Bolton Wanderers 4-0 Gillingham - Immediate Reaction

We should all smile at Bolton’s sublime win:

“Just sit back, watch and smile.”

The colour commentator must have said this this line at least three times as he purred over some of Bolton Wanderer’s excellent football during their 4-0 drubbing of Gillingham on Monday night, and you know what?

He’s damn right.

There are a lot of scary sounding rumours and speculation swirling around the Macron Stadium at the moment, and it seems as if that at any second the club could once again fall into turmoil.

We all thought those days had finally ended and we could at last move on from trying to understand complex laws and economics, and just concentrate on what we all think we know best about - the footy.

Sadly, the questions regarding ownership, debts and accounts mean every Bolton fans’ attention is once again being dragged away from the pitch and into the snake pit that is the politics at our beloved club.

But, on days like today and after performances like that is important for us all to have a breather, sit back and just smile.

The Whites were sublime against a, admittedly hapless, Gillingham and there didn’t seem to be a single player in a Bolton shirt who didn’t perform at his optimum. The defence was once again unmovable, succeeding only hopefully shots from distance which were all greedily swelled up by Ben Alnwick in goal.

Where Bolton really shone against the Gills, however, was in the attacking positions. While Wanderers have been sturdy in defence all season, the goals haven’t been flowing quite as freely as would be liked.

That all changed on Monday with a fine attacking display that was both clinical and quality. Gary Madine, who’d previously gone eleven league games without a goal, scored a brace of neatly taken headers, taking advantage from stunning delivery from both Josh Vela and Jay Spearing.

Vela and his partner in crime Zach Clough played some scrumptious football and combined beautifully for the second goal of the game, as Vela latched on to Clough’s back heel and coolly slotted home.

The pick of the goals wouldn’t come until the 80th minute, when the once again impressive Sammy Ameobi picked up the ball on the right, drove in side and unleashed a thunderous drive that nearly ripped the net out of the goal. A stunning strike that put the cherry atop of a stunning display all round from the men in white.

The win takes the Trotters back up to second, only a mere point behind leaders Scunthorpe United, who travel to the Macron on New Year’s Eve.

The performance was near flawless from Bolton and we really are looking good, but most of all it’s just so lovely, after the turgid last year, to see the players playing with a smile on their face and enjoying playing for our club.

No matter what may be going on off the pitch, and no matter what the transfer window may hold, for now we should all sit back, watch and smile.