Barnsley 2-3 Bolton Wanderers: Trotters hold out for third win on the bounce

It's like we don't even know who this Bolton team are and what they've done with the one that played the first two-thirds of this season. Undefeated streaks, early goals, and winning streaks, oh my! In this one, Bolton Wanderers would go ahead early, then go level, and finally go ahead again.

After an end-to-end opening ten minutes, Bolton Wanderers would open the scoring on the quarter-hour mark through David Ngog. With the Trotters breaking forward through Chris Eagles, it was the winger who found David Ngog well in the box. Ngog would get two chances at it after Luke Steele stopped the first attempt. Fortunately for Bolton, the second take was much better and he stabbed home the rebound.

On 38 minutes, Jay Spearing would make it 2-0 from a long throw in. Sam Ricketts was the man that put the long throw in but it was half-headed clear by Tomasz Cywka. Jay Spearing took the shot first time and, after it took a slight deflection, settled in the bottom corner of the net.

Barnsley would get the impetus in the second half and start off exactly like they needed to. On 47 minutes, Tomasz Cywka would pull one back for the Tykes with an effort from the edge of the area. The drive was low and there wasn't much Adam Bogdan could do about it.

Barnsley's second goal came seven minutes after that, this time with Adam Bogdan culpable. A long-range effort from Ryan Tunnicliffe was not held by Bogdan and Chris O'Grady was the man aware, running onto it to tap home from point-blank range.

It was a good response from Bolton Wanderers though and Craig Dawson would be the man to win it for the men in white. On the hour mark, Marcos Alonso would have a go from range that Luke Steele parried away. Unfortunately for him but lucky for Bolton, the ball came to the feet of Craig Dawson who would score for the third game in a row and his fourth goal of the season.

Dougie Freedman would then take the pragmatic approach and introduce Medo Kamara for Chris Eagles (who had a very good game in the attacking midfielder role) and David Wheater for Craig Davies. Bolton Wanderers would essentially park the bus with two defensive midfielders and three center halves clogging up the middle of the pitch. After some time wasting (and five minutes of stoppage time to make them pay for it), the Trotters would hold on.

The win means that Bolton are now undefeated in their last six games, winning three in a row and four in that stretch. The playoffs are seven points away (but both Brighton and Leicester have a game in hand).