BOLTON moved above Birchfield in the table with a hard fought victory at Avenue Street.

They did, however, make a poor start and Birchfield’s attritional style brought them two early tries.

Bolton’s pack soon fought their way back into the game and Rhys Pritchard, back in the side after a few weeks rest, was making good ground.

Lovgreen’s 30m drop goal and penalty narrowed the scoreline at the interval, but the visitors were still 10-6 ahead.

The visitors attempts at roughing up led to more channelled aggression. Countless times big hits and ball steals produced turnover ball and Lovgreen added two further penalties to make the score 12-10.

Two breakaway, long distance tries were both excellently finished by Stryker and Pritchard, and Lovgreen converted.

Birchfield added a penalty just before the end but the final score reflected a dominant Bolton performance.

They are back in action on Saturday when they visit Ashton-Under-Lyne.

The second team produced their best display of the season when they hammered their hosts Fylde 4ths 28-13.

Bolton conceded the opening try of the match after failing to make touch with a kick.

Danny Barlow kicked an opening penalty for Bolton and excellent work around the breakdown from the forwards allowed Alan Catterall to break the Fylde line and score his third try in two games. Barlow, on a rare off day with the boot, missed the conversion.

The next try came from an excellent platform set by the Bolton pack, Dave Ormes and Dave Evans the pick of the forwards utilising the pick-and-go-strategy to great effect as they laid it on a plate for the Bolton backline to spin it wide for Will Swift to finish fantastically in the corner. Barlow missed the conversion.

After winning a penalty five metres from the Fylde line a quick thinking Catterall tapped the ball and beat two defenders to score in the corner, Barlow again missing the conversion.

Barlow, however, put his bad kicking behind him with a fantastic try and Chris Turner added the extras.

Bolton 3rds beat their Vale of Lune counterparts 15-7.