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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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