WANDERERS lost yet more ground on the promotion fight after throwing away a lead at home to Barnsley.

Klaidi Lolos ensured the Whites edged an end-to-end first half but Ian Evatt’s side looked a limp and lifeless prospect after the break, conceding two sloppy goals to send another large crowd home unhappy at the Toughsheet.

Davis Keilor-Dunn and Adam Phillips gave the Tykes their first league win in 17 attempts against Bolton – and left the Bolton boss scrambling for answers as to how his team had once again failed under the spotlight.

“I don’t think any of us are accepting responsibility (for the inconsistency),” he said. “I try to as much as I can but that is my team and they represent me, we are in this together and we have to do this together.

“Second half was not good enough for us, our standard and level. It’s a case of always taking one step forward and then another one or two backwards and it can’t be that way.

“We have to be better, and we have to accept as a group more responsibility.”

Wanderers made three changes from the side that had drawn at Wycombe, bringing back Ricardo Santos for what was his 200th game for the Whites along with Aaron Collins and Scott Arfield.

Dion Charles dropped to the bench, Jay Matete was suspended and Victor Adebjoyejo was absent from the squad entirely.

The two clubs had met 10 times in the previous three seasons, rarely separated by more than a couple of league positions. The edges of this, the 11th meeting, had been partially erased by thick fog around the Toughsheet Stadium. The mists continued to roll in during an entertaining first half, Bolton clicking into gear to take a lead into half time for only the second time in a home league game this season.

The Whites had been a little aimless early on, the front two of Collins and McAtee left chasing fruitlessly on what had been an uncharacteristically direct start. They started to get their midfield into the game at around the 15-minute mark, however, with Arfield and Lolos gradually helping their side put more of a squeeze on the visitors.

Collins should have been celebrating his 10th goal of the season after an ungainly swipe at fresh air from close range.

Max Watters then got a chance at the other end, rushing his final ball after a quick break but nearly getting a fortuitous bounce off Gethin Jones after Nathan Baxter had come to the edge of his box to make a clearance.

Neither side had enjoyed any control at that point, Bolton were starting to string passes together, however, and both Collins and Arfield went close from distance before they finally nudged ahead.

Swapping passes with Arfield and then McAtee, Lolos waltzed into the penalty box before driving a right-footed effort that Ben Killip could not keep out of the net.

Barnsley did stabilise before the break – a portent for things to come – and Baxter pushed a decent effort from George Gent around the post before Jones got a crucial touch on Russell’s cross to prevent Watters getting a tap-in.

At half time the outlook appeared a simple one, if Bolton could avoid any defensive mistakes and keep playing with a decent attacking tempo to pick up the mistakes Barnsley’s unpredictable back line would inevitably offer them, a victory was on the cards. In the end, neither of those things happened.

The Wanderers team that stepped out for the second half was unrecognisable. Luca Connell drove a low shot against the post, Russell then missed a gilt-edged chance comparable to Collins’ earlier one. The lead looked thin but the backing from the stadium remained positive, on that front there can be no complaints whatsoever.

Evatt tried to affect things from the bench, making a bold move to bring Josh Dacres-Cogley in as a marking midfielder with youngster Sonny Sharples-Ahmed available and others, like George Johnston, who have filled that role for him before.

Charles and Osei-Tutu also joined in with little consequence, and Barnsley started to turn the screw again, finally forcing an equalising goal when Phillips worked the ball for Davis Keilor-Dunn to squeeze his shot past Baxter.

It was no less than the Tykes deserved and the introduction of arch nemesis Stephen Humphrys from the bench only served to heighten the nerves in the Bolton back line. Suddenly, they were holding on and uncertain of taking even a point.

Sure enough, the Yorkshiremen found the winner. Darrell Clarke screamed for Kelechi Nwakali to step away from a free kick, which then freed Corey O’Keefe. Bolton dithered, and the ball was pulled back for Phillips to smash a shot home from 12 yards.

Most folk had left the building by the time six minutes of stoppage time had expired. Those who stayed showed their displeasure in another let down in a long string of let downs.

“It piles more pressure on us but there is no issues with the support today, it was absolutely amazing,” the manager added after the final whistle. “They were positive, got behind the players and we have let them down.

“We can’t keep letting them down or else otherwise things will change, of course they will.”