Darren Pratley helped dump his former club out of the FA Cup as Bolton Wanderers beat Swansea City 2-1 on Saturday.
Luke Moore had put the Swans in front with a beauty at the Reebok Stadium, but Pratley drew the fourth round clash level before half-time. Chris Eagles then pounced to put Owen Coyle’s men in front 11 minutes into the second half and that is how it stayed.
Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel – in for the rested Michel Vorm – was the first goalkeeper called into action, when he denied Sam Ricketts as he tried to direct in Eagles’ cross. Eagles, excellent in last week’s superb win over Liverpool in the Premier League, then wasted a couple of shooting chances before Tremmel kept out decent efforts from David Ngog and Mark Davies.
While Bolton were wasting all these chances Swansea were playing their usual brand of delicious football, albeit without creating a great deal themselves. Mark Gower did slice a rare attempt wide for them, but the Trotters continued to have more opportunities as Eagles and Martin Petrov lucked out.
Brendan Rodgers’ men had a goal disallowed when Wayne Routledge was ruled offside as he tapped in Leroy Lita’s cross. However, Swansea would take the lead two minutes before half-time.
Their fine passing game unlocked the Bolton defence with Lita providing the penultimate touch to Moore, who beat off the challenge of David Wheater before dinking the ball over Adam Bogdan.
The lead did not even last until half-time though. Pratley was fouled by Lita on the Bolton right, allowing Petrov to swing in a left-footed free-kick for Pratley to head in from point-blank range and leave his old pals deflated as the teams were deadlocked at half-time.
Chelsea loanee Josh McEachran fed Moore early in the second half, but he could not fire Swansea back in front with his off-target effort.
Instead, it was Bolton who would nick the lead. Petrov was again involved as his low shot was carelessly spilled by Tremmel, allowing Eagles to run in and fire the rebound to the back of the Swans net.
Lita and Pratley traded efforts against the bar before Pratley ran onto a weak pass and the latter just shot wide as the tie remained open. Kemy Agustien and Ashley Williams had chances for Swansea, while Joe Riley and Nigel Reo-Coker both found the side-netting for Bolton.
Then right at the death Swansea substitute Danny Graham could have salvaged a replay, but his header came back off of Bogdan’s upright as last year’s semi-finalists, the Trotters, march on.