Andy Munro on Blues’ win at Bolton.
This was never going to be easy as Bolton are no mugs, as Villa found out recently. Yet roared on by near on 5,000 Bluenoses, we got the result we needed to open up a gap between ourselves and the bottom three whilst dragging Bolton and Reading back towards the relegation whirlpool.
It was a bit of a surprise to see N’Doye back in midfield for Kleftenbeld unless the Dutchman was injured or, more likely, was adjudged to have run himself into the ground against Ipswich. This was the only change and the big Frenchman rose to the challenge. Personally nothing would give me greater pleasure to see him succeed as he seems a real character and loves to stoke up the crowd.
A bit like Ipswich, it was a war of attrition and Blues probably scored from the only piece of first half quality when Jutkiewicz swept the ball home to show he’s not just a target man who lays the ball off and the goal will undoubtedly do wonders for his confidence.
Unfortunately Che Adams got himself sent off for a rash challenge. In the old days a ref might have turned let it go with a booking on the basis that it was a forward making a tackle but not these days.
Still, we held on with the sort of grit and determination beloved by Bluenoses. Gary Monk has been on record saying that team spirit and togetherness has to be in training and off the pitch as well as for the ninety minutes and he seems to have brought that to the team.
There’s still a long way to go but there are at last reasons to be cheerful.
