The Wanderers started the game with a strong and experienced line up which included new signing Idan Tal and trialist Quinton Fortune whilst there was also a first team return for a much sharper and much fitter El-Hadji Diouf.

In the fifth minute of the game former Blackburn Rovers striker Kevin Davies could have put Bolton into an early lead but his scrambled effort at the far post from Kevin Nolan's cross didn't sufficiently trouble the Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

Sam Allardyce's men kept the ball well for the opening exchanges but a defensive mistake in the eleventh minute allowed Burnley to get their noses in front for the first time in the game. Irish midfielder Alan Mahon lashed in a shot from the edge of the area which Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen failed to hold onto and the former Scotland international Andy Gray reacted the quickest to steer the ball home despite having to deal with the attentions of Wanderers centre half Nicky Hunt.

Mahon again fancied his chances from distance, only this time his eighteenth minute piledriver sailed wide of Jaaskelainen's post following a good determined run through the midfield area.

Wanderers responded a minute later with a fine move from left to right involving Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Vaz-Te and latterly El-Hadji Diouf. However, the Danish custodian Jensen was highly alert to deny the Senegal front man Diouf an equalising goal with the resulting shot.

Bolton did get back on level terms in the 22nd minute as Kevin Davies floated in a superb ball from the right which Vaz-Te controlled and volleyed past Jensen from within the 18-yard area. Six minutes later the Trotters again made a telling raid down the right hand side of the field and Joey O'Brien's low ball into the danger zone was cleared out of harm's way by the experienced central defender Frank Sinclair.

Just after the half hour mark ex-England international Ian Walker came onto the field as a replacement for Jaaskelainen in what was to be the first of three goalkeeping changes for the Wanderers throughout the afternoon.

Jaaskelainen was neither having a bad game or injured, the early switch was merely tactical as Bolton looked to give all three of their senior keepers a half an hour run out.

Israeli star Idan Tal engineered some clever passes for the Bolton team during the opening period and looks to be another astute signing by the Trotters manager Sam Allardyce. His creative input from across the midfield will no doubt prove to be useful in the season ahead.

The start of the second half saw the Wanderers make many changes to their line up, with a lot of Academy players getting a chance to sample the step up from reserve and youth football. Joey O'Brien, Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies, Gary Speed and Tal Ben-Haim all withdrew from the action as the second period got underway, but in all honesty it was hard to keep up with the amount of changes that both sides where making in the final forty five minutes.

This was evident as African midfielder Abdoulaye Faye proved to be the only senior Bolton player on the pitch by the time the referee blew his whistle for the end of the game.

The impressive Tal shot wide for Bolton eight minutes after the re-start and he was denied a few minutes later when a carefully crafted through ball on goal just eluded him at the final moment.

Bolton's travelling support where in good voice and they certainly made their feelings known to trialist Fortune as he left the pitch just a few minutes before the hour mark with cries of "Sign him up" beating around the David Fishwick Stand.

Burnley hit the winning goal with just under twenty five minutes to play as Jamaican midfielder Micah Hyde steered a pinpoint right wing cross by one time Stoke City defender Wayne Thomas past Ali Al-Habsi in the Wanderers goal.

On 71 minutes the Clarets could have increased their lead by more but Gray was denied his second of the afternoon after a header from Steve Jones's cross came back off the crossbar.

American youngster Johann Smith had a clear chance to bring Bolton back on level terms but the 19-year old took too long when faced in a one on one situation with goalkeeper Jensen.

Garreth O'Connor and Chris McCann failed to net the elusive third goal for Burnley in the final ten minutes as the Wanderers where left to rue their earlier missed chances.

Bolton Wanderers: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Ian Walker) (Ali Al-Habsi), Joey O'Brien (Blazej Augustyn), Tal Ben-Haim (Trialist?), Nicky Hunt (Mark Charlesworth), Quinton Fortune (Sean Mountford), Kevin Nolan (Robert Sissons), Idan Tal (Nathan Wolfe), Gary Speed (Abdoulaye Faye), Kevin Davies (Johann Smith), El-Hadji Diouf (Leslie Thompson), Ricardo Vaz-Te

Subs Not Used: Ivan Campo

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Wayne Thomas, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal (Stephen Foster), Jon Harley, James O'Connor, Micah Hyde (Chris McCann), Graham Branch (Garreth O'Connor), Alan Mahon (Kyle Lafferty), Andy Gray (Gifton Noel-Williams), Steve Jones

Subs Not Used: John Spicer, Daniel Kaarbassiyoon, Duane Courtney

ATTENDANCE: 4,464

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