Immediate Reaction: Bolton Wanderers 5-2 Walsall

The Magic of The FA Cup was alive and well at the UNIBOL today.

Bolton Wanderers came from behind to beat Walsall 5-2 in front of the smallest Bolton home crowd for a 3rd round tie post World War Two.

After the humiliating defeat against Hull on New Years Day, Wanderers needed to respond, but found themselves 1-0 down in the 19th minute.

Matt Jarvis set up Andy Cook to hand the Saddlers the lead.

Thankfully, Wanderers came out all guns blazing in the second half.

Substitute Clayton Donaldson scored from close range just before the hour mark to level the score. It was his first goal for over a year, in which he played 32 games.

Just three minutes later, Josh Magennis gave Wanderers the lead with his first goal in nineteen games.

It was three two minutes after that. A Craig Noone cross was turned into his own net by Jon Guthrie to put Wanderers well in control.

With just over twenty minutes to go, a Walsall shot hit Mark Beevers and rolled in. 3-2.

But Wanderers didn’t let the lead slip and made it four with ten minutes to go. Craig Noone put in another fantastic cross & Josh Magennis fired a terriffic header past Roberts.

In the 87th minute, Magennis scored again to claim his hat trick, the first Wanderers player to score one since Joe Mason against Rotherham back in 2014.

Late on, promising youngster Luca Connell came on off the bench to make his Wanderers debut.

Magennis will probably the grab the headlines for his hat trick (and deservedly so), but Craig Noone deserves a huge mention. His crossing was immense today.

5-2. What a day to be a Wanderers fan.

First time we’ve seen five goals since 2011.

First hat trick since 2014.

First time we’ve come from behind to win for nearly two years.

It was exactly what everyone needed after NYD and yesterday’s events.

Onwards to the fourth round.

COYWM.