Bolton fall further off promotion pace with stalemate at Stevenage

Bolton lost more ground in League One’s automatic promotion battle as they were held to a 0-0 draw at slumping Stevenage.

Will Forrester came the closest to scoring a winner for the visitors when he clattered the crossbar.

Wanderers have won just two of their last eight matches and have slipped six points off second-placed Derby, albeit with a game in hand.

As for Stevenage they are now winless in their last six and sit a point outside the play-off places.

Despite neither team managing to find a way past either goalkeeper, it was not for the lack of trying.

Stevenage’s Ben Thompson controlled Kane Smith’s fifth-minute cross but flashed his strike past the post.

Boro were then saved by goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond, who recovered quickly to collect Cameron Jerome’s shot off the line.

Bolton started to slowly build confidence and from a corner, Forrester directed Nathanael Ogbeta’s corner on to the crossbar.

Thompson missed Boro’s best chance to snatch victory with six minutes remaining as he scuffed his finish after Jordan Roberts intercepted Ricardo Santos’ pass and laid it off to the midfielder.