BOLTON bounced back from losing their opening game with a hard-fought victory over Eccles.

Having gone down 33-10 at Rochdale seven days earlier, it was a much-changed under-16s who earned a 12-5 home win.

With injuries and players unavailable for selection the Avenue Street team that stepped out onto the pitch had three forwards playing in the backs, including a prop on the wing, and a flanker and number eight in the centres.

The key criteria the team aimed to show were positivity and teamwork, and they delivered.

The opening exchanges were tense as Eccles had a decent amount of possession, but the Bolton forwards started to exert their physical dominance and win turnover ball.

Moving through the phases the Cherry and Whites crossed the line first when the unstoppable Joe Mackey handed off one opponent and took another over the line with him.

This score settled the Bolton team and they started to play with some flair.

Ben Gidman-Knowles and Darren Robbinson produced some big runs and the support from the pack was always vigorous with Brandon Booth, Harry Round and Joe McHugh instrumental in the rucks, securing ball and allowing the backs to run at Eccles.

With the changed Bolton back line, only scrum-half Jack Philips and winger Alex Toft were playing in their natural positions.

Stand-in number 10, Dom Hardy, was instrumental in setting up the next Bolton try, feeding the ball to the makeshift 12, Jack Byrne, who crashed into the forwards and recycled the ball, this time sending it left and picking out the other prop, captain Alex Tongec who brushed past the Eccles defence and scored under the posts. Full-back Issac Woods added the conversion.

Eccles redoubled their efforts and started to really test the Bolton defence, scoring in the corner from a kick and chase but Bolton held on for a deserved win.

*****

A STRONG second-half performance earned Bolton Under-15s a 33-22 victory in a home friendly against Old Brodleians of Halifax.

It was a first meeting between the two sides and Bolton just edged the first half, going in 14-12 ahead at half time.

Any thoughts Bolton had that the visitors would ease into the game following their long journey were immediately dispelled when some great handling and strong running earned them the first try.

This was the wake up call the Cherry and Whites required and some good interplay between forwards and backs gave Luke Bagnall the chance to put Bolton back on level terms with a typical charging run. The try was converted by Issac Prescott.

Brodleians were next to score again following a long, flowing move. Bolton sensed route one may be the best option and Tom Didlock and Matthew Barlow put them into a strong position.

Quick ball was allowing the forwards to get on the front foot and captain Marcus Crompton looked to have scored, but the unsighted referee ruled the ball was held up.

From the resulting scrum, Bolton were not to be denied with Robert Harris feeding Shingi Chirimuta to score in the corner and a superb touchline conversion gave Bolton a half-time lead.

A superb kick chase from the excellent Kynan Smith put pressure on the visitors immediately after the restart Bolton put the pressure on and finally a loose pass was pounced on by Owen Critchlow who reacted first to the bouncing ball to score his first try of the day which was converted by Prescott.

In what was becoming a see-saw match it was Bolton's turn to defend deep in their 22, but with Ed Webster forcing a turnover and quick hands through the back line Owen Critchlow found himself in space, rounded the winger and ran in from 50 metres for his second score.

Bolton were unable to kill off their opponents and once again some good breakdown play from Brodleians pushed Bolton back before reducing the arrears with their third try.

Issac Prescott quickly put the Avenue Street side back in the ascendancy when, having been fed by Lewis Warburton, he showed great power and pace to score another long-range try which was converted by Sam Howie.

The Yorkshire side scored a fourth try with the last play of the game but it was not enough to deny Bolton victory.

*****

A ONE-SIDED game saw the under-13s demolish an injury-hit Aldwinians 16-1 in tries.

Despite the loan of Bolton hooker Peter Webster and flying back Ed Perris to the visitors, there was only one team in it in the local lads' first home match of the season.

The scene was set instantly as Bolton scored straight from the kick off with a fine touchdown by Sam Atherton.

Top scorer Leon Hodson scored the first of his tries with a solo run after five minutes before Perris scored for the visitors to reduce the visiting team's deficit to 2-1.

Bolton have an embarrassment of riches in the forwards department, and it was a good showing in the scrum and ruck from all the members of that department, most notably Luke Davies, Fred Holt Gregson, Oskar Chadderton, Oliver Belle, Blake Griffiths and Connor Whittle.

New boy James Carville had a bright debut, teaming up well with George Jackson to feed the ball to Oliver Keogh for the first of his five tries on nine minutes.

Hodson was a difficult opponent for Aldwinians to handle with his speed and strength enabling him to make several forceful runs.

He scored his second and third tried of the day to put the Cherry and Whites up by five tries to one after just 13 minutes.

In the second of three thirds, Bolton ran over a further four tries with Keogh scoring his second, Hodson getting his fourth and fifth tries and Tyler Maley adding one as the backs put Aldwinians to the sword.

With the score 9-1 going into the final period, Bolton could have been forgiven for taking their foot off the gas, but instead they kept it down and scored a further seven tries without conceding any.

Keogh got his third, fourth and fifth and Hodson his sixth and seventh. Mark Glynn had his industry rewarded with a try five minutes from time, but the biggest cheer of the day was for forward Luke Davies who powered through to score his first competitive try under the posts.

Even accounting for the visitors' injury problems, it was an impressive backs display, although tougher challenges will inevitably lie ahead.