Hill fires warning to rivals after Bolton defeat Fleetwood

Posted Sunday, November 03, 2019 by PA

Keith Hill issued a warning to Bolton’s Sky Bet League One rivals after his side’s 2-1 win over high-flying Fleetwood at the University of Bolton Stadium.

First-half goals from strikers Chris O’Grady and Daryl Murphy earned bottom side Wanderers a second successive league triumph.

They remain 15 points from safety but Hill was in a happy mood after surviving a late scare when substitute Josh Morris struck an 86th-minute consolation for the visitors.

“It’s been a long journey but it is still only the start,” said Hill after Wanderers’ first home league win since beating Millwall in the Championship last March.

“We don’t want this to be the mountain we have climbed. We have to keep climbing and climbing.

“Let’s make the rest of League One nervous. That’s what I would say. If you look for perfection you are never going to achieve it.

“But the lads have shown unbelievable courage, spirit and determination for the eight weeks I have been here. There is a unity.

“So, they deserved that result because they have done a lot of hard work. But there is no dropping off.

“Hard work is the minimum requirement. You can accept defeat if the players have given everything.

“We push players to the maximum so when we get to match day, they are prepared for everything.

“And they gave absolutely everything. No one could argue with that victory.

“It’s been a great week,” added Hill whose resurgent team also earned a 3-1 midweek win over Manchester City in the EFL trophy.

“We are going to bounce all week going into the FA Cup next Saturday.”

O’Grady opened the scoring after 28 minutes following early Fleetwood pressure before Murphy produced a sublime right-foot finish from a tight angle to double Bolton’s advantage four minutes later.

Fleetwood drop to fifth after a third defeat in five games and manager Joey Barton urged his players to heed some harsh recent lessons.

“Our away form is killing us,” admitted Barton.

“But we can’t give away goals like we are doing at any level of football. If anyone on my lad’s under seven’s team did that you would be disappointed.

“It is becoming a common theme. I am a manager who likes to give young players chances and who wants to play the right way.

“But we are going to have to sit and think the way in which we do that.

“It drives you insane at times because the chances we give up are really naïve at times.

“If we don’t iron out these mistakes soon then we are going to miss a glorious opportunity because I do feel this division is wide open.

“I don’t feel our players can handle the mentality of it. Until they start showing that level of maturity that is needed, we will have to stay in that ‘one game at a time’ mindset.

“Credit though to Bolton – they are fighting for their lives. They are in touching distance of getting back to the zero points mark.

“They turned up, they fought, they battled and they made it difficult for us.

“But we have got to be cuter. Our lads keep fighting and that’s admirable but just don’t get into the situation where you concede two goals and have to get up off the canvas.

“For all the huffing and puffing at the end we couldn’t get back into it.”