[NoSkillz]

Sat. February 1, 2025

FA Cup - Fourth Round
Bolton (19th in Championship) vs. Dover (2nd in Premier League)
Reebok Stadium, Bolton, UK

Betting Odds: Bolton: 4-1 Draw: 5-2 Dover: 4-7 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 4W 0D 2L

Bolton is in their fourth year of Championship football since last playing in the Premier League in 2020/21. They are in a serious fight for their lives, sitting in 19th place and just outside the relegation zone. Striker Chris Wright has 14 goals to lead the club. Looking through their roster, I see two former Dover players - goalkeeper Martin Read is on loan from Celtic and he played three seasons for us, also while on loan from fellow Scottish side Hearts. Also on the club is former Dover youth player Shaun Halsall, who spent two years with our U18s and three years out on loan to various clubs before being sold to Swindon. He’s in his fourth year with Bolton and is a rotational player.

We have a huge match with Chelsea coming up mid-week so I’ll be starting backups today and that should be good enough. Manuel Lugo, still trying to regain match fitness, will get his first start since returning from injury. He’ll lineup alongside Zoltan Bardi. Young Felix Hernandez is in at left midfield along with Neil Cairney, Andrea Rocca and Graham Allan. Carlos Guzman, Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz, Mwemere Mutesa and Rafinha are on defence and Manuel Perez is in goal.

Dover: 4-4-2 Counter
GK - M. Perez
D - C. Guzman, M. Yilmaz, M. Mutesa, Rafinha
M - F. Hernandez, N. Cairney, A. Rocca, G. Allan
S - M. Lugo, Z. Bardi
Bench - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, E. Harvey, Jose, A. Bamba, L. Kunchev, A. Broomes

Bolton are in a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation with Harouna Traore alone up front. James McKeown is in goal and Shaun Halsall is at DMC. Lets play well for the travelling support today.

37’ - We’re completely dominating this game but their keeper has been phenomenal. We finally break through with a Neil Cairney ball through the middle to a streaking Zoltan Bardi, who cuts against the grain and slots a left footed shot past McKeown and in. DOVER GOAL 1-0

43’ - Bolton win a corner and we clear but it’s worked back into the box to midfielder Alan O’Leary and he unleashes a ROCKET BLAST into the top corner of the net for the shocking equalizer! BOLTON GOAL 1-1

HALFTIME - Well, that was unexpected. We hold 54% of possession and a 10-2 (4-2 on target) shot advantage but they pull level on the scoreboard. I unleash some anger in the dressing room and switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

51’ - We win a free kick from just outside the area and Rocca’s shot is saved by a diving McKeown but Graham Allan pounces on the rebound and slots it home. We lead again. DOVER GOAL 2-1

Bolton switch to a 4-5-1 formation after an injury.

73’ - Cairney works the ball to the byline to Andrea Rocca, who then sends it back to Cairney inside the area. Our midfielder hits a fierce, one-time blast into the top corner and we have a cushion! DOVER GOAL 3-1

75’ - We have possession and send the ball back to our keeper Perez, who boots a long ball up field. It’s over the head of the Bolton defence and Manuel Lugo wins the race to it. The Bolton keeper is in no man’s land, as Lugo rounds him then shoots into the open net! That’s our big signing’s first ever goal for Dover!!! DOVER GOAL 4-1

78’ - We make a double substitution, taking out Rocca and Allan and bringing in Emmerson Harvey and Lyubomir Kunchev.

Looks like my anger paid off with a good second half performance.

Bolton 1 - 4 Dover
Goals - Zoltan Bardi (7.5), Graham Allan (8.0), Neil Cairney (9.0), Manuel Lugo (7.8)
Assists - Andrea Rocca 2 (8.0), Manuel Perez (7.7), Neil Cairney
Man of the Match - Neil Cairney
Other Dover Notables - Rafinha (7.1), Mwemere Mutesa (7.7), Carlos Guzman (7.1), Felix Hernandez (7.4)
Attendance - 28,316

Solid second half performance, as we end with 55% of overall possession and a 17-9 (10-5 on target) shot advantage. Great game from Cairney today!

-- We earn £92,000 for the win.



U18 Update

-- We get two more goals from Alberto Velazquez and a single from Neil Evans as the U18s win 3-0 over Wycombe.



February Board Confidence Update

-- The board are very pleased with my overall leadership. Stature increase is still the main positive and Giorgos Gesios’ departure continues to dwell on their minds for some reason.

-- We made £1.53 million in profits last month.



FA Cup - Fifth Round Draw

-- We continue to have lady luck smile on us, as we draw another Championship side in Peterborough in round five of the FA Cup. The game will be played on their pitch later this month.



International Update

-- Both Tunisia and Algeria lose in African Nations semi-final play so both Saber Nasri and Salim Loucif will be returning to the club. They should be ready to play on the weekend in a game against Blackpool but will miss out on our match against rivals Chelsea.



Next Up

-- We host Chelsea at Crabble Athletic Ground in a pivotal Premier League matchup.