PREVIEW Bolton Wanderers v Oxford United

A full guide to tonight's Sky Bet League 1 game

17 September 2019

Oxford United look to build on Saturday's win over Tranmere when they travel to Bolton Wanderers in Sky Bet League 1 tonight (8pm)

TEAM NEWS
United are without Elliott Moore who is still recovering from a back spasm suffered just before kick off on Saturday. John Mousinho stepped in against Tranmere and will continue tonight, retaining the captain's armband as well.

Mark Sykes is available again after illness and Matty Taylor is fully fit and pressing for a start after a groin injury while Rob Hall and James Henry will be hoping to impress when they return to one of their former clubs this evening.

See Karl Robinson previewing the game in iFollow right now.

The Gaffer

THE OPPOSITION

New Bolton boss Keith Hill has brought in plenty of new faces after Wanderers' troubled start but had a nice turn of phrase to describe where the club is currently at:

“We’re almost a football club that has come out of prison but still has a tag on. And it is restricting us" he said. “It’s a difficult one for the EFL,” he told The Bolton News. “The new owners have taken over and the club is in unbelievable financial hands now, in a great place run by great people. We know we are limited now on the recruitment. Everything we have done has had a restriction on it imposed by EFL regulations. We know it, and it doesn’t matter what the new consortium could potentially offer us, we’re governed by the EFL, without getting into the political garb.

“The seriousness of what is developing, Financial Fair Play in football, means this has to be scrutinised and I can understand the cautious approach to Bolton Wanderers. But they have helped us tremendously and we are stable now. We have to grow within our means, and that’s our intention.

“We’re happy to be governed but we have to be able to do what we need to do within those restrictions. It’s never easy but I can’t remember a stage in my life where it’s easy. When you work hard to achieve something it’s so much better. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Full-back Joe Bunney was injured in a car accident and could be out of action until Christmas while Wanderers are likely to be without a senior striker after new signings Chris O’Grady and Daryl Murphy picked up injuries at the tail end of last week.

There is one very familiar face in the Bolton squad in former U's skipper Jake Wright, currently on loan from Sheffield United.

TICKETS

Bolton Wanders
Tuesday 17th September
8:00pm

Prices

Adult	£20
Over 65	£10
Under 23	£10
Under 18	£10

Wheelchair/Ambulant prices as above

Please note that all concessions must show identification at the turnstiles to gain access. There will be no upgrades on the day of the game.

Car Parking: £7 per car £12 per minibus £20 per coach, amount payable on entry to the car park. Disabled bays are also available on a first come first serve basis and charged at the amount above.

London Road Travel Club

Departs Stadium 2:15 Kidlington 2:30

Adult Member £23

Adult Non Member £25

Under 18 Member £21

Under 18 Non Member £23

Call 01865 337533 to book your place. Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult and no alcohol is allowed on the coaches.

FOLLOW IT LIVE

If you can't get to the game then you can still watch it LIVE in iFollow.

Every league game that does not fall on a Saturday 3pm KO is available to watch online and that continues on Tuesday; the stream also includes match commentary from BBC Radio Oxford.

For more information on how to watch the U's take on Bolton Wanderers with a Matchday pass, click HERE

THE PLAYLIST
Want to get in the mood for the game? Then search for Oxford United Official on Spotify where we bring you a new playlist for every away journey, plus the dressing room playlist. The Playlistis available right now and is always flexible: let us know on Twitter if you have any more to add to help get the Yellow Army in the mood as we head north.

See it LIVE

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT Bolton Wanderers 0 Oxford United 0

U's draw a blank at Bolton. Full time report

17 September 2019

Oxford United picked up a point at rejuvenated Bolton this evening after a 0-0 draw. The U's needed to defend stoutly for long periods - despite the home side searching for their first win of the season - but came away with a draw and a second clean sheet in a row, as well as coming as close as anyone to winning the game when James Henry hit the post in the second half.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times to be playing a revived Bolton side and the opening minutes saw the home side have the better of things. Thibaud Verlinden might have done better with a header, Ali Crawford cracked a free kick straight at Simon Eastwood and when Will Buckley ran clear after 17 minutes he had the goal at his mercy but contrived to lift the ball over the advancing Eastwood but also smack it against the woodwork when he really should have scored.

Verlinden forced Eastwood into a good save two minutes later and the U’s hadn’t had a sniff of goal by that stage despite some clear rustiness in a Bolton backline which has been thrown together in recent weeks and will obviously take time to settle. The chances kept totting up for the Trotters though: Jason Lowe missed with a low(e) drive on 21 and United were being hussled out of it in midfield and just couldn’t find a way to bring wide men James Henry and Tariqe Fosu into the game.

That meant the full backs Chris Cadden and Josh Ruffels were penned back for 25 minutes but gradually United started to build: Henry had a tame shot, Woodburn forced a corner, Matty Taylor started to find space in between the lines and having withstood a barrage in the opening quarter, United were much better in the period leading up to half time, with Fosu firing a free kick over the top and Woodburn meekly heading at the keeper when well placed after 35 minutes.

Bolton’s early tempo faded like the early Autumn sunshine and United were the side pressing for the first goal immediately before the break - Taylor was denied by the evergreen Jake Wright and an outrageous flick from Rob Dickie was gathered by a relieved Matthews in the home goal just before the break.

With the game being played at a fierce tempo, the hope was that United's fitness would shine through but the first 15 minutes of the second half were level pegging before the game started to become stretched. Sub Anthony Forde saw a shot flick wide for a corner and Dickie headed a cross from the sub over the top as United tried to find the opener, all the time aware of the danger of leaving the back door open at the other end.

Former Wanderer Henry came as close as anyone to ending the stalemate with a low drive on 74 which flicked a leg and crashed against the base of the right-hand post with the keeper beaten, but Eastwood was again busy with a good save to push Lowe's (high) drive this time over the bar as time started to run out.

Forget what has happened before, Bolton will kick on from here and it was good to hear their fans in full voice after all they have been through. United head south with a point and were not at their best, but four points in four days and on we go to Lincoln.

See you there.

Att: 6786
Away: 364

Report by Chris Williams, pictures by Steve Daniels, stats by OPTA

Match Reports

Ticket News

Bolton Away Tickets

Ticket details for Tuesday night at Bolton

16 September 2019

Tickets details for our away game at Bolton Wanderers in Sky Bet League 1 on Tuesday night are as follows: