THE fall-out from Wanderers’ stormy Lancastrian derby with Preston North End looks set to spill into this week.

It is understood the Football Association is ready to charge both Bolton and Preston with failing to control their players after confrontations on the pitch and in the tunnel after the final whistle at Deepdale.

The Bolton News has learned that North End also flagged up images of Wanderers’ on-loan midfielder Joe Williams with the FA.

Referee Andy Davies issued a straight red card to Preston’s Ben Pearson after he appeared to head-butt Williams during an angry exchange. But a picture taken during the melee also suggested the Bolton player had a case to answer.

It emerged yesterday that Pearson will not contest his red card, which carries an automatic three-match ban, and it is not expected that Williams will be given any further punishment over and above the yellow card he was issued with at the time.

A decision is expected to be made by the FA’s disciplinary panel later this week.

Meanwhile, Phil Parkinson reckons the decision to offer 35-year-old Gary O’Neil a short-term contract this summer has started to pay-off.

The former Middlesbrough and West Ham midfielder was a surprise addition in July as Wanderers looked to reduce the average age across the squad.

But after helping O’Neil recover completely from the injuries which wrecked his final season at Bristol City, Parkinson feels he is now getting the best out of a player who has spent much of his career in the top flight.

“Gary is getting better and better with every game he plays,” he told The Bolton News. “Having a footballer with that footballing intelligence in the middle of the pitch is great.

“If you look at how he played there, you’d say any gamble we took in bringing him to the club has started to pay off. I knew he’d be a great lad to have around. His personality and his professionalism are top level. He fancied himself to push his way into the team.”