PARKY’S BOYS DIG DEEP AT DEEPDALE
No loss in six for tough Trotters
BOLTON manager Phil Parkinson commended the resilience and gamemanagement of his side as they held Preston to a goalless draw in the Lancashire derby at Deepdale.
Both sides had opportunities to win the game, with first-half chances for Tom Barkhuizen and Josh Vela the best of the match.
The draw ends Preston’s wretched recent run of four successive Championship defeats but does mean they are now winless in seven.
Bolton’s recent upturn in form continues, with their unbeaten run extending to six matches, and Parkinson believes the way they managed the game was crucial.
“If you can’t win, you don’t get beat,” he said.
“We managed the game, we went for the win but didn’t leave the back door open too many times.
“We take a point, it’s a good point for us. It’s possibly a fair result on the balance of the game but if you look at the second half we played well and looked a threat going forward.
“We are pleased with the clean sheet as well. Everybody knows that staying in this division will be built on getting clean sheets and we can build on that on Tuesday night [against Reading].
“Six unbeaten means there’s a new-found resilience in the team. We are pleased, we came here feeling we could win but we weren’t able to do that.”
Preston started the better and came close twice in the sixth minute as Paul Gallagher worked a short corner before testing Ben Alnwick at his near post and Paul Huntington couldn’t guide the ball on target from the second corner.
And the hosts came close again ten minutes later with Gallagher producing a superb delivery from a free-kick which was flicked inches wide of the far post by Barkhuizen from 12 yards.
Bolton had their first opportunity on the half-hour mark as the loose ball dropped for Vela on the half-volley from 15 yards but his fierce drive was tipped over by Chris Maxwell.
Adam Armstrong then jinked his way down the left after 65 minutes before cutting back on his right foot and forcing Chris Maxwell to parry away low to his left.
Darren Pratley almost broke the deadlock for Bolton in the 74th minute with a thunderous strike from 20 yards that whistled inches over Maxwell’s crossbar, but the game was to finish goalless.
Preston manager Alex Neil felt his side were the ones most likely to win and saw plenty of positives to take.
“I thought if one side was going to win the game, we certainly had the best chances,” Neil said. “We haven’t played well last two games so we focused on the performance being better, and I think it was.
“I was pleased with the first half, we moved the ball well and created three or four opportunities, albeit most of them from set plays. There was maybe a lack of composure or lack of quality with that final pass.
“We were hoping to try and get three points to turn it around. Clean sheets haven’t been forthcoming so it was important we did that.
“So there’s plenty of positives to take. We all know we can play better and there’s more to come but it’s something to build on.”