We’re straight back on the road tomorrow evening for the Papa John’s Trophy, as we travel to the University of Bolton Stadium to take on Bolton Wanderers as we look to secure back-to-back wins. With the game just a day away, we look back at times we visited the Whites.
Past Five encounters with Stevenage: LLLWL
Our last visit to the Wanderers:
Sky Bet League Two, The University of Bolton Stadium, Saturday 5th December 2020: Bolton Wanderers 3-6 Port Vale
Port Vale produced a fantastic performance to secure a sensational 6-3 victory away at Bolton Wanderers.
Six different players were in the goals for the Valiants as Manny Oyeleke, Leon Legge, Tom Conlon, Cristian Montano, David Worrall and Nathan Smith all found the back of the net for the Vale.
Vale stared the game in perfect fashion when after six minutes, Cristian Montano’s low driven cross across the face of goal was met by the boot of Manny Oyeleke inside the six-yard box, who prodded the ball home past Matt Gilks to give Vale an early lead.
Vale’s dominance continued following the restart when David Worrall’s half-volleyed effort inside the box was palmed away by Gilks, with Montano’s header being tipped over the bar seconds later.
And just three minutes after taking the lead, Vale added another, when a well worked corner move was played back out wide to Worrall, whose cross into the box was met by the head of captain Leon Legge, who headed home the second goal of the game.
However, Vale’s two-goal lead didn’t last long when in the 11th minute, Bolton’s Gethin Jones cut inside, had his initial shot blocked by Oyeleke, before picking up the loose ball and curling an effort into the bottom right corner, to bring the hosts back into the game.
With four minutes of the half remaining, some superb work from Devante Rodney earnt Vale a penalty as he won the ball back from Ricardo Santos before being brought down by the Bolton defender inside the box to give the Valiants a golden chance to regain their two-goal lead.
Tom Conlon duly stepped up and converted the penalty, when he smashed it into the top-right corner to give the Valiants the two-goal lead they deserved going into the beak.
There were no signs of rust from the Valiants after the break as they added a fourth goal to their tally with Montano’s exquisite chip over the onrushing Matt Gilks, after he latched onto David Worrall’s defence splitting pass.
The Valiants were running rampant and added a fifth goal to their tally in the 50th minute, when David Worrall burst through the midfield before driving into the box and lashing the ball into the bottom corner, in a quite remarkable performance from the resilient Valiants.
Just 11 minutes later, a well-worked routine ended in yet another goal for the Valiants when another corner ended up out wide at the feet of Worrall, before his teasing ball into the box was met by the head of Nathan Smith, in what was turning into a scarcely believable result.
But our hosts didn’t lie down, and Eoin Doyle’s 66th minute right-footed strike from inside the box pulled a goal back for the Trotters as they looked to reduce the deficit.
Bolton then went on to score the next goal of the game to make it 6-3 with 12 minutes of the match remaining, when Lloyd Isgrove’s volley from inside the box was lashed into the back of the net.
But Vale saw out the game comfortably and earned themselves a much needed and deserved three points.
Bolton Wanderers: Gilks, Delaney (Comley 54’), Santos, Baptiste (Darcy 54’), Kioso, Jones, Sarcevic (White 79’), Thomason (Greenidge 54’), Crawford (Isgrove 54’), Doyle, Delfouneso.
Unused subs: Crellin, Mascoll, White.
Port Vale: Brown, Mills, Smith, Legge, Fitzpatrick, Joyce, Oyeleke (Burgess 88’), Conlon, Worrall, Montano (Hurst 68’), Rodney.
Unused Subs: Visser, Brisley, Cullen, Clark, Pope.
Classic Encounter:
FA Cup Second Round, Burnden Park, Saturday 10th December 1988: Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Port Vale
This FA Cup second round tie was played at Bolton’s old stadium at Burnden Park at it was the home side who took an 18th minute lead when Glenn Keeley headed the Trotters in front from a corner.
Bolton applied more pressure and Trevor Morgan hit the post nine minutes before the break.
Vale regrouped at half time and, backed by 2,000 supporters, came back into the game and drew level in the 58th minute when a Darren Hughes cross was headed home by Ron Futcher.
Twelve minutes later Vale were ahead when Ray Walker sent over an inswinging corner which Bolton goalkeeper Dave Felgate dropped leaving Robbie Earle to prod the loose ball home.
The Vale defence held firm to record what is their only victory at Bolton to date.
In the third round Vale lost 3-1 at home to Norwich City, but they did gain promotion to what is now called the Championship.
Bolton – Felgate, Brown, Cowdrill, Savage (Barnes 75), Keeley, Winstanley, Brookman, Thompson, Morgan, Stevens, Darby.
Sub not used – Neal.
Port Vale - Grew, Mills (Webb 75), Hughes, Walker, Hazell, Sproson, Ford, Earle, Futcher, Beckford, Riley.
Sub not used – Harper.
Att. 7,499