Unbeaten since the start of December, our Development squad really do seem to have turned a corner since that hard start to the campaign – and last weekend’s 4-2 win at home to Springhead was the latest cherry on the pie. But today’s game was equally as important as we were hosting Uppermill Reserves who sit directly below us in the table – so it was a must-win for both teams – and as the players started arriving, the mood in both camps seemed to be good…

That was until the game was delayed due to the late arrival of the match official – who had gone to the wrong venue – and as our lads warmed up, it was clear that there were several faces missing from the line-up. The fact that Ste managed to rustle a squad together at all was a miracle and with one player pulling out last-minute, it wasn’t the preparations that the boss would have wanted. But there was a game of football to be won here and as the teams went out for the start, it was clear that the windy conditions were going to play their part in the result here…

The game itself was a scrappy affair as the blustery winds made it difficult to get any patterns to the game and neither side were making any inroads towards goal. There were a few injuries endured as well and in truth, the first 45 minutes saw nothing much to report. We all rubbed our hands to keep warm and hoped for a more entertaining second-period…

Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY DEVELOPMENT 0-0 Uppermill Reserves

The lads drank their drinks with gusto as the coach set up raising things – and the urgency was there to start passing it on the floor, keep it out of the air and then compete all over the pitch. We had it in us to secure the win here so now we needed to go out there and show it. The lads galvanised one another and before we knew it, they were back out there ready to go again…

What followed was pretty much the same – as both sides tried to get the ball down and play but a combination of niggly tackles, injuries and the ball blowing in weird directions meant that there was no rhythm to the game. We tried to spruce things up but whenever we did look like getting it into dangerous areas, the ball would be whipped away and the chance was gone. Would there be a breakthrough here before the end? There sure was…

Because as the game ticked into it’s last 10 minutes, it really sparked into life! We had lost a player due to having to leave as the game had started late and on 80 minutes, it was the visitors that broke the deadlock when they made a rare attack down their left and the ball was slammed into the back of our net in a flash. 0-1 and would this be the first defeat in months?

The answer to that was a resounding ‘no’ because a minute into injury-time, we won a corner over on the left. Using it to our advantage, the wind played it’s part as Bobby managed to get the ball into the back of their net! It was all-square again and as his team-mates rushed to celebrate with him, he knew how important that goal was. 1-1…

And that’s how it finished. The referee blew time not long after and in truth, a draw was probably a fair result. Both teams shook hands with respect and as they got out of the wind, that was that for another Saturday. Still unbeaten since December. Sounds good doesn’t it?

Next week sees another just as important game as we welcome bottom of the league Manchester Gregs to Bolton – so it would be great if we could see as many of you as possible down there roaring us onto victory…

#UpTheCounty!