Bolton Wanderers won 1-0 against Birmingham City in the Sky Bet Championship to remain unbeaten in the league, after Josh Magennis’s goal in the second half secured all three points for Phil Parkinson’s side.
PRE-MATCH
Phil Parkinson made three changes to the side that beat Reading 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium, with Luke Murphy, Josh Vela and Will Buckley being replaced by Gary O’Neil, Erhun Oztumer and Yanic Wildschut.
Bolton came into the game unbeaten in the Sky Bet Championship for the 2018/19 campaign, having won two games on the road and drawing at home to Bristol City.
FIRST HALF
Omar Bogle had the first real chance of the game on 13 minutes, but skipper David Wheater put his body on the line to block any danger.
Soon after, a deflected shot from Blues playmaker Jota saw Ben Alnwick produce a magnificent diving save to keep the scores level.
A Josh Magennis flick-on saw Yanic Wildschut put through for Wanderers first chance of the game on 25minutes, but Birmingham managed to get bodies back and clear the threat.
Jota popped up again with five minutes to go in the first half, after a quiet spell in the game.
The Spaniard ran the length of Wanderers half, beating his man but Alnwick was equal to his tame effort.
SECOND HALF
Birmingham started the second half bright, with Jota looping a ball over the Bolton defence, but Omar Bogle’s resultant shot only found the frame of Bolton’s Alnwick.
Then, it was Bolton’s turn to come close, as an Erhun Oztumer corner kick could not be cleared by the Birmingham backline, as it fell to Jason Lowe.
The tough tackling midfielder struck a powerful effort goalwards but Lee Camp parried the ball to safety.
On 65 minutes, a deflected Gary O’Neil pass found its way to Birmingham’s Maxime Colin, who delivered the ball into the area, where Bogle’s header flew high and wide.
Second half substitute Sammy Ameobi came into the action with 20 minutes to go, with another Magennis knock down finding the Nigerian but his effort flew over the bar by a whisker.
Sammy was at it again shortly after, with a pinpoint cross field ball find its way to Taylor on the left flank.
Taylor fired the ball across the length of the area back to Ameobi, whose floated cross found Josh Magennis to nod Wanderers into the lead!
Will Buckley nearly had a second for the Whites within minutes, with a flash effort from the edge of the area creeping just over Camp’s crossbar.
Ameobi fired another dangerous freekick into the Birmingham penalty area, which was nearly turned home by a Blues player if not for a reflex save by Lee Camp.
The rebound fell to Whites midfielder Jason Lowe, who sliced his effort wide.
Kristian Pedersen went inches away for Birmingham in the final minutes of the game, with a speculative long-range effort forcing Alnwick to make a tremendous diving save low to his right
Birmingham threw all men including their goalkeeper forward for a last-ditch attempt at salvaging a point for Wanderers, but it wasn’t to be as Phil Parkinson’s men secured the three points.
Wanderers XI: Alnwick, Taylor, Lowe, Beevers, Oztumer (Donaldson 83), Noone (Ameobi 61), Olkowski, O’Neil, Magennis, Wildschut (Buckley 61), Wheater (C)
Unused substitutes: Matthews, Little, Vela, Wilson