Rob Elliot causes a stir with fans over his post-match interview after Bolton beat Crawley 4-3

Rob Elliot causes a stir with fans over his post-match interview after Bolton beat Crawley 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.

It was the first win for Steven Schumacher in charge of Bolton as the Trotters came from 3-1 down to beat 10-man Crawley in a seven-goal thriller.

Charlie Barker netted an own goal in the ninth minute of stoppage-time with Bolton only kept out of the play-off positions on goal difference.

Bolton were 3-1 down on 67 minutes. They got one back on 68, levelled at 3-3 on 85, saw Rory Feely sent off for Crawley on 89 and won it 4-3 with this on 90+9.

If you’re going to watch any highlights of a match this weekend, make sure it is this one…

Imagine having the piss taken out of you by a 7ft fluffy lion #BWFC pic.twitter.com/0KKIrJYP8R

— Foulkes17 (@Matt_Foulkes_17) February 8, 2025

Rob Elliot said, per The Bolton News: “First half, Bolton had a bit of momentum with the crowd and the new manager, but I don’t think we negated that well, aside from the first 10-15 minutes.

“They obviously come into the game, as you’d expect, but I don’t feel like there was any real threat, if I’m honest.

“I thought we negated them pretty well, we had a few opportunities. We could have been better in possession, we didn’t move the ball well enough to discourage them, but obviously it’s a big occasion for the players and the big crowd.

“Second half, I thought we started excellently. We scored a good goal, then it was poor to concede straight after – we should do better in terms of stopping the cross. But then the reaction again is fantastic, to go two then three-one up was brilliant. Obviously, I am pleased with Rushy (Rushlan Hepburn-Murphy) and Swanee (Will Swan), we had real pace and real threat in terms of transition, and some fantastic finishes.

“And then, obviously controversial for me, but we’ve got a player down injured in the box and they are allowed to take a quick free kick. We just don’t seem to get the rub of the green.

“You’ve got to still switch on in those moments, but you feel harshly done by because obviously you’ve got a player down in the box and the referee’s not allowed to continue the game when that happens. But even after that, I thought we defended well and we were resolute.

“The last two goals, the two deflections, I think when you are where you are, it just feels like everything falls against you. A shot from the edge of the box falls straight to the path of their striker and then a pull back at the end of the game, deflects and goes over. But we’ve still got to manage it better.

“Obviously, Rory (Feely) is experienced enough to not make the second foul. So, that puts us in the back foot again. and we have players getting through and out of position. It’s disappointing in terms of the result and the way we’ve lost the game.

“It really is. But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”

On his side’s timewasting, with 12 minutes added on to the end of the second half, Elliot said it should be applied week-on-week in League One.

“It’s just the consistency,” he said. “Time and time again we find ourselves, especially in home games, thinking we’ve got to have at least eight minutes potentially even to chase a game, or if we’re even holding on, you’re thinking there’s going to be a lot of added time and then four or five go up.

“It felt like one of those games today where you’re going, maybe 12 minutes was the amount of time the ball was out of play if these are the rules now, but it’s just the consistency of that that’s so frustrating, isn’t it? Yes, I mean 12 minutes is taking it back to the World Cup and the start of the season before last, when it was out of hand.

“There’s no interpretation of it if I understand them. We’ve had three serious head injuries and a couple of serious injuries today. So yes, you need to stop for the game, but secondly as well, that 12 minutes, you’re just talking back to when it was ridiculous, and you need to settle it down.

“So even that is ridiculous now. It really is, considering the way the game went. But again, it’s an excuse.

“You have just got to manage it and you’ve got to be able to get through it. It does feel like whatever can go against us is going against us at the moment, but that’s football and that’s tough when you’re down here. You come to Bolton away and we give such a brilliant performance for 65-70 minutes and just finishing it off towards the end.

“Yes, I’m sure I’ll get criticism and that’s absolutely fine. I’ll take the criticism. But when you actually look at the goals, it’s two deflections, especially for the third and the fourth.

“And it’s hard to criticise the lads in terms of that. I won’t criticise the lads, but where we need to get better is that we need to make sure we have that understanding to control the game when teams step on and try and take the momentum off the team by using the ball better. And again, you’ve got a lot of young players out there who wouldn’t have been in this environment before in front of 25,000.

“With the crowd going and a new manager in, I think the squad and the players will be better for that long term. But obviously at the moment it hurts because we still want to come away with something.

