English lower‑league clubs win pre‑season friendlies

Atherton Collieries extended their unbeaten pre‑season run with a 1‑0 victory over Bala Town at the Dreams2Reality Stadium, the only goal coming from Sam Sheridan’s free‑kick after a foul on Ben Rydel.

Fleetwood Town held Bolton Wanderers to a 1‑1 draw in their final home pre‑season match. Ched Evans opened the scoring for Fleetwood, but a late cross from Thierry Gale equalised for Bolton. Head coach Matt Lawlor praised his side’s overall performance and the squad’s quality despite the late concession.

Both matches were part of the clubs’ preparations for the upcoming 2026/27 season, with Atherton eyeing a successful start to their 110th anniversary campaign and Fleetwood focusing on building confidence ahead of the League One campaign.