Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers - Behind the scenes

But did the scoreline tell the whole story? We look back at some of the things you might have missed in the match along with the weird and wonderful stories which popped up around the game.

THE TACTICAL TWEAK.

There has been a lot of speculation this summer about which tactical direction Ian Evatt would take after last season and whether there could be room for wide attackers once again at Wanderers.

On Saturday we had our answer, with the Bolton boss confirming that 5-2-3 could be used as an alternative system to the 3-5-2 he favoured last term.

Aaron Collins, Victor Adeboyejo and Klaidi Lolos filled the front three, leaving George Thomason and Josh Sheehan as the two central midfielders. And there were times in the first half where Wanderers were able to win possession high up the pitch, work the ball quickly, and put their Championship opponents under some real pressure. Promising signs.

The formation asked a lot of Thomason and Sheehan, and indeed Scott Arfield and Aaron Morley who replaced them after the hour mark. Keeping width is also important, and it was on the shoulders of wing-backs Josh Dacres-Cogley and Max Conway to get up and down against Boro with an emphasis on pushing forward and creating overloads when they could manage it.

The combinations between Lolos and Dacres-Cogley on the right were particularly encouraging, and it be interesting to see where Dion Charles fits in with this system when he returns from injury.

Victor Adeboyejo turns to get on the attack against Middlesbrough (Image: Newsquest)

SUB PAR.

At this stage of pre-season, a second-half flood of substitutions is expected. Boro swapped their starting XI for a stronger one in the last half-hour, especially in the forward areas where Manu Latte Lath and Delano Burgzorg were especially effective.

By comparison, Evatt had to compromise, bringing on a few experienced players alongside a lot of the club’s younger B Teamers, which understandably affected fluidity.

It took an error from skipper Ricardo Santos and keeper Joel Coleman to gift Latte Lath his opening goal – both players culpable as the Ivorian raced through the middle before tapping the ball home from close range.

It wasn’t pretty, it stirred up feelings of disappointment from last season, but as the old footballing adage goes, get them out of your system now. Rather it happen now than at Leyton Orient on the first day of the season.

NO FLIES ON US.

In 20 years covering Bolton Wanderers games, I have covered games with signs warning that Aligators live nearby, been advised to beware dangerous Swedish ticks, seen a duck invade the pitch at Fleetwood and pigeons flat refuse to leave the press box at Leyton Orient. Never in that time have I been swarmed by quite so many thunder-flies, or ‘thrips’ to give them their actual name.

From the minute we sat down the little blighters were everywhere, crawling on any exposed skin and making it impossible to sit still. Several showers later, I can still feel them!

WHAT’S IN A NAME.

The poor match announcer at Bishop Auckland hadn’t done his homework when he started reading out the Bolton team before kick-off.

Having stumbled on Josh Dacres-Cogley, he then made a hash of Klaidi Lolos. To describe it in racing terms, he then flat refused the hurdle of Victor Adeboyejo.

Poor guy could at least take solace that Dan Nlundulu – whose surname has tripped up some of the best in the business – was starting on the bench.

Joel Coleman sporting his new shaven look (Image: Newsquest)

JOEL’S NEW LOOK.

Leaving aside Middlesbrough’s first goal for a moment, Joel Coleman turned heads for a different reason when he ran on to the pitch to replace Nathan Baxter 30 minutes from the end of Saturday’s game.

Now sporting a clean shaven head, the Boltonian keeper has taken the same route as Pepe Reina, Brad Friedel and Fabien Barthez. Perhaps Wanderers’ players can kiss his head for luck, just as France did in the 1998 World Cup?

Trevor Kettle shows a yellow card to Jamie Proctor in 2016 (Image: Camerasport)

SON OF A…

The fourth official at Bishop Auckland had the kind of surname that made you think… Surely there can’t be too many folk called ‘Kettle’?

And sure enough, a quick Google confirmed that Zac Kettle, often billed as Kennard-Kettle, is the son of EFL Rutland veteran Trevor Kettle.

Mr Kettle Snr has managed to send off four different Bolton players under three different managers in seven games between 2013 and 2021.