MOTM: Bolton Wanderers 0-4 Norwich City – Remi Matthews

How often do you hear that a goalkeeper concedes four goals but still receives man of the match? Well, it’s not often at all.

Was it the fact that the rest of the team were horrendous? Was it the fact that Remi played well? It was a mix of the two.

Norwich City were the best side we have played this season at the UNIBOL by a country mile, but it didn’t help that we made them look even better than they were.

Remi Matthews prevented the score being even more embarrassing by pulling off a number of top saves. You could tell he was determined to put in a big performance against his previous employers, I’m sure any fan – Bolton or Norwich – came away thinking he was the only Wanderer who could leave that pitch with his head held high.

Making a spectacular save in the opening few minutes, tipping Emiliano Buendía’s shot over the bar, it suggested that he may have been in for a very busy afternoon.

After conceding four, which in all honesty was through absolutely no fault of his own, he had to face a Kenny McLean penalty after Mark Beevers rather clumsily brought down the lively Teemu Pukki. Luckily, McLean’s effort was a pretty tragic one and Matthews made a comfortable save to prevent a fifth for the Canaries.

I have been a huge advocate of Remi after I saw him make his debut against Leeds in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season. His performance against Derby County at home a month later was what really convinced me we may have a serious goalkeeper on our hands. His distribution is levels above what I have seen in recent years at Wanderers, and I have full confidence that he will go from strength to strength.