Lincoln City’s Under-18s were beaten 2-0 by Bolton Wanderers at Lostock but drew praise from coach Sam Tillen for their organisation and resilience.
The young Imps stood up well against a physical home side and created chances of their own despite coming away empty-handed.
Bolton Take Their Chances
The match was tight during the opening stages, with few clear opportunities for either side. Bolton eventually found a breakthrough in the first half when Jack Mawditt’s clever pass split the Imps’ defence, allowing Toby Ritchie to finish calmly past Jaden Taylor. The home side doubled their lead late on when substitute Sonny Coyne broke through and lifted the ball over the keeper to secure the win.
🎯 A brilliant strike to give us the lead!#bwfc pic.twitter.com/lgLvYXOMS3
— Bolton Wanderers B Team and Academy (@BWFCBandAcademy) September 13, 2025
Tillen’s side improved after the break, keeping possession better and finding attacking positions. Forward Will Cowin worked tirelessly, forcing mistakes from the Bolton defence and fashioning a chance for himself that almost brought City level. Despite that spell of pressure, Lincoln were unable to convert their opportunities.
The Imps were put under heavy pressure at times, particularly from set-pieces where Bolton’s physical advantage was clear. Tillen praised his players for their commitment at the back, highlighting the contribution of Will in dealing with aerial threats and goalkeeper Jaden Taylor for a string of strong saves.
“We had a discussion about a few things at half time, and I thought the lads took it on board very well, we retained possession much better and as a result got into some better positions giving us some chances to equalise that we unfortunately couldn’t capitalise on,” he told the official club site.
“Will Cowin had a really good chance that he created himself by putting sustained pressure on the Bolton backline and probably deserved a goal for his efforts.”
The young Imps quickly turn their attention to the U17 PDL Cup as they face Crewe Alexandra in midweek.
Tillen confirmed the squad will regroup on Monday, analysing both the positives and the areas to improve before preparing for another tough test against a club with a strong youth reputation.