Bolton stun Wolves 3-1 for first home defeat of season
Key takeaways
- Bolton beat Wolves 3-1 at Molineux on Oct 13. It was Wolves' first home Championship defeat of the season.
- Atsuki Ito put Bolton ahead, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde levelled, then Sam Dalby and Josh Sheehan won it late.
- Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto said his team must do better. Bolton boss Steven Schumacher called it a huge result.
Bolton Wanderers beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 on Tuesday night. The win came at Molineux, the home of Wolves. It was Wolves' first home defeat in the Championship this season.
Around 20,000 people searched for the standings after the game.
Bolton scored twice in the last 20 minutes. That turned a tied game into a clear win. Wolves had more of the ball.
They had more shots. But Bolton scored the goals that counted.
Wolves were relegated from the Premier League last season. They came into the game fifth in the Championship. Bolton came into the game 17th.
The result was a shock to most fans.
The Championship is the second tier of English football. It sits below the Premier League. The top two teams go up at the end of the season.
Teams in third to sixth place enter the play-offs. Those play-offs decide one more promotion spot.
What happened
Bolton started well. Samuel Iling-Junior missed a clear chance in the 11th minute. He was one-on-one with goalkeeper Jose Sa.
One-on-one means only the keeper stood between him and the goal. Sa blocked the low shot. The loose ball was cleared.
Bolton kept pushing. Josh Sheehan fired a shot from the edge of the box. The ball took a deflection.
Sa made a superb diving save to his right. A deflection means the ball hits another player and changes course.
Bolton took the lead in the 28th minute. Sheehan crossed from a short corner by Iling-Junior. Sa seemed to flap at the cross.
Ladislav Krejci headed the ball clear. But Atsuki Ito fired it home from 10 yards. Bolton led 1-0.
Wolves grew into the game. Mateus Mane curled a shot just wide of the far post. Fer Lopez headed straight at goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
Hugo Bueno curled a shot from 22 yards that spun wide.
Wolves levelled five minutes after half time. Krejci played a long diagonal pass. Bellegarde controlled it.
He held off Akin Famewo. He fired a low shot into the far corner. The score was 1-1 in the 50th minute.
Wolves then pushed for a second goal. Krejci glanced a header just over from a Kieran Trippier free kick. Mane curled a shot inches over the bar from 25 yards.
Adam Armstrong flashed a shot into the side netting.
Armstrong then had the biggest chance of the night. Rafiki Said crossed from the bench. Armstrong met it from point-blank range.
Point-blank means very close to goal. Bazunu somehow stopped it. The score stayed 1-1.
Bolton then struck against the run of play. Gaizka Larrazabal crossed after a one-two with Ethan Erhahon. Sam Dalby finished at the near post in the 72nd minute.
The near post is the goal post closest to the crosser. Bolton led 2-1.
Wolves tried to find a late equaliser. Fer Lopez ballooned a shot over the bar. Then Bolton killed the game in the 82nd minute.
Sheehan capped a fine night with a looping shot from 20 yards. The ball flew into the top corner. Sa could not reach it.
Bolton won 3-1.
It was Bolton's second away win in a row. They had lost 2-1 at home to Stoke City on Saturday. This win was a strong answer to that defeat.
Why it matters
The result is a shock because of the gap between the teams. Wolves were a Premier League team last season. Bolton boss Steven Schumacher said that himself.
He said the result was right up there with his best. He said his players should feel proud.
Schumacher also said his team needed every player at top level. He said the win came after a poor show on Saturday. He said Tuesday night was excellent against a very good team.
For Wolves, the loss hurts in two ways. First, it ends their perfect home record. They had not lost at home in the Championship this season.
Second, it wastes a game they controlled for long spells. They had more ball, more shots, and more crosses. But they scored only once.
Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto took the blame. He said the 3-1 score was unfair. He said his team was the better team.
He also said he was responsible for the result. He said the players worked as he wanted. But he said they must do better in key moments.
Peixoto pointed to the Armstrong chance. He said it was the big moment of the game. If Wolves score to make it 2-1, the game changes.
Instead, Bolton scored twice. Peixoto said his team must be more clinical in the box. Clinical means calm and sharp in front of goal.
Peixoto also felt some calls went against his team. He said he thought the Bolton opener was a foul on Sa. He said he thought Wolves should have had two penalties.
One was for a foul on Krejci. One was for a foul on Bellegarde. He added that he does not like to talk about referees.
He said his team must do better anyway.
The result also shakes up the standings. Wolves missed a chance to push higher. Bolton climbed away from the lower spots.
The Championship is a tight league. One win can move a team several places.
What happens next
Wolves play Burnley on Friday night. Peixoto said his team knows what to do. He said they can beat any team in this league.
He said they can also lose to any team. He said the league is very competitive.
The Wolves boss said the team must attack the ball in the box. He said they must score more goals. He said they must win the duels inside the box.
A duel is a one-on-one fight for the ball. His team will work on that before Friday.
Bolton will take huge belief from this win. They beat a big team away from home. They scored three goals at a hard ground.
Their next test will show if they can keep it up. Schumacher said his team cannot carry anybody. Every player must buy into the plan.
For fans checking the standings, the lesson is clear. The Championship has no easy games. A team in 17th can beat a team in fifth.
That is why people love this league.
Read how Birmingham crushed Preston 4-0. See how West Brom stunned Wrexham 2-1. Check Millwall's 1-0 win over Swansea.
Wolves had the ball. Wolves had the chances. Bolton had the goals.
That is why this result is trending today.
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