A bumpy ride at the Macron

ATHLETIC'S Ryan Flynn whips in a cross. PICTURES by ALAN HOWARTH

ATHLETIC'S heavily branded kit van, front tyre completely flat less than five minutes' drive away from the Macron Stadium, presented a sad symbol of a day that didn't go to plan.

The wheels didn't quite come off for boss Stephen Robinson as he failed to make it three wins in succession.

Right up to the second goal in the 72nd minute ­- defensively, a really ugly effort from the game's star Zach Clough as a corner kick was not cleared ­- Athletic were right in the game.

Four minutes earlier, Paul Green couldn't quite create room to dig out a shot after a smart passing move sent him in and before that, Carl Winchester's shoot-on-sight policy led to him regularly troubling the area of the stand in which 2,097 travelling fans sat watching in mild frustration at their team's lack of a clinical edge.

A typical Phil Parkinson side ­- physically immense, particularly in defence, with pace where it counts and just enough strike power ­- Bolton forced the better saves.

Goalkeeper Connor Ripley was back in fine form, stopping a low effort from Sammy Ameobi quite brilliantly with an outstretched left leg when in a one-on-one situation, having earlier denied man-mountain David Wheater's header from a first-half corner.

And while enjoying plenty of possession, it simply wasn't quite Athletic's day in the opposing penalty area.

This was an eighth blank in front of goal in 13 league games and, unlike at Fleetwood two games ago where both scored, front duo Lee Erwin and Billy Mckay didn't really have the service or nous to unduly worry the home back line on anything but a sporadic basis.

As with the club van, for all their laudable efforts Athletic just couldn't get motoring.

Robinson chose to keep faith with the same starting line-up that helped secure a 2-1 win at Gillingham.

That meant no place in the XI for scorer Freddie Ladapo ­- scorer of the equaliser at Priestfield ­- with Erwin and Mckay starting together up front for the third straight game.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it appeared to be the mantra. One the bench, Lee Croft missed out through injury while there was a return for Calaum Jahraldo-Martin in place of Darius Osei.

Athletic started brightly, just as they hadn't at Gillingham.

Soon, though, Bolton's wide men began to exert influence. First Sammy Ameobi shaped an effort well off target, before the hosts took the lead with their first real attempt.

Clough charged down the left, leaving Brian Wilson in his wake, before squaring a pass to Gary Madine. Tracking back, Green knocked over the striker on the cusp of the penalty area and, 10 minutes in and against the run of play, Clough shaped his free-kick over the defensive wall and under the crossbar to Ripley's left.

Spurred on by their advantage, Bolton continued to threaten.

Ripley saved quite superbly from Wheater's powerful header from a corner 17 minutes in, flinging himself to his left to palm away.

Athletic recovered though and after Winchester had chipped on to the roof of goal, Erwin almost netted a well-worked equaliser.

The former Motherwell man stepped over the ball initially, received a first-time pass back and hit a shot from 20 yards that nicked off a defender's leg before squeezing inches wide of Mark Howard's left-hand post on 34 minutes.

From the resultant corner, though, Bolton countered with pace and could easily have had a second.

Josh Vela danced away from a tackle and set Ameobi in direct on goal. Ripley read his intentions brilliantly, stretching out a left boot to deny the on-loan Newcastle man.

Athletic made Bolton wait before emerging for the second half ­- to Parkinson's chagrin and the slow-clapping home crowd.

But the visitors were the quicker out of the traps once the action finally started up.

Winchester couldn't keep down a first-time shot after a neat chest-down from Ryan Flynn and Mckay.

Just after the hour, the Northern Irish midfielder, with the bit between his teeth in terms of work-rate, hit another over with his left foot from just outside the area as space opened up invitingly in front of him.

Then came Green's big chance - played in on goal by Flynn, the rebound fell for Ladapo who saw his effort snaffled by Howard, diving at his feet - before Winchester again let fly only to see the ball end up in the seats.

The second goal was a scruffy one. Winchester cleared off the line initially and Ripley made one sharp low save, but with Burgess fluffing his chance to clear Clough was clinical in firing the ball into the roof of the net.

Green forced Howard into a low near-post stop from a shot that may have been angling wide and Jamie Reckord failed to get over the top of the ball in a promising position in the penalty area in added time.

It's on to hosting Scunthorpe now, the side top of the division by four points and who have scored 29 goals ­- 22 more than Athletic.

Nobody ever pretended this season was going to be a smooth ride.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic will have better days.