AN improved Bolton Under-18s still have work to do after a 25-12 home defeat to Blackburn.

The scoreline flattered the visitors but illustrated that the Avenue Street senior colts have to be more clinical with their chances and capitalise on the periods of the game when they are on top.

Having conceded their customary early try Bolton played their best period of rugby of the season.

The midfield three of Milo Holmes, Kier Kennick and James Evans made inroads, and Tom Crook, Matt Moore and Alex Tonge ran hard up front enabling the pack to win good, quick front-foot ball.

Evans scored a try only for Blackburn to get their second against the run of play.

Bolton then found themselves 12-10 in front after Kennick jinked round a couple of defenders to score under the posts.

The home side were on top but hesitancy at the breakdown and the greater physical presence of the visitors cost them and Blackburn scored again to lead 15-12 at the break.

Bolton started the second half well and created several early opportunities, but poor handling let them down when good chances presented themselves.

Joe McHugh and Ollie Thompson made good yards, but Bolton were unable to move the ball quickly or accurately enough to trouble the visitors’ scramble defence and Blackburn finished strongly with a couple of tries to give a scoreline which did not do justice to the home side's performance.

Bolton U14s convincingly beat Wigan 36-7 in a friendly at Avenue Street.

The visitors, who lost to Bolton in the cup last month, took the lead with a converted try after three minutes of almost total possession and pressure.

Bolton realised they had a fight on their hands and started to perform with good play from Ben Price in the centre and second-row Ben Mallavialle carrying the ball strongly.

The scores were level on 13 minutes when Price drew the defenders and played the ball out for Leon Hodson to find a gap and score a try which Price converted.

Although it was against the run of play it was a platform upon which Bolton could build and they gradually eliminated the errors from their game.

They took a slightly fortunate five-point advantage into the break after scoring on the stroke of half time, Oliver Keogh running onto a deft Price kick before touching down.

An injury to playmaker Price threatened to dent Bolton's chances, but they extended their lead when Hodson scored his second try after shaking off five tackles with brute force.

Bolton got into full stride, despite being down a man due to the sin-binning of Harry McDermott for an inadvertent hand off to the face.

Winger Logan Singleton got a well-deserved try five minutes before the end, before Hodson completed his hat-trick, and Keogh got his second try to put some gloss on the scoreline and secure Bolton's fourth win in five games.

Bolton U13s had to give Wigan four players due to the visitors struggling for numbers, and then beat them 30-15.

Kaiden Unsworth, who is averaging four tries per game, put Bolton ahead with a try then added another with a typically unstoppable speedy break after strong forwards play from Tom Padmore, Patrick Markey and Jack Vickers.

The teams went into the interval with little to choose between them before the depth of Bolton's squad showed.

Strong running from Finlay O'Mara, Adam Gordon and Mason Rimmer put pressure on Wigan, and impact player Tyler Davies powered through from a penalty tap to put Bolton ahead and Unsworth finished the day with another.

Jamie Begg produced a classy scrum-half performance and Robert Murray made several try-saving tackles.