Old Boltonians 1 – Little Lever 0

Chapeltown hosted a clash between the Old Boltonians and Little Lever in a game that has traditionally been hard fought between two equally matched sides, who will both be contenders for the Premier Division Trophy.

Old Boltonians started the much better of the two teams and settled into a rhythm of play much earlier than their Little Lever counterparts. The ball was stroked around nicely and retained well with all players showing composure when in possession.

The first goal of the game came very early and went with the run of play. Old Boltonians forced a corner after a neat passing moved had resulted in a blocked cross from the right. Kieran Walsh took the set piece and managed to find the net directly from the corner. A powerful strike though it was, the goalkeepers’ positioning must be called into question.

Old Boltonians continued to dominate in the first half and created numerous chances to increase their lead. However, despite intense pressure, the finishing touches could not be provided. The game threatened to boil over as frustration began to build in the Little Lever team camp and perhaps they were lucky to finish the half with all 11 men still on the pitch. Half time – 1-0.

The second half saw Little Lever immediately change formation and tactics in an attempt to stop the domination by the Old Boltonians. The change had a positive effect on the Little Lever performance. They enjoyed a much greater proportion of possession than in the first half and looked a greater threat. The Old Boltonians were unable to live up to the level of performance they had provided in the first half and were forced to defend for large periods of the second half. Despite the pressure, the Old Boltonians defence stood firm and limited Little Lever to only speculative efforts from distance.

The game ended in a 1-0 victory for the Old Boltonians – a game won my technical ability shown in the first half and by workrate and teamwork in the second.