BOLTON Senior Colts took the bragging rights as they notched up a 15-8 win against neighbours Sedgley Park.

The Under-18s came out on fire and fast hands and straight running gave Charlie Hardern a gap and he powered through the final tackle to score wide out in the home team’s first attack but Tom Hill could not add the extras from a tight angle.

The Bolton forwards set the tone but it was captain Josh Holmes who doubled the advantage with an unconverted try out wide in the sixth minute.

Sedgley managed to gain good field position but the hosts defended stoutly but unfortunately Adam Kazmi had to leave the field injured.

It called for a reorganisation in the Bolton pack with Jordan Ashton making a return to the front row play after many years in the back row.

Then Harry Kay introduced his power to the pack and allowing George Weston to drop back to the second-row.

Bolton’s speed of play and desire was giving them the advantage and Charlie Aylett, Mason Lockley, Ryan McClusky and Chris Brownlow made some busting runs.

League leaders Sedgley were not looking to give up their 100 per cent record this season and their umbrella defence kept Bolton on their toes.

A series of good runs and supporting play saw the away side deep in the Bolton 22 and resulted in a penalty for a high tackle by Tom Hill.

Hill broke his nose in the tackle and as he left the field Sedgley were much more alert and crashed over out wide to make the score at the half-time 10-5 to Bolton.

After the break, the Cherry and Whites edged restored the 10-point deficit as Charlie Hardern repeated his first two minutes and scored another try built of quick hands by his centres Joe Partington and Josh Holmes and his own blistering pace.

James Sykes was running some lovely supporting lines on the left flank but Bolton couldn’t quite execute the final pass to send him through.

On the other wing, Elliot Williams returned to the team after illness.

Bolton’s close work had carried on from last week’s visit to the Wyre Valley and they competed for everything with George Weston and George Carbery to the fore.

Partington tackled and ran strongly at inside centre and Harry Stocks and Joe Speakman looked dangerous and composed at half-back.

Again Sedgley never backed down and as the clock started to tick down it was they who were on the offensive and looking to peg back the Bolton lead.

For the final quarter the visitors hammered away at the Bolton line but they were kept out.

With just a couple of minutes on the clock Sedgley were awarded a penalty inside the home 22 and they calmly slotted the goal to bring them back to within a score 15-8.

Both teams contested the final minutes fiercely but there was no more score and Bolton recorded a well-deserved 15-8 victory.

A spokesman for the team said: "Charlie Hardern deserves the plaudits from today’s game though the other 18 Bolton players ran him close. Thanks also to Jon-Paul Hardman and Mark Doherty for their excellent coaching and Jonathan Hill and Gareth Stocks for building the skills and belief in the Bolton lads."