SCHU PRAISE FOR STRIKE KING AARON

By Gary Beveridge

BOLTON W 1

Collins 76

BRISTOL ROVERS 0

STEVEN Schumacher praised “goal threat” Aaron Collins as the Bristol Rovers old boy gave Bolton a priceless victory in the race for the play-offs.

Collins’ 18th goal of the season also keeps Rovers anchored at the wrong end of the table after losing for the first time at Bolton in 36 years.

Schumacher’s side had dropped out of the top six after results earlier in the day.

And Collins’ former club frustrated the hosts until the striker headed home from substitute Gethin Jones’ cross after 76 minutes.

“If you can get over 20 goals as a centre forward that’s a brilliant target,” said manager Schumacher as Bolton eventually shrugged off the previous midweek exertions of their emotional victory at Wigan.

“Collo has been really good and always looks a goal threat.

“He drifts around sometimes in games which is okay when we ask him to play as a 10.

“Today we asked him to play as a number nine and be central. Thankfully he was in the right place. But his strike partner (John McAtee) created the goal with a brilliant bit of movement. Hopefully, his goal scoring can continue.”

THIN AIR: Jed Ward can’t keep out Aaron Collins’ headed winner

The Trotters struggled to break down their visitors, and a Connor Taylor header against his own bar was as close as Bolton came to going in front in the opening period.

They lacked fluidity in a tame first half in which the nearest either side came to scoring was when Rovers defender Connor Taylor flicked a corner from Morley onto his own bar.

Wanderers looked to lift the intensity after the break and Collins, who moved to the North West in February last year, was denied by Jed Ward’s 70th minute save.

But he was on target soon after to lift Wanderers up to sixth though his celebrations were muted in respect to his previous club. The home side grabbed a second on the break, but Kyle Dempsey couldn’t make the most of an opening provided by McAtee, and Bolton needed Nathan Baxter’s smart save to deny Matt Butcher an equaliser three minutes after Collins’ effort.

Schumacher mitted that Bolton on ad-weren’t at their best but needing victory to bounce back into the top six, he didn’t overly complain, saying: “It was a slowish sort of game.

“But the two most important things were we kept a clean sheet and we found one moment of quality to get the goal we wanted.”

Bolton’s other highspot was the return of midfielder Kyle Dempsey after a knee injury for his first game since October 22. However, the downside was a first-half hamstring issue for defender Will Forrester.

Rovers remain 20th, three points outside the drop zone. Head coach Inigo Calderon said: “It was a game of two halves.

“In the first, we were better with the control of the game even though we didn’t have too much possession.

“In the second, we started to struggle a bit more. Physically and mentally we struggled to keep the discipline to do things right.

“It might be difficult to accept or understand I am seeing positive things. But it is true. Away from home, we have been really bad but this was a good game.”

BOLTON: Baxter 7, Forrester 6 (Thomason 17, 6), Forino-Joseph 8, Johnston 8, Dacres-Cogley 6 (Jones 64, 6), Morley 6 (Matete 72, 6), Sheehan 6, Osei-Tutu 7, Mendes Gomes 6 (Dempsey 72, 6), McAtee 6, Collins 7. Subs not used: Southwood, Randall, Etete.

BRISTOL ROVERS: Ward 6, Moore 6 (Hunt 80, 6) Wilson 6, Taylor 6, Swinkels 6, Sawyers 6 (Ward 64, 6), Forde 6 (Sinclair 64, 6) Shaw 6 (Hutchinson 77, 6), Butcher 6, Sotiriou 5, O’Donkor 5 (Thomas 77, 6). Subs not used: Hall, Reindorf.

MAIN MAN: Aaron Collins savours his winner for Bolton against his old club

PICTURES: MI News & Sport