Old Bolts B 3 Oldham Hulmeians 2

Amazingly, it is now three months since the B team played at home but on a glorious winter's day up at Turton,it was like a lost sheep returning to its fold, as the Bolts purred into action.

Within three minutes Barrett half volleyed from the edge of the box through a crowded penalty box to make it 1-0 and the fluent free flowing football continued when Gary Cowell put over a fine cross for the Silver Fox Milne who rose like an eagle to put in a fine glancing header (aka Michael Owen) that flew into the top corner of the net to make it 2-0.

The Bolts dominated the half against a poor Oldham side and when Mopsey Morris broke free down the right and put in low cross, the impressive Jimmy Freeborn was on hand to sweep the ball home from close range to make it 3-0. With no Mark Brooks in midfield, the three man midfield of Barrett, Milne and Taylor coped superbly, leaving the three man attack of Beardsworth, Morris and Freeborn to have a field day.

After half time though, whether it was fatigue was taking its toll, or the departure of Beardsworth but the Bolts ran out of steam and whilst they were never losing grip on the game, the Bolts failed to extend the lead.

The highlight of the game had to be Rick Timmis who after receiving a head injury, played on in Terry Butcher style with a bandaged head courtesy of First Aid graduate Milne, and Doctor Justin Tankard.     

Rick, with blood seeping from a wound on the centre of his dome, received no sympathy spread-eagled on the floor as though he was about to be put on a crucifix.

Shouts of "Drama Queen”, and “ Nope there no brain there!” were eclipsed by the laughter as  he played on a with a bandage that encircled vertically around his face and secured with a knot around his left ear.

With 5 minutes to go, Oldham scored with a well taken header from a free kick outside the box and in the last minute, gave the Bolts a scare as the ever reliable Dave Sandbrook watch a daisy cutter roll into the net without an attempt to stop it. “You'd think our keeper had taken a bung to throw the game when Oldham notched the second goal” said a controversial Ron

This was a one sided affair, and it was lack of fitness or ruthlessness that made the result very flattering for Oldham