MOTM: Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Cardiff City - Darren Pratley

Bolton Wanderers fans got the best early Christmas present, as The Whites secured an impressive 2-0 win against promotion chasers Cardiff City.

Whilst the game may have not been a classic, Wanderers did enough to grab what looked like an unlikely win before kick off.

Surprisingly, Cardiff didn’t look like a side currently occupying one of the automatic promotion places.

There were some stand out performances from some Wanderers players.

Against their former side, Sammy Ameobi, Andrew Taylor and Craig Noone all put in respectable shifts. Ameobi was at his best at moments during the game, turning Cardiff’s players inside out.

Taylor, in for Antonee Robinson at left back, put in his best performance of the season. Mendez-Laing barely troubled him at all.

Noone, in his brief spell on the pitch, played a big part in Wanderers’ second goal.

The two stand out performers in the game were Gary Madine and Darren Pratley.

My Man of the Match was Pratley. Madine wasn’t at his best until the last twenty minutes, but you can’t doubt how brilliant he was. He finished his penalty with aplomb, and was incredibly composed when teeing up Josh Vela for the second.

Pratley gets the nod over Madine because he was simply great throughout the game. Alongside Karl Henry, Pratley ran the midfield in the game. He broke up play numerous times, and his partnership with Karl Henry has been nothing short of superb this season.

Of course, as a former Swansea City player, he had to up his game against their bitter rivals.

He may not be a flashy player or the most talented, but Darren Pratley is relentless. The definition of a captain’s performance.

Agree with my choice for MOTM or would you have picked someone else? Let me know in the comments box below.