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End-of-season report: Bolton Wanderers

Sports Mole takes a look back at a difficult season for Bolton Wanderers.

The 2011-12 campaign was an emotional rollercoaster at the Reebok Stadium for 11-season Premier League veterans Bolton Wanderers.

After a string of injuries and a late-season collapse in 2010-11, The Trotters were aiming to bounce back after a long summer and several new additions.

Sports Mole now takes a look back at what was a difficult season for the Lancashire club.

August

After finishing the previous season with five straight defeats, the Wanderers opened the new campaign with a four-goal win at Premier League newcomers Queens Park Rangers. The club later claimed a narrow win over League Two side Macclesfield Town in the Carling Cup, but defeats to Roberto Mancini's Citizens and a new-look Liverpool left the Trotters teetering.

September

Defending champions Manchester United were next to make the trip to the Reebok Stadium, where the Red Devils ran out five-goal winners. Bolton suffered a fourth consecutive league defeat at home to Norwich, before losing another on the road at Arsenal to leave them at the bottom of the league table. Meanwhile, a two-goal win at Aston Villa in the Carling Cup offered some respite.

October

The Trotters conceded another five goals at home to Chelsea to begin October, but were able to beat relegation rivals Wigan 3-1 at the DW Stadium. Elimination from the Carling Cup at Arsenal followed, before back-to-back defeats at Swansea and to Sunderland left them in the relegation places.

November

Bolton bounced back in November with a five-goal win over Stoke to move two places clear of the bottom of the table, despite disappointing defeats at the Hawthorns and at home to Everton.

December

Defeats at White Hart Lane, Craven Cottage and at home to Aston Villa extended the club's losing streak to five games and moved them back to the foot of the table. The Trotters went on to enter 2012 in last place, despite a win at Ewood Park and a 1-1 tie with Wolves on New Year's Eve.

January

The club lost star centre-back Gary Cahill to Chelsea in January, but not before the England international could make the difference in a 2-1 triumph at Goodison Park to start 2012. They conceded three goals at Old Trafford, but bounced back to beat Kenny Dalglish's Reds 3-1 and escape the bottom three.

February

On the back of FA Cup wins over Macclesfield and Swansea, Bolton were able to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw. However, three league defeats in a row at Norwich, at Chelsea and at home to Wigan would push them back into the relegation places. Meanwhile, The Trotters continued their strong FA Cup run with a 2-0 win at Millwall.

March

A 2-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium extended the club's winless streak to five games, before three consecutive wins over relegation rivals Blackburn, QPR and Wolves lifted Bolton out of relegation places once again. However, the club suffered a blow in the FA Cup, when midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at White Hart Lane. The match was abandoned and rearranged, and Bolton went on to lose 3-1.

April

Back-to-back defeats to Fulham and Newcastle to start April left Bolton a point outside of the relegation places. However, despite taking five points from their next three games against Sunderland, Swansea and Aston Villa, The Trotters found themselves back in the relegation places entering the final month of the season.

April

Tottenham beat Bolton 4-1 in a pivotal showdown at both ends of the table, leaving them in the relegation places on goal difference alone. In the penultimate game of the season, the club were able to take a two-goal lead against West Brom, but were pegged back in the late stages. Meanwhile, relegation rivals QPR grabbed a late winner at Stoke, which moved them two points clear of The Trotters with one game to go.

Relegation was confirmed on the final day of the season, despite a 2-2 draw away at Stoke, ending the club's 11-season stay in the top flight.

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CPortsmouth442713475393694
2Derby CountyDerby442681075373886
3Bolton WanderersBolton442411981483383
4Peterborough UnitedPeterborough432481184562880
5Barnsley4421121179601975
6Oxford UnitedOxford Utd4421101376542273
7Lincoln CityLincoln4419141163372671
8Blackpool4420101460431770
9Stevenage4418131354441067
10Leyton Orient441711165053-362
11Northampton TownNorthampton44178195563-859
12Wycombe WanderersWycombe431513155553258
13Exeter CityExeter441610184358-1558
14Bristol Rovers44169195264-1257
15Wigan AthleticWigan441810165955456
16Charlton AthleticCharlton441119146363052
17Reading441511186365-250
18Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury44138233363-3047
19Cambridge UnitedCambridge431210213859-2146
20Burton Albion441110233662-2643
21Cheltenham TownCheltenham43118243761-2441
22Port Vale441010244172-3140
23Fleetwood TownFleetwood44813234572-2737
RCarlisle UnitedCarlisle4479284076-3630


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