Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Coventry City: Trotters field youngest ever team in draw
- Published
Coventry have taken four points from their opening two games following their draw at Bolton
Bolton Wanderers fielded their youngest ever team as they held Coventry City to a goalless draw at the University of Bolton Stadium to claim their first point of the League One season.
The Trotters did not name a single senior player in their starting line-up, with the 11 players on the pitch at kick-off having an average age of just 19.
Despite their lack of experience, Wanderers fared valiantly against an attacking Coventry side, who thought they had taken the lead when Wesley Jobello turned in from close range before it was ruled out for offside.
The Sky Blues had another goal disallowed for offside soon after the break when Amadou Bakayoko bundled home from a deflection off Jordy Hiwula.
Bolton's best chance of the match came after Finlay Hurford-Lockett's cross was almost fired home by Eddie Brown deep into the second half.
Coventry then had a third goal disallowed for offside on the brink of the final whistle after Maxime Biamou slotted in from point-blank range.
A fine day for Bolton after an eventful week
After a summer of financial woe for Bolton, which began with the Trotters entering administration and being handed a 12-point deduction for this season, things have not improved of late.
Bolton's first game of the season against Wycombe had been under threat of suspension, before the EFL said on 30 July that Wanderers had "met the requirements of the league, subject to the completion of formal documentation" to show their financial viability.
The Trotters took 1,600 away fans to Buckinghamshire and there was a similarly impressive crowd of 8,901 at the University of Bolton Stadium given the circumstances leading up to the fixture.
Ticket sales were halted after being due to go on sale on Wednesday, with the club finally allowing tickets to be sold on Friday after the EFL said there was "no legitimate reason" to postpone the fixture.
However, a protracted takeover by Football Ventures was suspended on Thursday after Laurence Bassini, who previously tried to buy the club, was awarded a court order blocking its sale.
The club's joint administrator Paul Appleton had said at the time that the takeover was "on the brink of completion" but despite this setback, Saturday's fixture took place as planned and was their first home game since April after last season's final Championship game against Brentford was called off by the EFL.