Football / FA Cup Third Round: Everton humbled by Coyle: Bolton pull back two-goal deficit to earn tie with holders

Everton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Bolton Wanderers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

(after extra time; score at 90 min 2-2)

FOR most of Goodison Park, the sense of deja vu was as embarrassing as it was unbelievable last night. A year ago, Evertonians gloated over Bolton's third-round replay victory at Liverpool. Now, in dramatically different circumstances, history had repeated itself at Everton's expense.

At Anfield, Bolton scored after three minutes and embellished their triumph with a second near the end. This time, facing an Everton side supposedly revitalised by Mike Walker's arrival as manager, they trailed to two goals from Stuart Barlow before mounting a remarkable fightback.

John McGinlay, who scored against Liverpool, reduced the arrears before an elementary error by Neville Southall handed Bolton a lifeline with five minutes of normal time left. Alan Stubbs, a former Everton apprentice, grasped it gleefully.

Bolton, 13th in the First Division, then proved the stronger team. They earned a home tie against the holders, Arsenal, when Owen Coyle dispatched his 13th goal of the season beyond Southall 10 minutes into the additional half-hour. The former Airdrie striker, disciplined on Monday by Bruce Rioch after criticising the Bolton manager in the Scottish press, thus took his place in Wanderers' Cup folklore alongside Nat Lofthouse and Andy Walker, their second marksman on the other side of Stanley Park. Like his namesake on the home bench, Walker sat out the match - he is close to a return after a long injury absence - though neither could have envisaged the upset in store as Everton took command.

The Goodison crowd have not always appreciated the lightweight talents of Barlow, but all was forgiven as he put Everton ahead in the 29th minute. Taking a Peter Beagrie pass, he cut inside Mark Winstanley before angling his shot into the far corner of Aidan Davison's net.

Gary Ablett, who had fluffed an early heading chance, used his height 44 seconds into the second half. His flick-on was met by the head of Barlow, who received a blow in the act of scoring which soon forced his retirement.

Before he left, however, a crisp volley by the unmarked McGinlay left Southall helpless in the 52nd minute. Stubbs also saw a header cleared off the line as the failings which led to Howard Kendall's departure started to surface again.

Nevertheless, Everton were edging nervously towards victory when Southall spilled David Lee's cross. The ball fell to Stubbs, who stroked it back past the prostrate Welshman to double his tally for the season.

Bolton's new-found ascendancy was rewarded 10 minutes into extra time. Lee and Jason McAteer, Bolton's token Liverpool fan, combined to send Coyle darting through the centre. The Scot had wasted a chance when the game was goalless; with history beckoning, his aim was true.

Rioch, a former Everton captain, said after Bolton's annual celebration on Merseyside: 'I rollicked Owen on Monday, put him on the team sheet on Tuesday, and now he's come up trumps on Wednesday.'

Everton (4-4-2): Southall; Jackson, Snodin, Ablett, Hinchcliffe; Ward (Stuart, 105), Horne, Ebbrell, Beagrie; Barlow (Warzycha, 66), Cottee. Substitute not used: Kearton (gk).

Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): Davison; Brown, Stubbs, Winstanley, Phillips; Green (Kelly, 71), McAteer, Patterson, Lee; McGinlay, Coyle. Substitutes not used: Seagraves, Hoult (gk).

Referee: R Hart (Darlington).

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