“I think the lads have given me everything and when it falls short it’s tough because we’ve got a good group who are honest and give everything for the cause.”

As mentioned, Rob Elliot causes a stir with fans over his post-match interview after Bolton beat Crawley 4-3…

@howfenbwfc: Your attacking game plan was superb, the unnecessary time wasting has cost you today

@peakydav_bwfc: I don’t think any of the incidents were genuine head injuries. Never seen such a level of playacting in my life. There should have been 15 mins plus added on

@MichaelSouther7: As a Bolton fan your team played a high tempo attacking game and your goals were well taken. If your manager is telling your team to use such blatant time wasting tactics he’s stopping you winning. If you play like that you will climb the table easily but not using time wasting

@IanMass05261670: 12 minutes was conservative and difficult for the referee to see the player down ‘injured’ for the second goal when there wasn’t a single second in that 2nd half where you didn’t have a player rolling around. We were poor defensively but you got what you deserved ultimately

@JamesD1877: Man looks traumatised, might be the first real Crawley injury of the weekend

@denperry1111: I never seen such a more disgraceful set of players and coaching staff to play at Tough sheet. Today showed that cheating is not the answer.

@JesseH64365500: Moans about 12 minutes then proceeds to admit there was 3 head injuries and 2 serious injuries. As well as 6 goals prior to the 90, 3 substitution windows and large amounts of blatant time wasting whilst taking goal kicks/ free kicks how does that warrant ‘6 or 7’ objectively.

@TomJC1285: I feel for him, I really do. But its utterly boring to listen to. We have had multiple opportunities this season to get some confidence with some important wins that have been totally mis-managed. Wrong lineup, wrong subs, wrong formation and no plan B. It’s happening too much.

@bwfcbrandon: Joke of a team, time wasting and unsportsmanlike. Player that was ‘injured’ miraculously better after we scored

@FootyGirlsPlay2: Is this guy for real? Clearly not seen the second goal as no one was down when it was took and it was another Crawley player that pushed him over when he was going to him & the 12mins is from the ridiculous amount of timewasting throughout coming to bite you in the arse.

@rmabolton: If the ref stopped the game every time one of your cheating prick player’s were down injured we’d still playing & Bolton didn’t hurt us, try telling you’re cheating scumbag keeper that who went down every time we built up some momentum. Absolute scum yesterday you lot, embarrassing

@bradt_bwfc: 3 serious head injures, why didn’t any of them get subbed off then? Pro waffler as a gaffer enjoy Barnet away

@Iainclem: Maybe blame your CB for sitting down when we have a free kick when there’s fuck all wrong with him – proves by the fact he jumped up and ran after the ref, miraculously no longer needing treatment. Bunch of cheats and ref finally had enough

@leebolton73: Player injured in the box? he recovered pretty quickly going after the ref as Murphy scored. Fucking idiot. Luckily for once the ref was on to you.

@BWFCBarlow85: I hope you go down and never get promoted again the way you was faking injuries was pathetic. If any of you Crawley fans find that fine to do then you’re part of the problem today. Your players are embarrassing and the result today was justified. Up. The. Fucking. Whites.

@KyleChr27168364: Notice how quickly the “Injured” player recovers once the goal goes in?

@bwfcmur: “3 serious head injuries” – none of which came off injured…

@AlexBridge11: Had you not faked injury I’m sure the ref wouldn’t have allowed the quick free kick. However, your players gamesmanship was appalling. Deserved nothing and you got nothing. Ironically we scored in that added time.

@maffoo12: If your players hadn’t spent the afternoon rolling around like they’d been shit, the ref might have been more likely to disallow our 2nd.

@paulifa78: The whole team and bench were a disgrace to football y’day. I hope someone puts a complaint in about the coaching staff who were asking fans for a fight after the game. Absolutely pathetic team and a disgrace to those travelling fans who deserve better.

@wesleysniper998: Come on, Rob, you need to be more honest with yourself. You’ve proved multiple times now that you just ain’t got what it takes tactically to get the boys to hold the lead or to see out games, it’s criminal to get a two goal lead with 28 mins + injury time to go then lose the game

Your player wasn’t injured. He proved that by jumping up to complain as the goal went in. Trying to slow the game down which the ref thankfully cottoned on to as you did it all game. If I was you I’d be worried about how your keeper got cramp, oh wait… he was just cheating pic.twitter.com/A7zFvh61kN

— Nats (@NJTBWFC) February 8, 2025