Bolton Wanderers 1 Luton Town 2
Luton had to come from behind to see off League One Bolton at the second attempt as Rob Edwards’ side just about came through their FA Cup third round replay with a 2-1 win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Having held their Premier League opponents goalless nine days ago, Bolton stunned the Hatters when Dion Charles put them ahead 11 minutes in.
But Tahith Chong swiftly equalised before Chiedozie Ogbene’s second half goal set up a tie against the winners of Wednesday’s replay between Everton and Crystal Palace.
Before kick-off there was a minute’s silence in memory of Iain Purslow, the 71-year-old Bolton supporter who died after being taken ill during Saturday’s League One match against Cheltenham, which was abandoned midway through the first half.
The hosts then snatched an early lead as they hit Luton on the counter-attack.
Will Forrester’s pass forward found the run of Victor Adeboyejo, who skipped away from Teden Mengi before cutting the ball back for Charles, too easily getting goal-side of Reece Burke, to sweep the ball home.
But Luton needed only four minutes to equalise. Ross Barkley, taking his place in a strong Hatters XI which showed five changes from Friday’s 1-1 draw just up the road at Burnley, dispossessed Josh Dacres-Cogley just outside the Bolton box and Luton swiftly moved the ball left.
Jordan Clark played it through to Chong and the former Manchester United player tucked it through the legs of Forrester and into the far corner.
Luton remained on the front foot. Chong saw a shot deflected wide before Carlton Morris, Friday’s goalscorer, blazed wastefully over.
Four-time FA Cup winners Bolton, only two points from the top of League One with three games in hand, came into this replay unbeaten in six and looked confident any time they had a chance to attack.
Adeboyejo went for the audacious just before half-time, spotting Luton’s cup goalkeeper Tim Krul off his line and taking aim from the edge of the centre circle. Krul desperately back-pedalled, doing just enough to stop the ball under his crossbar before gathering at the second attempt.
Both sides went close in a frantic start to the second half. Paris Maghoma stung the palms of Krul before Luton went to the other end. Clark’s bouncing strike struck the post and both Chong and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu were denied by smart saves from Baxter before the danger was cleared.
Bolton responded immediately, and Barkley made a superb block to deny Charles from close range as he tried to turn in Adeboyejo’s cross.
It was Bolton’s best spell of the match but it came to an abrupt end in the 57th minute when Morris fired in a precise low cross from the left and Ogbene could hardly miss as he slammed home his first FA Cup goal.
Bolton thought they had levelled in the 74th minute when Barkley was caught in possession and Charles turned in a low cross from the right, but after a moment’s pause the offside flag went up and Luton safely saw the game out.
Bristol City 1 West Ham 0
Tommy Conway’s early goal secured second-tier Bristol City a place in the FA Cup fourth round as they beat Premier League West Ham United in a tempestuous replay at a rocking Ashton Gate on Tuesday.
Youngster Conway pounced on a poor back pass in the third minute to give the hosts the lead and City were well worth their victory as West Ham ended with 10 men after Said Benrahma was red-carded early in the second half.
Conway, a product of Bristol City’s youth team, had also scored in the initial tie that ended 1-1.
Bristol City’s reward is a home tie against either Premier League Nottingham Forest or third-tier Blackpool who play their third-round replay on Wednesday.
Fourth-tier Newport County set up a dream home tie against 12-time winners Manchester United as they beat non-league Eastleigh 3-1.
Goals by Aaron Wildig, James Clarke and Will Evans secured the victory and a windfall of around 400,000 pounds ($505,240) for the Welsh club who reached the fifth round in 2019.
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Brentford 3-2 after extra time in an all Premier League clash with Matheus Cunha setting up a West Midlands derby at second-tier West Bromwich Albion.
In an all-Championship clash, Birmingham City’s Koji Miyoshi scored in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory over Hull City and a fourth round tie at Leicester City.
The original third round ties failed to produce much of the drama the FA Cup has traditionally guaranteed.
But a full house at Ashton Gate were treated to a full-blooded clash between the team 14th in the second-tier and West Ham who are sixth in the Premier League.
Despite injuries to some key players, West Ham manager David Moyes still fielded a strong side, but he could have few complaints at their first third-round exit since 2017.
“Disappointed. Lots of things didn’t go for us tonight but overall disappointed,” Moyes said.
A frantic start to the game saw West Ham go close at one end and seconds later Bristol City went ahead as Conway nipped in to intercept an under-cooked back-pass by Konstantinos Mavropanos, rounded keeper Lukasz Fabianski and calmly slotted home his shot from a tight angle.
West Ham should have equalised when Maxwel Cornet volleyed wide from close range while Danny Ings, given a rare start, should have done better with another opportunity.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 51st minute when Benrahma was on the receiving end of a strong sliding tackle by Joe Williams and then kicked out in retaliation.
Bristol City could count themselves lucky to keep 10 on the pitch though as midfielder Taylor Gardner-Hickman appeared to swing a punch towards Aaron Cresswell.
The closest West Ham came to an equaliser was a close-range volley by Tomas Soucek that was kept out by a superb reflex save by home keeper Max O’Leary.
