Both Bolton Manager Ian Evatt and Club Captain Ricardo Santos saw red after a physical first half spilled over during this afternoon’s goal less draw at Vale Park. Santos picked up two yellow cards in twenty-seven minutes, the first for an off the ball incident with Nathan Smith and then for a foul on Vale debutant Ellis Harrison, when the striker seemed to be goal side of the Bolton centre back.
Bolton started the brighter of the two teams, Aaron Morley playing the perfect weighted pass to Oladapo Afolayan on nine minutes through the static Vale defense, the striker firing an effort across goal, keeper Jack Stevens making a fine save down to his right, tipping the ball round the post. Moments later Amadou Bakayoko might have done better after a Jack Iredale corner landed on the centre forwards head, but a combination of defenders scrambled the ball away.
Vale might have snatched the lead themselves on twenty-five minutes, Connor Hall found himself in an advanced position, completing a one-two with Jamie Proctor, the centre back found himself in space in the Wanderers box only to pull his effort across the front of goal.
On the half hour Vale were indebted to Ben Garrity’s defensive qualities, Bakayoko and MJ Williams firing efforts in on goal after a Morley corner, but the midfielder was there to clear the second effort off the line and Vale survived the latest Bolton onslaught. The game turned on its head though moments later as Bolton’s skipper Santos picked up his second caution of the afternoon and was forced to take an early bath.
Vale started the second half much the better of the two sides, on fifty-one minutes Harrison picked up a floated cross at the back post, chesting the ball down before getting a shot away that was saved by James Trafford, before minutes later teaming up with Mal Benning, the left back tearing into the Bolton backline before dropping the ball perfectly for Harrison who placed a shot on goal, again saved by Trafford, and the rebound was to sharp for Garrity to handle as his effort looped over the bar.
Despite the man advantage Bolton counted on occasion and Vale were thankful for a fine fingertip save from Stevens as Morley looked to steel the points for the visitors. But it was Trafford that stole the show on the eightieth minute making a fine reaction save, diving to his left, to claw a Harrison header around the post that seem destined for the bottom corner of the net.
Darrell Clarke spoke to the press after the game.
“I see us getting better and better, that’s just not going to happen overnight. I see the group with two new debut’s today, more minutes for Tom Conlon, more minutes for (Rory) Holden coming on the pitch, I know I’ve got some good players in that Squad with (James) Wilson and (David) Worrall to come back into the group, so there’s loads and loads of positives as to where we’re trying to get.”
