495 DAYS OF MISERY ENDED
LIAM Trotter wrote his name into Bolton Wanderers’ folklore by pouncing to end his club’s staggering 495-day wait for a win away from their Macron Stadium home.
Phil Parkinson’s men fell behind early on to an AFC Wimbledon side playing its first home game in League One.
But after Gary Madine had levelled Andy Barcham’s opener the visitors, superbly led by skipper Jay Spearing, visibly grew in stature and did enough to deserve their three points.
Parkinson hailed goalscorers Madine and Trotter, two players who divide supporters’ opinions.
“Big strikers at every club are the ones the fans get on the back of,” said the Trotters boss.
“I had more letters at Bradford about James Hanson than anything else. But those players can be effective.
“I was pleased Gary got his goal and at the end when he was tired he pushed himself and made some good runs for us.
“And Trotts wants to have an impact, but people show it in different ways. He produces big moments and he’s done it again.”
The Dons began the game full of intent. Barcham strode onto Dean Parrett’s clever knock-down but could only fire wastefully over, before Parrett had a go himself, stinging Mark Howard’s gloves with a 10-yard snapshot.
But the hosts would soon have their breakthrough. Jake Reeves found Barcham – and the forward didn’t hesitate, curling a fine finish inside Howard’s left-hand post.
There had been little to suggest Bolton would find a way back into the contest until a Ryan Clarke howler opened the door.
Mark Davies swooped onto a clearance to feed Madine, whose low shot inexplicably foiled the keeper and dribbled into the back of the net.
And Wanderers completed the turnaround when Trotter arrived at the back post to turn home Madine’s wonderful delivery from the right.
It left Neal Ardley to rue the fact his side remain without a point, having been beaten at Walsall last week.
“We weren’t out run or outfought against a big powerful team,” said the Dons manager.
“We just let ourselves down at a couple of key moments.
“We struggled to keep our intensity going. We had a good 25 minutes in each half, and it’s tough to chase games against good players.
“You don’t find players like Gary Madine and David Wheater in League Two. It’s a whole new level and quality.”
Parkinson, who revealed Bolton have rebuffed a bid for midfielder Josh Vela, agreed that Wheater, along with fellow centre-back Mark Beevers and goalkeeper Howard, was key to victory.
He said: “Against Wimbledon you need two big centre halves and a keeper who comes for crosses.
“We had that and it was vital.”