MSC: Bolton 2 Man Utd 2 (Bolton Win 3-2 On Pens)
Posted on: Tue 15 Dec 2009
Goalkeeper Robert Lainton was the spot-kick hero as Wanderers came back in a penalty shoot-out to beat holders Manchester United in a thriller at Leyland.
The two sides had finished the Manchester Senior Cup group game deadlocked at 2-2 with one point apiece.
But with a penalty shoot-out then deciding who took the bonus two points Bolton emerged triumphant thanks to a hat-trick of outstanding saves from Lainton.
The teenager was starting only his third reserve-team game of the season following an illness to Adam Bogdan and took his chance magnificently.
Wanderers then missed their first two spot-kicks as Sam Sheridan blasted wide and Adam Blakeman was denied by Ben Amos.
When United, who beat Bolton in last season's final and had started this campaign with two straight wins, scored through Sam Hewson and Oliver Norwood they looked odds-on to take maximum points again.
But Zoltan Harsanyi then tucked away his spot-kick and Lainton's save from Ryan Tunnicliffe gave Alan Cork's youngsters hope.
Tom Eckersley tied the shoot-out up at 2-2 and United's advantage was gone when Lainton palmed away Paul Pogba's attempt.
When Aaron Mooy rounded off a good night's work by putting Bolton ahead the pressure was suddenly on United's Cameron Stewart and he failed to beat Lainton who flung himself to his right to make a superb save and seal a dramatic victory.
An action-packed evening had started with United going ahead after 11 minutes when outstanding French prospect Pogba bundled in a free-kick from Magnus Eikrem.
But Bolton, who had begun their cup campaign with a defeat to Oldham, hit back within 60 seconds as Eckerlsey won a solid tackle and the impressive Mooy picked up the loose ball to fire into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Blakeman then missed a chance to put the home side ahead just before the break but dragged his left foot shot just wide.
The same player was then thwarted by Amos as the United keeper dashed off his line but Bolton's growing pressure paid off after 48 minutes when Chris Stokes released Temitope Obadeyi to burst through and lash home an angled shot.
The lead didn't last long as Nicholas Ajose collected a Pogba flick to drill home a low shot and make it 2-2 and United had a further chance through Stewart who fired just wide.
And when Sheridan saw a shot cleared off the line by Oliver Gill and a Harsanyi cross came back of a post Bolton must have thought it wouldn't be their night.
Lainton, though, had other ideas.
Wanderers: Lainton, Eckersley, Stokes (Harsanyi 74), Sheridan, Connolly, Bennett, Obadeyi, McDonald, O'Halloran, Mooy, Blakeman. Subs: Riley, MacGregorm McGeechan.
United: Amos, Tunnicliffe, McGinty, Wooton, Gill, Pogba, Stewart, Hewson, Norwood, Eikrem, Ajose (Kofie 65). Subs: Fornasier, Zieler, Massacci, Petrucci.
The two sides had finished the Manchester Senior Cup group game deadlocked at 2-2 with one point apiece.
But with a penalty shoot-out then deciding who took the bonus two points Bolton emerged triumphant thanks to a hat-trick of outstanding saves from Lainton.
The teenager was starting only his third reserve-team game of the season following an illness to Adam Bogdan and took his chance magnificently.
Wanderers then missed their first two spot-kicks as Sam Sheridan blasted wide and Adam Blakeman was denied by Ben Amos.
When United, who beat Bolton in last season's final and had started this campaign with two straight wins, scored through Sam Hewson and Oliver Norwood they looked odds-on to take maximum points again.
But Zoltan Harsanyi then tucked away his spot-kick and Lainton's save from Ryan Tunnicliffe gave Alan Cork's youngsters hope.
Tom Eckersley tied the shoot-out up at 2-2 and United's advantage was gone when Lainton palmed away Paul Pogba's attempt.
When Aaron Mooy rounded off a good night's work by putting Bolton ahead the pressure was suddenly on United's Cameron Stewart and he failed to beat Lainton who flung himself to his right to make a superb save and seal a dramatic victory.
An action-packed evening had started with United going ahead after 11 minutes when outstanding French prospect Pogba bundled in a free-kick from Magnus Eikrem.
But Bolton, who had begun their cup campaign with a defeat to Oldham, hit back within 60 seconds as Eckerlsey won a solid tackle and the impressive Mooy picked up the loose ball to fire into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Blakeman then missed a chance to put the home side ahead just before the break but dragged his left foot shot just wide.
The same player was then thwarted by Amos as the United keeper dashed off his line but Bolton's growing pressure paid off after 48 minutes when Chris Stokes released Temitope Obadeyi to burst through and lash home an angled shot.
The lead didn't last long as Nicholas Ajose collected a Pogba flick to drill home a low shot and make it 2-2 and United had a further chance through Stewart who fired just wide.
And when Sheridan saw a shot cleared off the line by Oliver Gill and a Harsanyi cross came back of a post Bolton must have thought it wouldn't be their night.
Lainton, though, had other ideas.
Wanderers: Lainton, Eckersley, Stokes (Harsanyi 74), Sheridan, Connolly, Bennett, Obadeyi, McDonald, O'Halloran, Mooy, Blakeman. Subs: Riley, MacGregorm McGeechan.
United: Amos, Tunnicliffe, McGinty, Wooton, Gill, Pogba, Stewart, Hewson, Norwood, Eikrem, Ajose (Kofie 65). Subs: Fornasier, Zieler, Massacci, Petrucci.
