Old Boltonians 2 Little Lever 1

Little Lever came to the home of the Old Boltonians in the midst of an impressive run in the league and cup competitions that had seen them rise to the top of the table. The conditions weren’t ideal with the weather taking its toll on the pitch but both teams tried to get the ball down and play from the start. The first half was a midfield battle with the two teams cancelling each other out and clear cut chances being at a premium. Both defences looked tight until a regulation corner was turned in neatly by a Little Lever centre forward, helped by a loss of concentration by the Old Boltonians defence.

The second half was a less even contest with the Old Boltonians showing a greater desire to get a result from the game. The half had just started when Old Boltonians got a deserved equaliser. Some neat work through midfield by Darren Dalton and David Owen put Nick Luke clean through, who calmly rounded the keeper and slotted home. Within minutes the game had been turned on its head. The referee awarded a free kick to Old Boltonians 25 yards from goal on the left side of the 18 yard box. An impressive strike from Nick Luke into the top right hand corner of the net followed and the Old Boltonians had an arguably deserved lead. The remainder of the game saw the Old Boltonians maintain their lead without giving away any significant chances and despite a late barrage from Little Lever, the Old Boltonians hung on to record a 2-1 victory.