Bolton Wanderers will discover their opponents in the second round of the Carabao Cup this evening following the 5-1 thrashing of Salford City.
Brandon Thomas-Asante put the visitors in front last night at the University of Bolton Stadium, but Wanderers equalised through Elias Kachunga. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson ensured Wanderers went into the break ahead.
Kieran Sadlier added a third after half-time, before Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley came off the bench to score a stunning fourth. Dapo Afolayan scored a late fifth before George Thomason was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Luke Bolton as the Whites booked their place in the second round in style with a 5-1 win.
READ MORE: Carabao Cup round two draw details, TV coverage & dates as Bolton Wanderers await opponents
Wanderers will discover their opponents in the second round of the competition this evening. But here, we analyse the ups and downs from a Bolton perspective from last night's victory.
Ups
Five different goalscorers
Wanderers have five different players on the scoresheet last night. Kachunga, Bodvarsson, Sadlier, Bradley and Afolayan all got their first goals of the new season.
A quick glance at the goalscoring charts from the opening three matches show seven different Bolton players have found the back of the net after just three games. Kyle Dempsey and Aaron Morley both have two goals each in League One.
It bodes well for the upcoming campaign that Wanderers have numerous sources of goals within the squad and that was shown in abundance on Tuesday evening versus the Ammies.
Coming from behind to reach second round
Wanderers were dealt an early blow when they stood off Thomas-Asante, probably Salford's best player, as he buried low into the bottom corner past Joel Dixon. It was a goal which had been coming from the visitors.
But as Wanderers have proved they can do countless times under Evatt, they came from behind to gain a positive outcome from the encounter. And they did it in some style with five goals against the League Two outfit.
The comeback means Wanderers can watch on with intrigue as to which side they get in the second round draw this evening, with Championship and Premier League sides a possibility.
Squad depth proved with eight changes
Ian Evatt kept his cards close to his chest in terms of team selection for last night's game when asked about it on Monday afternoon. As it turned out, the Bolton boss ended up making eight changes for the encounter.
Dixon replaced James Trafford as goalkeeper, while Will Aimson came into the heart of defence. Both wing-backs were changed, while Thomason partnered MJ Williams in the heart of midfield.
Kieran Lee came in to the number 10 role while Bodvarsson partnered Kachunga upfront. Any side which makes eight changes might expect a drop-off in quality, up to a point.
But that was not really the case for Wanderers as they blew Salford away after going behind. And the reinforcements Evatt was able to call from the bench highlighted the true quality Wanderers have throughout the squad now.
Quality and diversity of goals - with 31 passes for second
Not only were there five goals for Wanderers, there were diverse finishes throughout. Kachunga's equaliser came from a header, while there were no fewer than 31 passes for Bolton's second goal which Evatt branded an example of what Wanderers are about and trying to do.
Sadlier's strike was a fierce effort, while Liverpool loanee Bradley's was a spectacular effort from 25 yards. The final goal was a clinical finish in the box from Afolayan.
As well as the goal tally, the kind of goals and finishes Wanderers produced showed what they are capable of.
Downs
Thomason red card - but should it have been a dismissal?
Probably the only down from the evening was the late dismissal of midfielder Thomason. The youngster was given his marching orders with a straight red card following a challenge on Bolton.
Referee John Brooks did not hesitate to brandish the red card - but was it merited? Wanderers boss Evatt did not think it was a dismissal, and opposite number Neil Wood was not sure it was either. It is also debatable if Bolton should still have been on the pitch by that point after escaping a second yellow card for a foul on Afolayan.
It was perhaps mistimed but not worthy of an instant dismissal and looks harsh on second viewing. Wanderers intend to appeal it and look to have a good case for doing so.
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