By Ed Higgs

BOLTON Under-17s made it 11 matches unbeaten in the Raging Bull Colts Division with a hard-fought 17-0 win at Knutsford on Sunday.

League leaders Bolton had to weather an initial storm as the home side charged down the field from kick-off and won an early line-out, setting the tone for aerial domination.

Rohan Patel preserved parity with a tremendous try-saving tackle, before Bolton turned the tables and asserted their dominance.

Bolton eventually wore down a determined Knutsford defence, mauling and driving superbly before Callum Naylor gathered the ball and launched himself towards the line to open the scoring.

In tough conditions, it soon became a question of who could commit the fewest errors – a question that Bolton answered emphatically, with David Price capitalising on a penalty opportunity to swiftly sidestep the Knutsford defence and double the lead.

Bolton’s pack proved too strong on occasion for their hosts, with particularly powerful performances from Jonny Wallis, Tom Heatherington and Will Hinchcliffe.

On the stroke of half time, quick thinking in the line-out from James Val-Brookes led to the next try which, allied to Price’s conversion, made the score 17-0.

The second half was far more even, but Bolton were boosted by the introduction of Connor McGaughey, who, despite usually playing in the U16s, did not look out of place with his pace and tackling.

A scoreless second half tested this talented Bolton side to their limits, displaying their trademark resilience and team spirit against a powerful front row to maintain their unbeaten league record.

Bolton's under-12s secured a win and a defeat apiece in a three-way tournament against Widnes and Altrincham respectively this weekend.

A strong Altrincham side proved too much to handle in the opening game, as Bolton looked lethargic after an extended period without a game, conceding seven tries without reply.

It was a transformed, energetic side that played Widnes, scoring six unanswered tries to sign off on a winning note.

Oliver Keogh scored a sparkling hat-trick, aided by willing running from debutant Tyler Maley, with a strong scrum-half performance from Mark Glynn.

Glynn fed both Ben Price and Ed Perris to score, the latter capping his excellent performance with a deserved try.

Freddie Holt-Gregson rounded off the scoring in the closing moments, as Bolton showed their true potential in victory.