Match Report: Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Southend United

Bolton Wanderers have so far looked a cut above League One football and aside from the odd moments of madness they continued to do so against Southend United.

The stats will show how superior the Whites were as they had 23 shots compared to the mere three mustered up by the away side whose only tactic was to shut up shop if they nicked a goal. Phil Parkinson had expected this and it is exactly how the game panned out.

The home supporters had been lifted by a great Deadline Day shopping spree where some genuine quality was brought in to bolster a side at the top of the league and two of them, James Henry and Keshi Anderson, started the game. However, the buoyant mood and optimism quickly faded after only three minutes where the lacklustre Dean Moxey allowed a cross into the box which found an unmarked Harry Kyprianou who finished well, finding the top corner of the net.

Two questions arose from this: Where on earth was Lewis Buxton who could easily have stopped anything from happening? And why do we seem to make slow starts to games under Phil Parkinson?

Both full-backs will count themselves fortunate if they start next week and Parky needs to sort out this affliction we seem to have acquired.

Thankfully, from then on we totally bossed the game, creating chances almost at will with Anderson looking very lively and both Josh Vela and James Henry linking well to cause Southend problems. They had no answer to us but I imagine they had no intention of trying anything given that they had taken an early lead.

We could have been level soon after the opening goal as David Wheater's header was going in until Anderson blocked it on the line and Gary Madine should have had a penalty late on in the half but, as we now know, the standard of refereeing in this league is very poor.

More chances were missed before half time with Liam Trotter the main culprit and Bolton could have been 2-0 down almost immediately after the restart if Simon Cox had sorted his feet out quickly enough for a tap in.

We were level soon enough, though, through a goal I personally don't think should have stood when the Southend keeper, Ted Smith (who had already looked shaky to say the least) dropped the ball on the impressive Anderson's head, with the ball finding the net for a deserved equaliser.

I wouldn't have given it but I didn't care and fully expected us to win the game comfortably from that point on. We certainly should have.

But for a typical moment of "Moxey Madness" where the Seasiders should have had a penalty for a push on David Mooney, we still created good chances and had substitute Jamie Proctor been more alert to Mark Beevers' header across goal we would have won it.

Undeservedly, we only took a point from a game which we dominated, but we could easily have lost it due to some basic errors from both Buxton and an off-colour Wheater.

I will take another game unbeaten and still being top of the League. On to MK Dons next week for another big test of our credentials as table-toppers. I

f we continue to play like this, I am certain we will stay there.