WANDERERS (3-4-2-1).
NATHAN BAXTER…4.
If anything summed up the start Bolton have made to the season it was that fourth goal. Had made one blinding save from Evans a few minutes earlier.
CHRIS FORINO…3.5.
Gave away the penalty and didn’t look especially comfortable against Huddersfield’s wide men throughout. Can’t have been in peak condition after a long international haul last week.
RICARDO SANTOS…4.
Matete aside, Bolton’s best player in the first half, making a few crucial interventions. The concentration slipped after the break, and he struggled again.
EOIN TOAL…3.5.
Shifted to the left side of the back three again but looks to be lacking some confidence, hardly ideal with Schon struggling on the defensive side.
JOSH DACRES-COGLEY…3.
Wasted a lot of possession in the first half and really didn’t make any inroads down the right side. Struggling badly at the moment.
JAY MATETE…5.5.
Gave Wanderers a little bit of penetration through the middle in the first half, even though he ran out of ideas at the edge of the penalty area.
GEORGE THOMASON…4.
Way down on his normal standards on the ball. Got around the pitch well enough and still fights for everything but covering too many gaps.
SZABI SCHON…3.
Hardly in the game at all after the first goal and didn’t really handle the visitors’ physicality with any great success. Not making the progress Bolton would have hoped.
KYLE DEMPSEY…3.5.
Got forward a few times in the early exchanges and then pretty much disappeared from sight against his former club.
AARON COLINS…3.5.
One effort of note, cutting in from the right, but once again looked ill at ease with the system and constantly on the periphery.
DION CHARLES…3.
Nearly wriggled free of Helik on one occasion but otherwise a fruitless first half in which he kept trying the same run and didn’t get himself involved.
Subs: Adeboyejo 4.5, 46 (for Charles) – Added a little more.
Arfield 4, 60 (for Dempsey) – Not the gamechanger needed.
Sheehan 70 (for Forino), McAtee 76 (for Collins).
Not used: Southwood, Johnston, Williams.
Huddersfield Town (3-1-4-2): Nicholls; Lonwijk, Helik, Lees; Hogg; Miller, Sorensen, Wiles, Evans; Marshall, Koroma.
Subs: Headley 46 (for Miller), Hodge 69 (for Hogg), Ladapo 69 (for Marshall), Radulovic 80 (for Koroma), Iorpenda 80 (for Wiles).
Not used: Chapman, Pearson.
Referee: Alex Chilowicz 7/10 – Handled the game well enough and only booked one player from each side. Penalty award looked soft on first viewing but was probably the right call.
Attendance: 22.532.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Jay Matete.
Won’t take any solace in being the best player in a Bolton shirt on the day but at least gave them some forward momentum in the first half and took possession of the ball in tight areas trying to make something happen.
MOAN OF THE MATCH – Bolton’s three up top experiment hasn’t worked and looked to be sapping confidence out of the players who could make a difference.
MAGIC MOMENT – Matete’s two first half dribbles were as good as it got for Bolton. Slim pickings indeed.
ATMOSPHERE – Ugly at times in the second half but not as jarring as the sight of thousands of empty seats from midway through the second half.
