Bolton Wanderers vs Brentford. Sky Bet Championship.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance12,731.
Tuesday 1 December 2015 06:30, UK
Lee Carsley ended his reign as Brentford's interim head coach with a 1-1 draw away to cash-strapped Bolton in the Sky Bet Championship on Monday evening.
The Bees announced Dean Smith as their new manager earlier in the afternoon, with the former Walsall boss in the stands at the Macron Stadium which had been a less happier place ahead of kick off.
Less than five hours before the game, Wanderers announced their squad had not received their wages for November as the club desperately seek new investment following the news long-serving owner Eddie Davies is unwilling to bankroll them further.
And it looked like being a thoroughly miserable Monday all round when John Swift scored the opening goal for the Bees after just 10 minutes.
Neil Danns' second-half leveller at least spared them a home loss, yet Neil Lennon's side remain in a perilous position both on the field - where they are four points adrift of safety and winless in 12 games - as well as off the field, where Davies stands to lose £175m in any sale.
Lennon's men displayed spirit throughout despite news of their financial situation, yet there was a sign of tension in the ranks when television replays appeared to show substitute Gary Madine verbally insulting his manager after smashing a shot way off the mark.
The Bees were set up to counter at the Macron Stadium and that style soon produced the opening goal as Alan Judge broke away down the left and shifted inside to Swift, who steadied himself and picked out the top corner of Ben Amos' net with a terrific curled effort from range.
Wanderers supporters attempted to roar their team on and they came close to an equaliser through Shola Ameobi's effort from distance, brilliantly pushed over by David Button, and Liam Feeney's chip into the goalkeeper's arms.
Despite dominating in terms of territory, Bolton's inability to carve out decent opportunities was yet again on display and Darren Pratley fired the best attempt of the half straight at Button from a corner.
At the other end Amos produced a series of saves to deny Jake Bidwell's cut across the box, Lasse Vibe's one-on-one effort and a volley from Swift.
Lennon would have been pleased with the endeavour shown by the hosts, even after they lost Max Clayton to injury, yet the visitors continued to look dangerous on the break.
Bidwell bombed forward from left-back again early in the second period and after Judge spotted he had lost Feeney, the defender directed his header narrowly wide of the target.
A lull in proceedings followed but that was ended by an equaliser from Danns on 65 minutes. The ball broke to the midfielder 20 yards from goal and his half volley found its way past Button and into the far corner of the net.
That breathed life into Wanderers and two minutes later they almost had another, Button's body thwarting Ameobi's close-range effort after he had collected Madine's flick on and turned six yards out, while James Tarkowski had to head away from under his own crossbar.
Brentford came closest to a winner, though, Vibe almost cashing in on Jose Manuel Casado's weak backpass and then bringing another tremendous save out of Amos, who at least ensured his side came away with a point with a strong one-handed stop.
