Two more goals from Jamie Reid was not enough to bring three points as Stevenage fell to defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The forward had scored in the first half at the Toughsheet Stadium and then from the penalty spot as the visitors twice came from behind.

But the home side would not be beaten and grabbed a winner 20 minutes from time to take the spoils in League One with a 3-2 success.

Boro will feel hard done too, not to have left with at least a point, but it is another example that in this division, the slightest error or slip in concentration will be punished.

Stevenage made five changes from the side that had lost 3-1 at home to Oxford United on Saturday.

Taye Ashby-Hammond replaced Krisztian Hegyi in goal while Jake Forster-Caskey, Terence Vancooten, Aaron Pressley and Louis Thompson were the others to come in.

Nathan Thompson, Nick Freeman, Finley Burns and Kane Hemmings were the four outfield players who all moved to the bench.

The first half belonged to the away side but they still went into the break level.

They were quick with the press and while they didn't fire too much at Nathan Baxter, they harangued and pressurised Bolton so much that the unforced error count from the hosts ticked over at an alarming rate.

It made the natives among the crowd increasingly annoyed long before the half-time interval.

That was still the case even after Wanderers had taken the lead.

They hadn't threatened at all until they won their first corner on 12 minutes.

That was played in short and Jack Iredale was able to touch it round the corner moments before Dan Butler came in with the tackle.

Dion Charles sent Ashby-Hammond the wrong way from the spot.

The lead lasted just seven minutes though.

A quick break from Boro saw the ball played up to Reid and after getting into the box and holding off his defender, he slid it to the left of Baxter and into the far corner.

There was barely another chance after that but Boro felt they should have had a man advantage three minutes after the goal.

Reid had seemingly not in behind and when a leg was stuck out in the direction of the ball, the forward went over.

There was enough doubt for the official to let the game continue but had he awarded a foul, it would have been a clear red card.

It was the home fans that were more annoyed with the man in the middle but while the boos that cascaded down as the final whistle of the half sounded were aimed at him, it was heavily laced with their own frustrations at the Bolton performance.

Vancooten had taken a whack on the ankle as the first half had ended and although after finishing the period, he didn't reappear after the break, Burns coming on in a like for like swap.

Whether that was to blame for what happened next is probably a bit harsh but a brighter start by Bolton put them back in front four minutes into the half.

Ashby-Hammond was forced to push a Randell Williams shot behind and from the resulting corner, the ball to the back post was sent into the net by a side-footed volley by the totally unmarked Iredale.

Kyle Dempsey was left unattended from another corner moments later but he had a big swing and a miss 15 yards out and in a central position.

That opening period flipped the mood in the stadium completely though, that was until Boro drew level.

That too came from the penalty spot after Carl Piergianni was kicked in the face as he attempted to get on the end of a free-kick into the box.

It would be a foul anywhere else on the pitch and so there couldn't be too many grumbles, Reid duly obliging with the finish.

But the next few minutes saw Boro a bit ragged and they were caught by a sucker punch five minutes later.

It had taken a little while to get Piergianni back on the pitch as he underwent running repairs to a cut eyebrow.

He was back on though for the goal, wonderfully taken by Josh Sheehan, first taking control of a long ball that dropped over his shoulder and then wrong-footing Ashby-Hammond with the shot.

Stevenage weren't done though and they pushed for a third equaliser.

Forster-Caskey drew a wonderful save out of Baxter, Freeman fired over and only a last-gasp intervention denied Aaron Pressley from getting onto a ball forward.

Reid then had a chance for his hat-trick but dragged a volley on the right across field and wide.

There was one final chance to draw level but the impressive Iredale capped a good day for him with a fabulous tackle to deny Elliott List a clear shot on goal.

 

Match details

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Butler, Piergianni (N.Thompson 83), Sweeney, Forster-Caskey (List 86), Roberts (MacDonald 86), Vancooten (Burns 46), Reid, Pressley, L.Thompson (Freeman 74).

Sub (not used): Hegyi, Hemmings.

Goals: Reid 20, (pen) 65

Booked: Reid 68, Sweeney 69

 

Bolton Wanderers: Baxter, Iredale, Thomason, Sheehan, Charles (Bodvarsson 83), Nlundulu (Jerome 60), Dacres-Cogley, Forrester, Toal, Dempsey, Williams (Ashworth 86).

Subs (not used): Coleman, Morley, Khumbeni, Matheson.

Goals: Charles (pen) 13, Iredale 49, Sheehan 70

Booked: Thomason 28, Iredale 44

 

HT: Bolton Wanderers 1 Stevenage 1

Added time: 11

Referee: Josh Smith (Peterborough)

Attendance: 17,997 (including 227 from Stevenage)