of controlling the game.

"When we come to places like this with big crowds, big atmospheres, we want to put on a good display and show what we are capable of. Did we do that in possession? Probably not today. But out of possession we have shown what a dangerous team we can be – winning the ball back high and counter attacking, and then being solid at the back."

The Verdict

George Johnston and Bolton had a solid return to League One football at the weekend and have to be pleased with a point against a team like Ipswich.

Considering how the Tractor Boys performed in the second half of the season last time out and some of the transfer dealings of boss Kieran McKenna so far, it is no surprise to see them as one of the favourites for promotion. However, Bolton came to Portman Road and played their game and sealed a point.

They'll be the happier of the two sides, especially when you consider that Wanderers were the away side in the fixture. They'll take the point and they'll be eager to build on that in the next few weeks in League One.

If the club can continue to hold the best teams in the division - and pick up points against those lower down in the table - then Ian Evatt and the team could potentially think about a run at the play-offs this league campaign.