Bolton Wanderers have handed Derby County another major promotion boost with bizarre tactic: View | OneFootball

As a result of being held to a 2-2 draw by struggling Shrewsbury Town at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last week, Bolton Wanderers went into their penultimate game of the season against Port Vale last weekend knowing that their only route to automatic promotion would involve a major goal difference swing between themselves and Derby County.

Bolton, fortunately, were hosting a Vale team that were as good as dead and buried at kick-off so the likelihood of racking up a score, like they have done on occasion this season, wasn’t too outlandish.

However, it took 72 minutes for Bolton to eventually find an opening goal when key man Aaron Collins rifled in an excellent effort from just inside the box but instead of Wanderers desperately scrambling back to put as much pressure on Derby as possible, time was taken out of the game to enjoy the celebrations of edging ahead of relegation-bound Vale before 20 or so minutes of attacking without genuine urgency.

From Nathan Baxter slowly walking to get the ball to take goal kicks to Josh Dacres-Cogley deliberating over a throw-in after some juggling prior, this appeared to be being treated as a routine victory when that simply wasn’t enough.

Bolton's lack of urgency was frustrating

It would have always taken something special and unusual for Bolton to beat Derby a top-two finish this season but the fact of the matter is and was that it was still very much a possibility on Saturday morning.

A heavy Wanderers win against a poor Port Vale would have meant they leapfrogged the Rams if they'd suffered a loss at an improving Cambridge United side. Now, Derby ground out a victory at the Abbey Stadium but, with another game to go on the final day, pressure could still have been ratcheted up if Bolton had really wanted to.

Bolton could have seen facing a Vale side that were already relegated as an opportunity to cut the goal difference gap between Paul Warne's side and themselves but their approach suggested that was never on their radar.

After the first goal, scored by Collins as mentioned, Bolton were on the front foot and did attack with a few chances, namely ones from Dion Charles and Dan Nlundulu, going begging.

Cameron Jerome did find the net in stoppage time to make it two goals in two games for the veteran striker but fans would be right to feel frustrated at the lack of urgency and intent that had been shown, particularly in the second half.

It would have taken some effort and some luck to propel themselves past Derby but there was almost a sense that they had given up.

Questionable tactics and comments from Ian Evatt

There is a suggestion that, like in a cricket run chase perhaps, Bolton just want to take the promotion race as deep as they possibly can to see if the other team blinks first.

For example, if Derby find themselves behind at home to bottom-of-the-table Carlisle United at Pride Park this coming Saturday at any stage then Wanderers will know a big enough win at Peterborough United will see them promoted.

That is an extremely generous point of view and a more reasonable account would be to suggest that Ian Evatt was happy for his side to settle for a comfortable victory rather than push for more goals.

after the recent draw with Shrewsbury, would back up that hypothesis.

Bolton are just about in the promotion hunt. If they, for example, beat Posh 3-0 at London Road on Saturday and Carlisle win at Derby, then Bolton will be up. Belief will come from Bolton winning 5-0 at the same venue last season combined with the fact that Carlisle have already won at third place Bolton and fourth place Peterborough this season.

Bolton didn’t miss out on automatic promotion last weekend. Seven victories in 18 matches since the end of January in League One has left things out of their hands on the final weekend. They did throw the towel in before it was necessary to do so, though, and could live to regret it should they miss out on a top-two place via goal difference.

It's a boost for Derby, who may feel they have an added layer of protection ahead of the final day.