Bolton 5 Walsall 2 - Report and pictures

The Saddlers looked in control at the interval when an impressive first-half display saw them go in at the break 1-0 up thanks to Andy Cook’s 12th goal of the season.

But they collapsed after Clayton Donaldson pulled the hosts level in the 58th minute.

Two minutes later Josh Magennis headed the home side ahead. Then in the 63rd minute, Jon Guthrie turned a Craig Noone cross into his own net.

Walsall did pull a goal back when George Dobson saw a deflected strike sail past Ben Alnwick and into the net.

But Magennis then netted two more for Bolton to earn himself a hat-trick and his team a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Analysis

Keates opted to throw new recruit Matt Jarvis straight in when naming his starting line-up with the winger playing his first competitive match for two-and-a-half years.

It meant Walsall switched from a midfield diamond to a traditional 4-4-2 formation with Jarvis on the left and the recalled Zeli Ismail on the right.

Russell Martin also returned at centre-back while Morgan Ferrier partnered Andy Cook up front.

Bolton lined up in a 4-3-3 system with widemen Yanic Wildschut and Craig Noone operating either side of Josh Magennis.

Ex-Saddlers star Erhun Oztumer was named amongst the substitutes.

It was Walsall who started the brighter of the two teams with George Dobson hitting the top of the crossbar with a miss-hit corner in the first few minutes.

Jarvis then had a shout for a penalty waved away when he tricked his way past one defender in the box only to be bundled to the floor by another.

Keates’ men were comfortably on top with Cook leading the line well and Jarvis and Ferrier looking bright.

And they deservedly took the lead in the 19th minute.

Liam Kinsella twice did well to keep the Saddlers ticking over in midfield with the ball then worked to Jarvis on the left.

And he whipped in a cross which Cook brilliantly headed into the corner of the net and beyond the reach of the diving Ben Alnwick.

While Bolton moved the ball well at times, it was often too slow with Magennis having to drop deep to get involved.

And it meant as the clock ticked past the half-hour mark, long distance strikes from Wildschut and Noone - that were both off-target, were their only efforts on goal.

Walsall perhaps should of extended their lead further in the 38th minute when a long ball forward from Nicky Devlin put Ferrier through on goal.

But while the striker did well to take the ball down, his first touch took him away from goal and that allowed Mark Beevers to race back and make a block.

A minute later, Bolton created their best chance of the half when Noone whipped the ball in.

The delivery was met in the air by Luke Murphy but the midfielder sent a header straight into the arms of Liam Roberts when he should have done better.

Having been second-best, Bolton made a double change at the break with Clayton Donaldson and Will Buckley replacing Wildschut and Josh Vela.

And the change almost proved inspired when, just moments after the interval, Donaldson darted past Jon Guthrie before seeing a shot bravely blocked by Dobson.

Walsall responded with Ferrier seeing a low drive from 20-yards tipped away by a diving Alnwick.

Bolton had now matched the Saddlers man-for-man in a traditional 4-4-2 formation - with the system suiting them a lot better.

And they then went on to turn the tie completely on its head by scoring three goals in just five minutes.

Parkinson’s side got back on terms when a scramble ensued after Walsall failed to deal with a corner.

The ball then fell for Donaldson who somehow managed to turn just yards from goal before firing in.

Three minutes later Bolton were ahead when Noone whipped in a cross that Roberts could only parry - with Magennis on hand to tap the ball in.

Then to add insult to injury, Noone whipped in another ball moments later which Guthrie turned past his own keeper from close range.

Walsall seemed to be heading out the cup but they gave themselves a lifeline in the 68th minute when Dobson had a go from 20-yards.

The effort looked like it would be routine for Alnwick but it took a big deflection off Beevers to beat the keeper and sail into the net.

Keates’ men were suddenly pressing for an equaliser with Cook glancing a header wide from a Leahy corner.

But Bolton regrouped and went on to grab the goal that put the tie to bed.

They almost grabbed a fourth when Buckley turned on the edge of the box before steering a strike against the base of the post.

But with 10 minutes to play they did put the game to bed when another cross from the left was powerfully headed in by Magennis.

Walsall responded with Cook controlling a long diagonal on his chest before powering a volley against the bar.

But as the clocked ticked towards the 90 minute mark, Magennis completed his hat-trick.

After being played in one-on-one, the striker fired against the post. But the ball bounced back to him with the Northern Ireland international then tapping into an empty net.

Teams

Bolton: Alnwick, Lowe, Beevers, Vela (Buckley 46), Noone, Murphy (Connell 89), Olkowski, Magennis, Grounds, Wildschut (Donaldson 46), Wheater.

Subs not used: Williams, Little, Oztumer, Hall, Connell.

Walsall: Roberts, Leahy, Guthrie, Martin, Devlin, Jarvis (Morris 70), Dobson, Kinsella, Ismail (Kouhyar 75), Cook, Ferrier.

Subs not used: Dunn, Edwards, Johnson, Gordon, Osbourne.