A young Wanderers Reserves’ side came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Huddersfield Town at Canalside in the Central League on Tuesday afternoon.
Sam Hird’s team included Harry Brockbank – who was making his return to action following an injury lay-off, as well as Nathan Delfouneso who gained valuable match minutes.
Wanderers started the game well and missed a decent opportunity through Arran Pettifer who smashed the ball over the bar from close range.
Delfouneso has found first team action hard to come by this season, and he had the bit between his teeth in the early stages of this contest, forcing a save from Giosue Bellagambi with a low drive from the edge of the box.
Wanderers took the lead just after the quarter-hour mark. Following some good work down the left by Max Conway, he teed the ball up for Mitchell Henry to deliver a dangerous cross that was turned into his own goal by the head of a Town defender.
Huddersfield equalised from the spot just before the half-hour mark after Micah Obiero was dragged to the ground. The responsibility fell to Connor Shanks who sent Matthew Alexander the wrong way from 12-yards out.
Delfouneso had his name on the scoresheet merely minutes later when he headed the ball past Bellagambi from close range following some good hold-up play by Lamine Toure and an excellent cross into the box by Pettifer.
In the second half, substitute Danny Jones opened up a two-goal deficit for Wanderers with twenty minutes remaining when he latched onto Olawumi’s cross to beat Bellagambi and put Sam Hird’s visitors in complete control of the game in West Yorkshire.
Seconds later though, Huddersfield immediately dragged themselves back into the contest. Straight from the restart, Shanks threaded a pass through to Conor Falls who slid the ball past Alexander. A lapse in concentration from the young side and all was to play for going into the final stages of the game.
With thirteen minutes remaining, Town found an equaliser. Michael Stone’s cross from the left-hand side fell kindly to Donay O’Brien-Brady who ghosted into the box to crash a header into the back of the net from close range.
Wanderers had allowed a two-goal to slip and the momentum would seem to have been with Huddersfield. The winning goal did come, but it proved to be Bolton who would score it and come away with all three points. Max Wilcox latched onto a ball down the line and found Jones who scored his second of the afternoon – and the all-important goal to give his team the victory.
Wanderers Line-Up: Alexander, Kamara, Conway, Beardsworth, Brockbank, Pettifer, Olawumi (Wilcox 71), Tweedley, Toure, Delfouneso, Henry (Jones 56).
Unused Subs: Frimpong, Halford, Ahmed.
Goals: Own goal, Delfouneso, Jones (2).