Bolton 3 - Eastleigh 2: Pratley spares Wanderers blushes as Leeds await in fourth round

RELIEVED Bolton had another escape last night – 24 hours after their High Court reprieve.

 

Darren Pratley celebrates with Shola Ameobi after making it 3-2 to Bolton against Eastleigh

 

Darren Pratley spared their blushes again to earn the crisis-hit Championship club a much-needed FA Cup cash boost.

Skipper Pratley’s late equaliser had wrecked Eastleigh’s dreams of a giant-killing in the first game 10 days earlier. And last night he struck the winner to finally see off the non-League side and earn debt-ridden Wanderers a fourth round home tie with Leeds.

Wanderers need every penny they can get after the HMRC – who they owed £2.2 million – issued a winding up order against them.

The case was adjourned on Monday until February 22 to give Bolton more time to either close a deal with one of four potential buyers or raise sufficient short-term funds from asset sales to pay creditors.

 

Neil Lennon’s side made hard work of it against a team 53 places below them in the football pyramid. Eastleigh stunned them again by taking an early lead – as they did in the first game – and then equalised on the stroke of half-time after Bolton had taken a 2-1 lead.

But Pratley’s goal early in the second half put Bolton in control and was enough to see them through. At least the surface was much better than the first game which was played on a mud-bath in Hampshire 10 days earlier.

But that did not prevent Bolton from falling behind in the 11th minute – and it was a quality goal too.

Andy Drury fed overlapping right-back Joe Partington who cut inside the half-hearted challenges of Wellington Silva and Dean Moxey before firing a shot into the far corner past Paul Rachubka.

The goal gave Eastleigh great confidence and despite some expected pressure Bolton struggled to stamp their higher status on the game by making clear-cut chances.

 

Joe Partington giving Eastleigh the lead at the Macron Stadium

 

It took them half an hour before they worked a clear sight of goal when Silva’s shot was deflected straight at keeper Ross Flitney.

Eastleigh threatened a second goal when a good move down the right flank ended with Jai Reason’s shot being cleared by Rob Holding.

But that scare finally forced Bolton to work up a head of steam and they scored twice in the last six minutes of the half.

Gary Madine served notice of what was to come when he headed wide from Liam Feeney’s cross.

And Madine equalised in the 39th minute when he chested down Josh Vela’s right-wing cross before firing in a volley on the turn. Silva then saw his free-kick tipped onto the bar by Flitney. But when Eastleigh failed to clear the corner, Moxey fired home from 20 yards.

 

Pratley scoring Bolton's winning goal in the 3-2 win

Eastleigh stormed back however and drew level when Kaid Mohamed – signed just before the first game – raced onto Reason’s pass to slide home his first goal for the club.

Bolton came out determined to kill off the National League side. Vela shot into the side netting after a break by Madine before Liam Trotter headed Vela’s cross over.

Moments later Madine limped off and was replaced by Shola Amoebi, who has just been told his short-term contract will not be extended because of the club’s financial crisis.

But Ameobi played a key part as Bolton regained the lead. He played the perfect return pass for Pratley who drilled a right foot shot into the bottom corner.

Eastleigh kept plugging away right to the end and gave Bolton some anxious moments.

BOLTON (4-2-3-1): Rachubka; Vela, Dervite, Holding, Moxey; Pratley, Trotter; Feeney, Davies, Silva (Woolery 86); Madine (Ameobi 52). Goals: Madine 39, Moxey 43, Pratley 58.

EASTLEIGH (4-5-1): Flitney; Partington, Reid, Evans, Harding; Mohamed (Lafayette 86), Strevens (Midson 75), Payne, Drury, Reason (Cook 79); Constable. Booked: Strevens. Goals: Partington 11, Mohamed 45.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Tyneside).