Hartlepool United 1-0 Bolton Wanderers RECAP: Matty Daly seals quarter final spot for Pools

Hartlepool United are in action against Bolton wanderers. Picture by FRANK REIDHartlepool United are in action against Bolton wanderers. Picture by FRANK REID
Hartlepool United are in action against Bolton wanderers. Picture by FRANK REID
Matty Daly kept up his excellent record in the Papa John’s Trophy to send Hartlepool United into the quarter finals.

Graeme Lee’s side claimed yet another League One scalp, this time edging out Ian Evatt’s Bolton Wanderers side on scrappy night at the Suit Direct Stadium.

With the game seemingly heading towards the full time whistle all square, Pools were gifted the opportunity to hit the front when Wanderers keeper Joel Dixon put it on a plate for Daly with a miscued pass.

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And Daly made no mistake, keeping his cool to go around the scrambling Dixon and fire into an empty net for his fifth goal in the competition and move Pools to within two wins of a Wembley final.

Hartlepool United are in Papa John's Trophy action against Bolton Wanderers. Picture by FRANK REIDHartlepool United are in Papa John's Trophy action against Bolton Wanderers. Picture by FRANK REID
Hartlepool United are in Papa John's Trophy action against Bolton Wanderers. Picture by FRANK REID

Lee made eight changes to the side who drew with Oldham Athletic on New Year’s Day with Ben Killip, Timi Odusina and Neill Byrne the only ones to remain in the starting XI.

Lee also tinkered with the formation with Pools switching to more of a 4-4-1-1 with Joe Grey and Fela Olomola acting as wingers as Daly took on a number 10 role in behind Luke Molyneux.

And it was Daly who had the first real chance of the game when he latched onto an improvised pass from Grey.

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The Huddersfield Town loanee cut back onto his left and fired low but was denied by the feet of Wanderers stopper Dixon.

Pools appeared galvanised by that early chance and were keen to force Bolton back with a high press which almost paid dividends minutes later when Molyneux’s chasing forced Dixon into a skewed clearance.

The ball eventually landed at the feet of Martin Smith who fired over from range.

But the League One side came back into the game and almost took the lead through their New Year’s Day recruit Dion Charles who saw his first time effort from Marlon Fossey’s pullback deflected narrowly wide by Byrne.

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And the visitors went close from the resulting corner as Killip denied George Johnston with a saw from point blank range.

The League One side were in the ascendency for large parts of the first half with Elias Kachunga and Fossey causing problems down the right.

Nathan Delfouneso came close for Wanderers just after the half hour when his effort deflected into Killip’s side netting before Eddy Jones smartly dropped back onto the line to deny Oladapo Afolayan.

Pools had to dig in to get to the half time whistle and were fortunate when Olomola’s clearance narrowly went over his own bar.

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But Pools did make it level at the break and became the aggressors in the second half with Martin Smith firing over.

Killip made a big stop to deny Afolayan as the game looked to be headed for a stalemate before Daly was presented with an opening from Dixon which he made no mistake from to seal Pools’ passage into the next round.

It is now the fourth time this season Pools have gotten the better of League One opposition this season which may stand them in good stead for the quarter final.

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Jones, Odusina, Byrne, Francis-Angol, Crawford, Smith (Featherstone ‘76), Daly, Olomola (Fondop ‘82), Grey (Ferguson ‘90), Molyneux

Subs: Boyes, Ferguson, Featherstone, Shelton, Holohan, Fondop

Bolton Wanderers XI: Dixon, John, Williams, Almeida Santos ©, Johnston, Delfouneso, Charles (Doyle ‘61), Fossey, Afolayan, Kachunga (Bakayoko ‘55), Thomason

Subs: Gilks, Doyle, Bakayoko, Aimson, Brocbank, Baptiste, Gordon

Yellow cards: Thomason, Santos

Attendance: 2,529

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Hartlepool United 1-0 Bolton Wanderers LIVE: Updates from round three of the Papa John’s Trophy at the Suit Direct Stadium

Key Events

  • Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Jones, Odusina, Byrne, Francis-Angol, Crawford, Smith, Daly, Olomola, Grey, Molyneux
  • Subs: Boyes, Ferguson, Featherstone, Shelton, Holohan, Fondop
  • Bolton Wanderers XI: Dixon, John, Williams, Almeida Santos ©, Johnston, Delfouneso, Charles, Fossey, Afolayan, Kachunga, Thomason
  • Subs: Boyes, Ferguson, Featherstone, Shelton, Holohan, Fondop
  • Graeme Lee looking to emulate EFL Trophy success
  • Hartlepool United looking to claim second successive League One scalp
  • Graeme Lee discusses transfer pressure

“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧"

Hartlepool United manager Graeme Lee has been reflecting on his success as a player in the EFL Trophy after scoring the winner in the competition back in 2007.

Lee is hoping he can enjoy a similar success in the competition as a manager with Pools as they host Bolton Wanderers this evening.

“It’s an incentive [to get to Wembley]. I’ve got a good squad of players and I’ve already been looking at what players could go into that game,” Lee told The Mail.

“Looking at the team and what I’ve put down, there might be a few changes but it’s still exciting what I’m looking at on paper. We want to win the game.

“It’s one of the highlights of my career is winning that trophy, so each game we go into we want to win. We’ve got two fantastic games to go into.”

Frank Reid

Hello and welcome to tonight’s LIVE blog and a happy New Year to all of our readers here at the Hartlepool Mail.

Pools swap League Two for cup duty this evening as they return to the Papa John’s Trophy for what looks an intriguing tie against League One Bolton Wanderers here at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Pools handled business in round two against Sheffield Wednesday with a stunning win at Hillsborough last month and will be hoping to do similar here tonight.

Stay tuned to our blog throughout the evening for team news and all of the updates from the Suit Direct Stadium as Pools look to make it into the last eight of the competition.

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