Impressive Reds draw at Bolton but may rue misses

Barnsley earned a creditable 1-1 draw at high-flying Bolton Wanderers but will rue missed chances in what could have been a win.

Devante Cole netted early on then the Reds missed a series of big opportunities before the hosts levelled midway through the second half.

Barnsley remain fifth, two points clear in the top six and six off the top two while Bolton slipped down to third.

The squad was much-changed from the loss to Exeter at Oakwell a week earlier, with all three January signings involved.

Josh Earl started on his debut at his former club – in place of the loaned-out Jack Shepherd – with Donovan Pines and Conor Grant on the bench.

Herbie Kane and Luca Connell returned to the 11 after injury and illness respectively with Jon Russell and Max Watters benched. Barry Cotter came in for Corey O’Keeffe at right wing-back.

Barnsley were excellent in the first half. After a couple of early set piece scares, they were very solid defensively and a threat on counter-attacks as well as with their pressing.

Bolton almost took the lead in the third minute when Eoin Toal headed a right-wing free-kick just wide of the bottom left corner.

But it was Barnsley who opened the scoring when Cotter’s long throw on the left was impressively flicked on by Adam Phillips and Cole supplied a close-range finish.

Bolton had another chance from a right-wing set piece but the unmarked Jack Iredale headed over at the back post after meeting a corner.

Phillips should have made it 2-0 on 30 minutes when, after Connell won the ball in the Bolton half, John McAtee played in Phillips who was clean through on the right but shot across goal and wide.

In the second half, Iredale again headed wide from a corner – this time taken by Zac Ashworth on the right.

At the other end, McAtee appeared to be scythed down when clean through on goal but the referee gave nothing.

Cole almost added a second but was denied by an excellent one-on-one save from Nathan Baxter after Bolton lost the ball again and Phillips brilliantly beat a man and played in Cole.

Phillips also saw a long-range shot kept out of the bottom right corner by Baxter.

Cole then got in behind the home defence and squared to McAtee who looked certain to score but, after a defender got to back to tackle, the ball rolled to the goalkeeper.

Bolton levelled totally against the run of play when Aaron Collins’ cross from the right was headed in at the back post by Zac Ashworth.

Bolton had a good spell as Paris Maghoma shot over from the edge of the box and Iredale sent another header from a corner wide.

Barnsley settled and saw long-range shots go wide from McAtee and Jordan Williams.

But Liam Roberts made a superb save in the 89th minute, stretching backwards to claw out a deflected Collins effort.

Roberts also made a more simple save from the same player who shot from 20 yards in injury-time.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Roberts; Williams, de Gevigney, Earl; Cotter (O’Keeffe 67mins), Phillips, Connell, Kane (Grant 81), Cadden; Cole, McAtee.

Unused: Killip, Russell, Pines, Cosgrove, Watters, O’Keeffe.

Yellow cards: De Gevigney, Connell, Williams.

Goals: Cole 6.

Bolton (3-5-2): Baxter; Toal, Taylor (Ramsay 68mins), Iredale; Dacres-Cogley, Sheehan (Morley 73), Maghoma, Dempsey, Ashworth; Adeboyejo (Bodvarsson 63), Charles (Collins 63).

Unused:, Ogbeta, Gomes, Jerome.

Yellow cards: Maghoma, Dempsey.

Goals: Ashworth 66.