Dalby Double Devastates Tykes as Bolton Survive Late Fightback

Bolton Wanderers 3-2 Barnsley
League One - Saturday 7th February

The final whistle felt like mercy after watching Bolton dismantle us 3-2 at their place. What started as a promising away day turned into a masterclass in how to gift-wrap three points for the opposition, though credit where it's due – we nearly pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks after looking absolutely done and dusted at half-time.

Dalby's Double Dose of Misery

Sam Dalby made himself very much at home inside the opening twenty minutes, turning our defence into something resembling a chocolate teapot left too close to a radiator. His first goal came after just five minutes from a Dempsey corner, rising unmarked to plant a header past Goodman with the sort of ease that had me questioning whether our defenders had actually turned up.

The second goal nineteen minutes in followed an almost identical pattern. Another Dempsey corner, panic in our defence, and a simple tap in at the back stick for Dalby, another goal that looked painfully simple from where I was sitting. Bolton's corners were causing us more problems than a Sunday league team facing Messi (naturally).

McAtee Twists the Knife

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, former Barnsley loanee John McAtee decided to remind us exactly what we'd let slip through our fingers. Thirty-two minutes in, Dalby turned provider with a clever assist that left McAtee with the simple task of finishing past Goodman. Three-nil down and we were being given a proper lesson in clinical finishing.

The stats tell their own story of that opening period – Bolton managed sixteen shots in the first half alone, with Blackett-Taylor and Toal both denied by Goodman who was having one of those afternoons where he was simultaneously our best player and busiest man on the pitch.

The Fightback That Almost Was

Whatever Hourihane said at half-time clearly had an impact because four substitutions transformed this from a training exercise into something resembling a proper contest. Luca Connell, facing his old club, struck first for us on fifty-seven minutes with a deflected effort from twenty yards that gave Bonham no chance.

Three minutes later and suddenly we had genuine hope. Adam Phillips, fresh off the bench, thundered home our second to make it 3-2 and you could sense the panic creeping into Bolton's play. For a brief moment, it felt like we might actually complete one of those comebacks that gets talked about for years.

So Close, Yet So Far

The momentum was building nicely until Jack Bonham produced the save that ultimately settled matters. Nat Ogbeta, another substitute making an impact, found himself through on goal with thirteen minutes remaining but Bonham spread himself brilliantly to deny what would have been a thoroughly deserved equaliser.

Here's the thing though – while the comeback was admirable, it shouldn't obscure the fact that our first-half performance was miles short of acceptable. You can't gift teams three goals and expect to regularly dig yourself out of such holes, no matter how spirited your second-half showing might be.

The Bigger Picture

Bolton deserved their victory and their four-game winning streak under Steven Schumacher continues to gather pace. They defended their corners properly, took their chances when they came, and showed exactly the sort of clinical edge that separates promotion contenders from the also-rans.

For us, there are positives to take from that second-half revival, but the defensive frailties that allowed Dalby to score twice from almost identical situations will need addressing quickly. We've got the character to fight back from difficult positions, that much is clear, but we'd save ourselves a lot of bother by not falling behind so easily in the first place.

The cards were flying around late on as frustrations boiled over, with Bland and Shepherd both picking up yellows alongside three Bolton players, but by then the damage was already done. Same drama, different season – we show glimpses of what we're capable of while simultaneously demonstrating exactly why consistency remains our biggest challenge.

Team Line-ups:

Bolton Wanderers (4 - 2 - 3 - 1):
J. Bonham, G. Johnston, C. Forino, E. Toal, J. Osei-Tutu, K. Dempsey, E. Erhahon, C. Blackett-Taylor, J. McAtee, R. Apter, S. Dalby
Subs: M. Burstow, C. Christie, I. Cissoko, T. Gale, D. Harrington, X. Simons, L. Temple
Goals: S. Dalby (5'), S. Dalby (19'), J. McAtee (32')
Yellow Cards: K. Dempsey (29'), G. Johnston (77'), C. Forino (45+2')

Barnsley (4 - 4 - 2):
O. Goodman, T. Watson, J. Shepherd, E. O'Connell, C. O'Keeffe, R. Cleary, L. Connell, J. Bland, S. Banks, T. Bradshaw, D. McGoldrick
Subs: M. de Gevigney, K. Flavell, P. Kelly, N. Ogbeta, A. Phillips, M. Roberts, V. Yoganathan
Goals: L. Connell (57'), A. Phillips (60')
Yellow Cards: J. Bland (79'), J. Shepherd (88')

Match Stats:

Statistic	Bolton Wanderers	Barnsley
Possession	48.5%	51.5%
Shots	23	10
Shots on target	8	6
Goalkeeper saves	4	5
Aerial duels won	36	22
Fouls committed	13	8
Corners	11	1

Final Whistle

This defeat leaves us with more questions than answers, though at least we've proven we can fight when our backs are against the wall. The worry is that we're making a habit of needing to fight back from impossible positions rather than controlling games from the start. Bolton showed exactly what promotion-chasing sides do – they took their chances ruthlessly and defended with intelligence. We're still learning those lessons the hard way.

Hourihane will know that four substitutions at half-time shouldn't be necessary to get a reaction from his players. The spirit shown in that second half suggests the character is there, but consistency remains our Achilles heel. When Phillips and the other subs can change the game so dramatically, it raises uncomfortable questions about our starting eleven and whether we're getting our team selections right from the off.

The gap between our best and worst performances continues to frustrate, but there's enough in that comeback to suggest we're not far away from putting together the sort of complete display that wins you matches rather than just making them entertaining. Next week can't come soon enough – we need to prove that second-half showing was the real us, not the shambles that preceded it.