Coventry City were hugely frustrated by Bolton Wanderers’ youngest ever league side who held the Sky Blues to a hard-fought goalless draw.
Mark Robins’s men had three goals disallowed for off-side on a disappointing afternoon at the University of Bolton Stadium where they managed 24 attempts, seven on target, as they dominated almost 70 per cent of the possession against a fresh-faced opposition with an average age of just 19.
When the final whistle went, the stadium erupted as the home fans celebrated a sensational result given the gulf in age between the two sides.
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No real shock
While the final result has to go down as the shock scoreline of the day given the gulf in experience between the two sides, the goalless draw will have come as no great surprise to many a Sky Blues fan.
It should have been a routine win, three points in the bag before the ball had been kicked, but nothing is ever that simple for Coventry City who somehow conspired to miss the best opportunity to pick up a league victory they’re ever likely to get again given the strength of the opposition.
There were mitigating circumstances, not least three disallowed goals for off-side – one of which VAR would almost certainly have given – and a couple of penalty shouts. But poor officiating aside, City simply didn’t do enough in the final third to, in the words of Mark Robins, “put Bolton to the sword.”
It’s still early days, of course, and no-one should be pressing the panic button just yet. With Jamie Allen and Gervane Kastaneer yet to feature due to injury, and new striker Matty Godden still to bed in, the team should have more than enough creativity and goals to make their mark this season.
Credit where it’s due
Fair play to the Bolton babes who did themselves and their beleaguered club proud with a battling display against a virtually full-strength League One opposition.
Few gave the largely Under-18s with three development players and one senior a chance ahead of kick-off. But they’re clearly a talented bunch and they backed up their ability with an incredible attitude and work ethic that simply grew and grew the longer the game went on.
The home support deserves huge credit for their part, cheering their young charges on every step of the way in what ended up like a giant killing cup tie – such was the atmosphere and joyous celebrations on the final whistle.
And who would deny the club their day of glory given the dire circumstances they’re immersed in right now?
Mutual respect and unity
Wanderers as a club, or what’s left of it, i.e. the salt of the earth staff who ensured the game went ahead regardless of the off-field turmoil at the University of Bolton Stadium, showed their class when they put up posters in the away end and Tweeted a welcome message to Sky Blues fans before the game, adding: “We stand with you in your love of football.
“Like us, you have stuck with your football team through challenging times. We wish you the best of luck for the forthcoming 2019/2020 season.”
The Sky Blue Army, meanwhile, refrained from any cheap shot chanting about Bolton’s plight, instead having a pop at the football authorities on behalf of both clubs by singing, “Let down, by the EFL...Let down, by the EFL...”
History boys
There can’t be many occasions, if any, in the top four divisions when opposing teams have each handed debuts to 16-year-olds in the same game.
The day was remarkable enough for the fact that Bolton fielded a side with an average age of 19, including four 17-year-olds, but the introduction of Finlay Hurford-Lockett for the home side and Will Bapaga for the Sky Blues saw history in the making.
As far as Coventry’s record books go, club statistician Jim Brown calculates that Bapaga becomes the fifth youngest player to make his senior debut for the club, aged 16 and 280 days, after Jonson Clarke-Harris, Ben Mackey, Gary McSheffrey and Brian Hill.
The home side, meanwhile, will go down as the youngest in the Trotters’ 145-year league history and one of, if not the youngest, ever named in English league football.
