WANDERERS pulled off a sensational win in ‘Fergie Time’ against Peterborough United with a last-minute goal from Klaidi Lolos.
The substitute scored his first goal for the club in the 97th minute, bundling the ball home after Nicholas Bilokapic had saved Dion Charles’s penalty.
Sir Alex Ferguson was watching from the stands – Posh managed by his son, Darren – but who knows whether he was still around to watch the drama?
Anyone who made a late dash for the car park missed out on a classic finale, Wanderers having dominated for virtually the whole game but seemingly without being able to put the ball in the back of the net.
Wanderers made four changes from the side that lost at Birmingham, with John McAtee, Victor Adeboyejo and Aaron Collins all returning in attack, and Eoin Toal returning to the back three as captain.
Ian Evatt’s side have failed to score in the first half of eight out of nine home games this season, their only four goals all coming in one go, against Reading.
And quite how they failed to score against Posh – owners of League One’s most porous defence – is anyone’s guess.
George Johnston had the best chance, a free header eight yards from goal after shaking free of his marker to meet Josh Sheehan’s corner. With virtually a whole goal at which to aim, he could only put his effort over the bar.
The wastefulness started early on when Collins fired over and continued with McAtee, Sheehan and Szabolcs Schön all going close.
Posh looked to attack on the counter and were at their most dangerous when they got the ball wide to Malik Mothersille and Kwame Poku. The former put a couple of tempting crosses into the Bolton box after getting to the byline but the country’s top scorers were also suffering from a rare off-day in front of goal.
Wanderers continued to threaten after the restart, Schön nodding the ball back to Adeboyejo to blaze one chance over the crossbar and McAtee having one effort saved by Nicolas Bilokapic after being played in by Josh Dacres-Cogley.
Peterborough sought to slow down Bolton’s momentum, frustrating what was by then a loud home crowd. Their threats had become rarer still but the raw pace of their front three meant they never disappeared completely, and after losing the ball in attack, one swift counter from Ricky-Jade Jones nearly ended with Mothersille getting a shot off at the other end.
Evatt brought on Charles just after the hour mark and he got immediately in on the action, bringing a smart save out of Bilokapic at his near post after Wanderers launched a quick counter of their own via McAtee.
Luke Southwood then found himself heavily involved for the first time in the game, producing an instinctive save after Ricardo Santos nudged Sam Curtis’s cross towards his own goal and then pushing away a powerful blast from Jack Sparkes.
As the minutes ticked down, the nervousness grew. Whoever got themselves on the scoreboard was going to claim the spoils.
Wanderers went close again when an excellent cross from sub Randell Williams was parried by Bilokapic, agonisingly behind Charles.
And referee Ollie Yates then made a big call to turn down a penalty appeal when it appeared to most inside the stadium that Santos had been dragged down by Oscar Wallin.
With two minutes left Sheehan saw a free kick deflected on to the roof of the net and there was another penalty shout for a pull on George Johnston.
Collins had yet another effort blocked right in front of goal as six minutes of stoppage time loomed, and moments later another shot from Charles was charged down, Peterborough by this point hanging on by a thread.
If Wanderers had wanted a big chance to fall to anyone at that point, it would have been Charles, but when Wallin’s poor header left him clear through on goal, Bilokapic came to Posh’s rescue, smothering the striker’s effort.
The game entered ‘Fergie Time’ and Bolton threw everything forward. After rejecting two penalty appeals, referee Yates finally relented after Johnston was shoved in a packed penalty box.
Charles stepped up – but incredibly saw his effort and his follow-up header saved. A mass ruck developed and sub Lolos managed to get the ball, and himself, into the back of the net.
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