DOUGIE’S DERBY DAY IS A DREAM
Blackburn ship four to rivals
DOUGIE Freedman’s clinical Bolton side thrashed toothless Blackburn to secure their first back-to-back wins of 2014 and the Trotters boss insisted it could easily have been more.
The defeat was Rovers first in five to dent their mounting play-off credentials and it came in dramatic fashion.
Medo Kamara opened the derby-day scoring with a sumptuous header and Joe Mason volleyed in a second for the struggling Trotters who belied their lowly league position thanks largely to dominant midfield displays from Neil Danns and Jay Spearing.
Spearing twisted the knife further when he hammered home the third goal after the interval and Andre Moritz came on to fulfil the calls of buoyant Bolton fans for a fourth as they watched their side outclass Gary Bowyer’s ‘passionless’ men and leave the Wanderers faithful drooling.
“We were by far the better team and at times we played some wonderful stuff,” Freedman said.
“I think we deserved more than the four goals we scored and I was really pleased with our intent.
“It was a result for the fans because they have stuck by us and that was a glimmer of a team that can succeed.
“We set the tone of the game and we dominated in midfield.
“We were physically stronger, everyone did their job and we turned over possession quickly.
“The start we had this season gave us a mountain to climb but the fans stuck by us and the players are stronger for that.
“We have won very comfortably and the fact it is a local derby has given the fans something to shout about.”
Rovers keeper Paul Robinson got hands to Danns’ deflected fifth minute shot and Bolton went closer still when Matthew Kilgallon cleared a Mark Davies effort off the line.
Lee Williamson’s volley forced Adam Bogdan into action at the other end and Jordan Rhodes also drew a save.
But Medo converted Danns’ 23rd minute cross when he steered a free header into the bottom corner of the net to put Wanderers’ noses in front.
Robinson parried another shot from Danns but Mason should have put the Trotters two up when he was thwarted by Robinson in a one-on-one before sliding the rebound wide.
He regained his composure to find the net on the stoke of halftime however, volleying home the loose ball after Danns had seen his own effort blocked.
Spearing scored a thunderous third for the home side when the linesman ruled that his 30-yard drive had bounced over the line after rattling the Blackburn crossbar just two minutes into the second-half.
And Lukas Jutkiewicz dragged the ball inches past the post after more good work from the ubiquitous Danns.
Rhodes summed up Blackburn’s afternoon when he headed wide from just six-yards out before Moritz rounded off Bolton's win as Robinson failed to stop the Brazilian's stinging drive in injury-time.
Rovers boss Bowyer said:“The first goal was crucial.
“We had two very good opportunities that we didn’t take to open the scoring and I am disappointed with the manner and timings of the goals we conceded.
“The result is a bit out of the blue by our own standards but its a local derby and I don't think we displayed enough passion.
“We changed things at halftime to put three up front and have a go at it but the timing of the third goal really hurt us.
“There were no harsh words in the dressing room, just the truth. It was unacceptable from us but there is no point in feeling sorry for ourselves.”