Both sides showed great character, good determination and outstanding skill throughout the game. The game started well for Bolton with skipper Jonny Wallis setting the tone of the match with some great early carries, gaining momentum for the Bolton side.

An early penalty for Thornton Cleveleys led to a shot at goal, valuable points in this evenly matched game spurned with a missed kick. Not long after, Bolton had their own chance of getting some points on the board. Ross Hayden took up position in front of the posts, a clean strike and Bolton had the first points on the board at 11 minutes.

Bolton’s tails in the air, the tackles and carries came in harder than ever. At the 21st minute, some quick thinking from the Bolton scrum half, Milo Holmes, saw Bolton carry the ball over the line with a quick penalty that caught the unsuspecting Thornton Cleveleys off guard. The try was easily converted, once again by Ross Hayden.

The rest of the half from that point onwards was evenly matched with both sides showing great determination; each team unsure who would be the first to make a mistake. Thornton Cleveleys let the ball slip out of their ruck and into the hands of Thomas Evans who ran for the try line. After a solid carry (and with a clear 2 vs 1), Thomas Evans made a poor choice to kick rather than passing the ball to one of his supporting players. The chance went begging.

Towards the end of the first half, the game was evenly matched. Some good play from the Thornton Cleveleys fullback showed off some flashy offloading, giving them the chance to score. If not for the try saving tackle from the Bolton fullback Ross Hayden, they would most definitely have scored. A turnover, by the Bolton Prop and Assistant Coach Dan Aspinall, gave the team a chance to get a few more points on the board on the stroke of half time. An outstanding kick from Ross Hayden, from inside his own half, gave Bolton a 13-0 lead going into the halfway point.

Passionate and uplifting words from senior players and coaches: Jonny Wallis, Josh Holmes, Ben Cottam, Dan Aspinall and Ross Hayden all gave the team the talk they needed to motivate them for the second half.

The second half showed that the Thornton Cleveleys side had also motivated themselves, with an outstanding bit of play from the Thornton Cleveleys centre giving them an early try, which was quickly converted. Not what the men in red wanted from the kick off.

The next 10 minutes proved difficult for the Bolton side, Thornton Cleveleys had managed to sort out their game, crashing their runs and polishing up their passing. It seemed as though the tide was changing in this game. Injuries caused people to be taken off the field, requiring people to be played out of position. A deliberate knock-on saw the Bolton centre, Chris Clarke, sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. The penalty was converted with ease by the Thornton Cleveleys kicker.

In the 51st minute, the determined Thornton Cleveleys side had their forwards making plenty of metres, though Bolton's defence was solid, with big hits coming in from Mark Chappelhow, Danny Ash, Joshua Parsons and Paul Leigh. Thornton had worked hard, drawing men in and having a one man advantage, due to the sin bin. They shipped, through the hands of their 10, onto their 12 and then to their 13. The ball was flung out to the winger. If the ball had been caught by the winger, it would most certainly have been a try for Thornton Cleveleys. Thomas Evans, who had been placed on the wing due to injuries, saw what was coming and attempted an interception. Grabbing the ball from the air, on the halfway line, he sprinted clear of the chasing players towards the try line. Diving under the sticks, taking the score to 18-10 to Bolton and making up for his previous blunder.

The rest of the game continued with an arm wrestle, both sides having good opportunities that were halted by the other. The dying minutes of the game were tight and suspenseful. In the 77th minute Thornton Cleveleys were awarded a penalty, which they kicked to leave the game 13-18 to Bolton. The next 3 minutes were filled with Bolton desperately trying to keep hold of the ball, while their opposition desperately tried to get it back. As the clock went red, the ball was shipped into touch, the final whistle went. 18-13 the final result, and a massive first victory of the season for Bolton.

After a tough start to the season for Bolton, hopefully this is the start of their upwards climb for the rest of the season.

MOTM: Dan Aspinall (hooker)

Honourable mentions for outstanding performances go to Mark Chappelhow and Danny Ash who in the last 10 minutes of the game lead the line and made countless tackles, Ross Hayden for his monster boot which Bolton rely on each and every week, and Sam Howie freshly back from Durham University who might have been outsized by the opposition backs, but didn't miss a single tackle all game and was very solid in midfield.

Bolton head back to Avenue Street next week to take on Liverpool Collegiate, attempting to string together good performances and back-to-back wins.