Respite and financial boost for debt-ridden Bolton in FA Cup third round replay against fifth-tier Eastleigh
ENGLISH football’s crisis club Bolton were granted a modicum of respite and a much-needed financial boost by a 3-2 FA Cup third-round replay victory over fifth-tier Eastleigh.
Wanderers are rock bottom of the Championship and saddled with £172.9m worth of debt, while on
Monday they avoided a High Court winding up order after their case was adjourned until 22 February. Bolton owe HMRC £2.2m.
Skipper Darren Pratley’s winner netted the club £67,500 in prize money and a home fourth-round tie with Leeds. Eastleigh had opened the scoring through Joe Partington before Gary Madine and Dean Moxey replied for the hosts, only for Kaid Mohamed to level.
Goals from Ciaran Clark and Idrissa Gueye, meanwhile, gave struggling Aston Villa a breather from their Premier League woes as a nervy 2-0 victory over League Two Wycombe booked a fourth round showdown with Manchester City.
Another top-flight outfit to survive a potentially treacherous replay were West Brom, who squeezed past Bristol City of the Championship courtesy of a second-half Salomon Rondon strike. The Baggies host Peterborough in round four.
The shock of the evening came at Fratton Park where 2008 winners Portsmouth knocked out Championship play-off contenders Ipswich Town 2-1.