Man of the Match v. Nottingham Forest: Adam Bogdan

With Bolton Wanderers forced to hold out for a draw against Nottingham Forest, the choice for our Man of the Match was one that became an easy one but only after having a bit of a think. In recent weeks, the usual suspects have been the likes of Josh Vela, Jay Spearing, and Marcos Alonso with Craig Dawson, Craig Davies, and David Ngog all within reasonable shouts of the award.

Against Nottingham Forest, the contenders for the Trotters would really have boil down to Craig Davies, David Ngog, Tyrone Mears, Zat Knight, Craig Dawson, and Adam Bogdan. Let's get the defenders out of the way first.

The defense, while unspectacular and nonthreatening, could be considered to have done their job on the day... for the most part. Bolton Wanderers only allowed one goal after Craig Dawson's tight coverage on Henri Lansbury forced nothing more but a knocked-down header. Unfortunately for the Trotters, none of the other defenders closed down and Andy Reid had nothing but space in which to hit the volley first time and eventually, having the ball end in the back of the net. Yes, the defense allowed Forest through on a number of occasions, but that's to be expected.

It was Craig Davies and David Ngog that combined for the crucial Bolton equalizer, much like they did for both of the goals against Burnley. Darren Pratley's brilliant through ball found David Ngog on the right wing and it was the forward's heads-up quick burst into the box that created the opportunity. Ngog's quick-fire cross found Craig Davies in space and the smart, no-frills finish gave Bolton the vital goal.

Of course, Bolton would not have been in any position to have equalized had it not been for the goalkeeper, Adam Bogdan. The Trotters faced a first-half onslaught with Adam Bogdan forced to make a number of great (not to mention important) saves. In the first half, the Hungarian was forced to make five stops and added a further six in the second half, allowing the one goal (that he couldn't do much of anything about).

In fact, Dougie Freedman heaped some heavy praise on Bogdan after the match (via the Bolton News):

"I can't think of a better keeper in this division. His saves and organisation were great.

"He came for crosses and took the pressure off us.

"I thought Adam was outstanding. That was the best performance I have seen, not only from a goalkeeper I have worked with, but from one in this division."