Bolton Wanderers 1 - 1 Swansea City - Match Report

Bolton Wanderers were pushed to the edge to obtain what could be a valuable point against Swansea City at the Reebok yesterday. Whilst some will state a point is simply not enough for the team battling for their Premier League status, without the sterling defensive efforts of David Wheater and Gretar Steinsson amongst others, it could've been a whitewash. The game started with a bang with Swansea taking the lead after just six minutes. Scott Sinclair used his pace to cut in and strike an excellent, curling strike which eluded the hands of goalkeeper Adam Bogdan and hit the top corner of the net. It wasn't the start the Trotters had in mind but it didn't take them long to even the odds and pull back a goal for themselves. A well worked move resulted in Chris Eagles latching on to a Martin Petrov cross to put the ball past Michel Vorm. The high tempo of the match continued with Swansea seeking to restore their advantage. In one of many potential goal saving blocks, Gretar Steinsson got himself in the way of free-scoring Gylfi Sigurdsson's strike not soon after Eagles had equalled the tie. However Swansea's best chance of the first half to put them back in the lead came from an unlikely source. Steven Caulker was left unmarked to latch onto the ball after Adam Bogdan parried a Sigurdsson free kick but the on-loan Spurs defender couldn't put the chance away. Bolton weren't without their own chances to turn the tables on Swansea in the first fourty five minutes either. Michel Vorm had to be at his best to deny a Martin Petrov free kick. Davies' physical presence was proving to be a problem for the Swansea back line and his one-on-one battle with Ashley Williams was competitive to say the least. However it was only a deflection that helped thwart his potential goalbound strike. With Bolton threatening to gain the lead and the home fans behind them, Swansea surprised many by taking the second half by the reigns. The home team seemed to sit deeper and not press the Swans high up the pitch, inviting the pressure onto them but coping admirably. Top goalscorer Danny Graham continued his miserable run in front of goal after Sigurdsson placed a finely struck through ball to Swansea's number 10 however he couldn't get the best of Adam Bogdan when it mattered most. Graham's misfortune continued later in the match almost adding another curling strike to Swansea's goal repertoire but his effort could only find the crossbar. Bogdan must've been feeling deja vu in the Bolton goal after the strike flew past him at full stretch but the thud of the crossbar was a welcome sound for the Hungarian. Scott Sinclair almost doubled his tally for the day too with another strike which put Bogdan at full reach in what was becoming a very impressive display from the Bolton keeper. The Bolton backline remained resolute to the peppering of Swansea shots on goal, amounting to twenty in total with only eight being off target, and kept their nerves. Substitute Ivan Klasnic almost gave Bolton fans something to cheer about against the run of play but his strike flew just inches wide of the post late in the game. The point puts Swansea on the brink of mathematical safety from relegation, but the string of results required look unlikely for them to be dragged into the drop. Bolton, however, remain in the relegation zone. QPR's unexpected victory over Tottenham in the late fixture on Saturday piles the pressure onto Wanderers to get the points from the two games in hand they have over their fellow relegation candidates. Are you thinking of placing a bet on the Olympics this year but are unsure which online bookmakers to choose to place these bets? Why not check out all of the latest tips and odds at betting.betfair.com today!