Phil Neale castigated his back four for uncharacteristic errors after watching Bolton Wanderers twice throw away the lead in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Fulham this afternoon.
Wanderers let within fifty seconds when Martin Pike lashed home an unerring left-footed finish after being afforded far too much space 25 yards out, but their first defensive slip-up allowed the Cottagers to equalise when five minutes. Steve Milton fired home on his right foot following fine approach play from John Marshall, but Fulham failed to capitalise on their reprieve.
Stuart Storer scored his third goal in four games after bright build-up play by Mark Comstive and the impressive Pike to put Bolton back in the lead, but the visiting defence fell to pieces again six minutes before half time. This time Justin Skinner was given acres of space to head home his fourth goal of the season from Alan Dowson’s cross, to Neal’s understandable fury. “We looked like we were opening them up with a tin opener but then became a bit unprofessional,” he surmised understatedly afterwards.
Wanderers lost on-loan Pike to a gash leg after he felt the full force of a Skinner challenge in the second half and they could also have lost the game had referee John Carter awarded a penalty when Mark Winstanley sent Clive Walker flying in the box with five minutes to go. Quite why he didn’t is anybody’s guess.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, Dowson, Burns, Marshall, Scott, Skinner (Bremner 54), Walker, Milton, Watson (Barnett 70).
BOOKED: Skinner.
GOALS: Milton (6), Skinner (39).
BOLTON WANDERERS: Felgate; Crombie, Winstanley, Pike (Came 72), Brown, Darby, Storer, Thompson, Comstive, Reeves, Philliskirk (Henshaw 84).
GOALS: Pike (1), Storer (26).
REFEREE: John Carter.
ATTENDANCE: 4,523.
