FOR the second time already this season a cruel rebound from a penalty kick was the difference for Bolton as they narrowly lost to Littleborough.

Lovgreen scored a penalty out wide to settle the nerves on a day not best suited for kicking to open the scoring. The swirling wind played havoc for the Bolton lineout all day.

After some typically attritional play, a penalty kicked against the frame of the goal rebounded and a Boro prop was the first to react and dived over from two yards to score the converted try.

Sound tactical kicking and work from the backs by Bolton gained much territory, but unusually, the lineout was always second best on the day.

Aspinall and Abbott made solid yards and along with Howarth and Pritchard looked potent. With much effort the Bolton side, through Aspinall, scored a well-worked try on the stroke of half time to lead 10-7.

The second half saw a lack of phase play in the tight areas from Bolton and they never kicked on with the momentum. The backs ran riot and gained yards with every expansive phase, but they were always outnumbered and a Littleborough side, with a great one on one tackle count, found the slide defence easy to administer. With a late converted try going against them, Bolton spent the last five minutes in and around the Boro 22- yard line but their opponents held out.

Bolton 2nd 3 Thornton Clev’ 1st 8 A lapse in concentration within the first five minutes at Avenue Street cost Bolton’s 2nd, as they lost to Thornton Cleveleys at home 8-3.

Bolton failed to clear their lines and Thornton capitalised from a resulting line-out. The rest of the game, however, saw another frustrating 80 minutes result in Boltoncontrolling the game but without converting enough chances into points.

Playing against the strong wind in the first half the Bolton forwards slowly controlled the game in the loose but due to the weather conditions struggled in the tight where excellent scrummaging from Bolton was cancelled out by slack line-out work.

Bolton's only points came from the boot of Danny Barlow, and in frustrating moments it seemed that whenever Bolton got close to the line they were stopped by a mixture of good defence and luck.

Wigan 3rd 77 Bolton 3rd 0 A depleted thirds outfit offered little resistance at Wigan.

Bolton were reduced to 13 men with an injury to Marcus O’Donohue and a rampant Wigan back-line made the extra two men count on the wings as they ran in try after try.

Another injury to Sean Downs left Bolton with 12 men. The second half continued in the same vein as the first with Wigan coming out worthy victors.

Clitheroe 2nd 40 Bolton 4th 7 Bolton’s run of good form came to an end with a loss to local rivals Clitheroe.

Bolton were dominant in the first half and took an early lead, but Clitheroe came good in the second half and ran in several tries to put the game beyond Bolton’s reach.