Player Ratings: Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Fulham

Bolton Wanderers actually put in a good performance for a change. They may not have created an awful lot, but they dominated possession for the vast majority of the game and really should have won, even if Fulham had more chances to. It was a performance that was brimming with passion and fight, which is all we've really been asking for recently.

Here's how I thought the lads did.

Ben Amos - 6

While I do personally think that Amos could have done better with Fulham's equaliser (the wall can certainly be blamed too, but Amos' positioning wasn't the best), but the simple fact of the matter is that if it wasn't for his massive save from Alexander Kacaniklic moments before our own equaliser, we would have lost the game comfortably.

Rob Holding - 8

This young man, in my eyes, is proving that experience is overrated and showing that more youngsters should be involved on match days. The 20-year old defender has only played three games in a White shirt, but he looks like a seasoned veteran on the pitch, even when playing out of position at right back. Against Fulham he was composed and assured on the ball, having the confidence to give a nice give-and-go in the first half and then getting a shot away, then not to mention his intelligent deep cross to Mark Davies which set the equaliser in motion. He stood out defensively too, dealing well with the pacey Luke Garbutt and not allowing much to get past him down the right side. There was a couple of moments when his positioning was a little off, but that's to be expected from a youngster, let alone a young centre back playing right back, but his surprising pace got him out of any trouble. I thought it was a great performance from you the youngster and I can't wait to see more.

Prince Désir Gouano - 5

Well, well, well... Like I've said since his very first game for the Whites: Prince is good, but he's got a mistake in him and it will cost us eventually. It's been costing us quite a bit recently and it did so again as he tried being too clever on the ball, lost it to Ross McCormack who then laid off Garbutt to slot into the bottom corner. It was a disastrous error and he was distraught afterwards, for a five minute spell he looked like he'd lost his head altogether, even the inexperienced Holding had to tell him to keep his head up and get in position. However, I do think he recovered really well from his mistake and came close to atoning for it with a couple of brilliant bits of defending. On two occasions, one in the first half and one in the second, a Fulham attacker was running through on goal and on both occasions he used his pace and strength to get back and avert the danger, probably saving us from conceding even more. It's clear Prince is a confidence player and that mistake really could be the ruining of him, I just really hope it isn't.

David Wheater - 8

In turbulent times of late when the team is constantly being chopped and change and consistency is nearly no where to be found, Wheater has been the rock keeping the defence together and he did so again with another very solid performance. It's a shame that Wheater's career has been so plagued with injuries because we've seen time and time again in recent weeks how good a defender he is. Aside from the two goals which he literally couldn't do anything about, nothing got past Wheater all afternoon. Throwing his head and other random parts of his anatomy at the ball he blocked many a dangerous pass and shot. It's great to see him putting such a big run of games together too.

Dean Moxey - 7

It's nice to know that a lengthy lay off hasn't hampered Moxey's good form too much, as he put in a fine perfjoamcne as he continues to settle back in the team after a toe injury. I thought his passing, especially in the first half, was all other the place at times, but as the game wore on he improved a great deal. He too was solid at the back, and got forward really well through out the game, with some delightful link up play with Davies sprinkled in for good effect.

Jay Spearing - 8

I've heard a lot of people complaining about Spearing in recent weeks, but I found no reason to criticise him after Saturday's performance. Playing alongside the captain in the middle of the park Spearing was back to his old self by not letting the Fulham midfielders have a moments piece on the ball, he was constantly harassing them and winning it back to get the Bolton attacks moving again. He actually worked really well with Pratley in constantly keeping the pressure on the Fulham back line by not allowing them to clear their lines and getting the ball straight back into the danger area. Earned his standing ovation as he (wrongly) left the pitch as a substitute.

Darren Pratley - 7

Much like Spearing, Pratley has earned himself a lot of his old haters back with recent performance which have brought back some horrible memories, but against Fulham he looked at least partly back to his best. As I mentioned above, Pratley and Spearing worked well together to break up play, but Pratley did roam around the pitch a bit more and often found himself out on the left to link up with Davies and Moxey. He did well in carrying the ball forward from midfield, but rarely seemed to do anything too effective with it. Not his best performance, but certainly a step in the right direction.

Mark Davies - 6

There is a bit of a theme emerging here, Davies is another one of our midfielders whose form has taken a dive of a cliff recently, but he to was looking a lot better on Saturday. Deployed out on the left it would have been easy for him to go missing, but I don't feel like he did. He still got on the ball a lot, making some very nice passes and always trying to link up with Clough. He also attempted, on several occasions, to cut inside and drive his way into the space, but it was always a bit predictable and nothing ever really came from it. However, it was his simple but selfless pass to Clough that set up the equaliser.

Liam Feeney - 6

Oh Feeney. you know, if he could just do what he did for Clough's second more often he really would be a good player at this level. He got on the ball and ran at my love Tim Ream (who nearly made me throw up when he actually nearly scored) with pace and menace, he didn't fanny about on the ball, he was direct, quick and skilful and then he delivered a fantastic ball into the box that was stuck into the net. It really was a thing of beauty. He just doesn't bloody do it enough! I am a Feeney sympathiser, and do maintain that without him this season we'd be even more fucked, but it's just infuriating that his moments of genuine quality are never sustained. He was decent on Saturday, but far too many of his crosses were overhit and every time a cross field ball was played to him you just knew he wasn't going to keep it in. Not to mention the fact he didn't bury that chance he had right at the end.

Zach Clough - 9

He's back with a fucking bang. Clough returned to action on Tuesday night at Charlton, but he really announced his return on Saturday with a brace. I don't think it was his best of games overall and it take him a way to feel his way into proceedings, but he's our only player with that natural, elusive ability to grab a goal out of no where. His first finish was a thing of beauty as a player of lesser quality would have lost the ball after taking that tough, but not Clough, he steadied himself and weirdly poked the ball home. His second finish was also pleasing to see as it was a goal we've not really seen from Clough before: a clinical goalmouth scramble that a lot of our players probably would have missed. We've all seen him do the fancy stuff, we know that's there, but knowing that he can score the ugly goals to is a great relief as we're gonna need them, and him, if we're going to survive.

Gary Madine - 7

To be honest with you, I thought that was one of Madine's best performances in a white shirt. He battled well against the big bastard pairing of Richard Stearman and Dan Burn, and won his fair share of flick ons considering he was literally being dragged to the floor at every contested header. He ran himself into the ground too, not giving the Fulham backline a moment to catch their breath. What impressed me the most about Madine's performance, however, was his link up play with Clough. He was constantly looking for his strike partner and found him on a number of occasions with smart flicks and touches. Maybe he had an inspired afternoon or maybe Clough just rises the quality of those around him, but they looked good together and I'd be very interested to see if it's a little and large partnership that can really blossom for us.

Substitutes

Emile Heskey - 5/10

Gave away the free kick which led to Fulham's equaliser, but it was a tactical foul and was probably right in bringing the onrushing attacker down. He also had a chance to win it right at the end as on the turn he hit a striker goal wards, but two goals in a week was definitely too much to ask for from the big man.

Neil Danns - 5/10

Didn't do much of anything himself but Spearing really shouldn't have been taken off.

Stephen Dobbie - N/A

I don't know why we continue to use him.