Report: Leeds United 2-1 Bolton
IN BRIEF
A late second half rally was ultimately too little too late for Bolton, who were beaten by a solitary goal against Leeds United at Elland Road.
Mirco Antenucci scored either side of half time for the hosts, but substitute Kaiyne Woolery reduced the deficit with 15 minutes remaining.
Bolton committed men forward in the final throes but were ultimately unable to muster an equaliser that their performance on the day would have arguably merited.
TEAM NEWS
Neil Lennon had initially named an unchanged starting line-up, but after an injury to Emile Heskey in the warm-up Gary Madine was promoted to the XI.
There was also a place on the bench for the fit-again Liam Trotter.
FIRST HALF
Bolton started the game the better of the two sides. Inside the opening ten minutes Darren Pratley broke forward only to see an effort blocked before Jay Spearing tested Leeds stopper Marco Silvestri with a low drive from distance.
Liam Feeney went closer still on 17 minutes, escaping down the left before making a beeline for the goal. His shot from an acute angle was pushed away by the goalkeeper, with Josh Vela unable to turn home the rebounds.
Leeds’ first attempt of note came from the right boot of Mustapha Carrayol, with Paul Rachubka turning away his 25-yard drive.
Wanderers continued to threaten when breaking from midfield, but all of their positive work inside the opening half was seemingly undone with half time imminent.
On 37 minutes a third consecutive Leeds corner kick was flighted into the area by Carrayol, with Antenucci turning home Liam Cooper’s glancing header from six yards out.
In first half stoppage time Leeds skipper Cooper was alert to clear Derik Osede’s scrambled effort from a corner kick off the line.
SECOND HALF
Derik was presented with another chance at the start of the second half. Spearing’s shot following a scrambled Leeds clearance from a corner fell at the feet of the Spaniard, who on the spin could only shoot over the bar.
As the half wore on moments of quality were few and far between, but on the hour Antenucci produced a finish for Leeds’ second goal that would not have looked out of place in the top flight.
After initially scuffing a cross into the Bolton area from the left side, the Italian sent an unerring first-time shot from the whitewash of the area curling beyond Rachubka and into the far corner.
Woolery and Liam Trotter were immediately introduced in place of Vela and Pratley, as Bolton sought to halve the deficit.
Woolery almost had an immediate impact, pinching the ball from Sol Bamba and racing clear only for the recovering Leeds defender to slide in and block his eventual shot.
But the youngster did not have to wait much longer. On 73 minutes Woolery netted his second goal in Bolton colours, superbly controlling a drilled Dean Moxey cross before lashing into the net from 12 yards out.
Zach Clough then sent a low daisy cutter wide of the far post, as suddenly the travelling Bolton fans believed the game was far from over.
Stephen Dobbie was then thrown into the mix, and he cannoned a shot into a ruck of Leeds defenders as Bolton threw bodies forward.
But in the end time got the better of Wanderers and no equaliser was forthcoming.
FULL TIME