Bolton v Liverpool: FA Cup fourth-round replay – as it happened | Scott Murray

Liverpool are the last team to make it to the fifth round, and they left it late, wonderful goals from Raheem Sterling and Phillipe Coutinho putting the gloss on an average performance against ten-man Bolton

9.42pm GMT

Liverpool scrape through, just, and will travel to Crystal Palace in the fifth round. What a second half, and what a finale. Bolton can consider themselves very unfortunate, but the dismissal of Danns was their undoing. And the brilliance of Phillipe Coutinho, Emre Can and Raheem Sterling has kept Gerrard’s 35th-birthday FA Cup final dream alive. “I’m sure I read something recently about Coutinho’s inability to shoot,” concludes Matt Dony. Ssh!

9.40pm GMT

90 min +6: Sturridge’s backheel down the right frees Borini into the area. Borini shoots, and hammers a shot towards the bottom right corner. And, a tapped corner aside, that’s the last action of the match, because ...

9.39pm GMT

90 min +5: And in goes the free kick. Vela rises to meet it, but can’t find a team-mate with the knockdown. Liverpool break upfield, and have men over, but Sturridge loses the ball while racing down the right channel.

9.38pm GMT

90 min +4: Can, rather ridiculously, bundles Mills over, 35 yards from goal. That will allow Bolton to load the box!

9.38pm GMT

90 min +3: Bolton are in Liverpool territory, but can’t string anything together when they get close to the opposition box. Feeney is putting himself about in the determined style.

9.37pm GMT

90 min +2: Poor Neil Lennon looks shaken, as well he might. Bolton so close to the fifth round. Can they force extra time?

9.36pm GMT

Goodness me! Coutinho picks up a Henderson pass down the inside-left channel, 25 yards out. He drops a shoulder, nudges the ball inside, and sends a spectacular looping, bending shot over Lonergan and into the top-right corner. Unstoppable!

9.34pm GMT

90 min: Henderson slips the ball down the right for Can, who backheels a return. Henderson’s presence forces a corner. Mills clears the set piece, but it’s coming straight back at Bolton. Sterling, to the left of the D, shifts the ball inside for Gerrard, whose low shot is easily blocked. There will be five added minutes before extra time is a consideration!

9.32pm GMT

88 min: Unless Liverpool can find something against the ten men, of course. Moreno makes space down the left and crosses deep, but misses both Borini and Sturridge in the middle. After another couple of phases, Gerrard whips a cross in from the right, but Borini’s header, aimed towards the bottom left, is weak and easily gathered by Lonergan. But suddenly it’s the home side who are looking anxious.

9.31pm GMT

Time was running out for Liverpool, and suddenly Bolton are prised apart. Can, 30 yards out and level with the right-hand post, scoops a delicious diagonal ball over the Bolton back line. It drops perfectly for Sterling, breaking into the area down the inside left. Sterling meets the dropping ball on the volley, sweetly, and sends it wheeching into the net! What a pass, and what a finish! We’re on for extra time as things stand.

9.28pm GMT

83 min: Can, in the middle of the park, 30 yards out, takes a touch to the left, drops a shoulder, advances on the area, and looks for the top right. It’s a great shot, and he’d have found that corner, too, but Lonergan tips the ball onto the crossbar. The resulting set piece comes to naught. That’s three times the woodwork has come to Bolton’s rescue. This might not be Liverpool’s sort of night. Bolton, as history has shown, certainly aren’t Liverpool’s sort of team.

9.25pm GMT

81 min: Trotter is caught napping by Borini, just to the right of the Bolton D. That’s great harrying by the striker, and sets up Sterling for a shot, 20 yards out. But Sterling lays off right for Henderson, who slices an effort meant for the top-right corner well wide of the target. Borini hurt himself while buzzing around Trotter there, but he’ll be OK by the looks of it. Then again, we thought that about Markovic.

9.24pm GMT

79 min: Sterling cuts in from the left and shoots. Blocked. The ball breaks right to Borini, but Gerrard, over-eager in his 700th game, gets in his team-mate’s way. Borini can’t get a shot away. This is turning into a shambolic display on Liverpool’s part. Bolton have been staunch.

9.22pm GMT

78 min: Gudjohnson and Mills flick the ball back and forth to each other as they bowl down the middle of the park. Liverpool can’t get the ball off them. In the end, Henderson pokes the ball towards his own right-hand corner flag. Mills holds it up there for a while - with 12 minutes still to go! - and eventually wins a throw. Excellent play.

9.21pm GMT

76 min: Gerrard attempts one of those Hollywood Passes he’s famous for. It turns out to be one of those Hollywood Passes he’s infamous for. Liverpool are panicking.

9.20pm GMT

74 min: Liverpool knock it hither and yon, 25 yards out, but to little effect. Can gets fed up and pearls one towards the top left. A deflection, and a corner to Liverpool on the left. The set piece is headed clear by Wheater. Henderson, to the right of the D, chests down and volleys goalwards. The ball deflects off Wheater’s eyebrows and batters the right-hand post. The woodwork saves Bolton again - although to be fair, given the deflection, that would have been a fortunate one for Liverpool.

9.17pm GMT

73 min: A free kick for Liverpool, 20 yards out, wide on the left. Gerrard’s appalling effort finds the top-right corner of the stand behind the goal.

9.17pm GMT

72 min: The magnificent young Clough makes way for Trotter, who has been sent on to sit in and shore up the midfield.

9.15pm GMT

71 min: Space for Feeney down the right, who was found by a lovely raking crossfield pass by Mills. Feeney loops the ball to the far post, where Gudjohnson meets it, six yards out. He’s ahead of Can and Skrtel, but doesn’t get any power on the effort. He should have scored. Instead, the ball sails softly into Mignolet’s hands.

9.14pm GMT

70 min: Sturridge comes on for the hopelessly ineffective Joe Allen. Mind you, Steven Gerrard hasn’t been much better. Liverpool are badly missing Lucas, who calms the entire team down.

9.13pm GMT

68 min: Coutinho jigs around to win a corner down the left. Gerrard meets Coutinho’s whipped delivery on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but can’t guide a header anywhere near the target. What a finale we have on our hands here, because Bolton have looked comfortable at the back for the most part.

9.11pm GMT

67 min: A corner for Liverpool. Bolton deal with it easily, and zip up the other end through Clough, who scampers down the left, cuts inside, and unleashes a marvellous effort towards the bottom left. It’s only inches wide of the post, though Mignolet had it covered. This young man looks a proper talent.

9.10pm GMT

66 min: Danns, on a yellow card, slides in on Allen. It’s an idiotic challenge, which leaves the referee no option. A second booking, and he’s off.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: For 60 seconds, he’ll limp on. Borini comes on for Markovic. Liverpool now only have one more chance to get Daniel Sturridge on, or to get Joe Allen off, whichever way you’d like to look at this.

9.08pm GMT

64 min: Markovic lies on the turf, face down. Not sure what happened there, but he’s not looking particularly happy. Winded, perhaps. Fabio Borini gets stripped off, but the young winger pulls himself together after a couple of minutes and will limp on.

9.06pm GMT

61 min: Corner to Bolton, out on the right, after Can struggles to deal with Feeney’s ball inside from that wing. Bolton don’t do much with the set piece, allowing Liverpool to break. Liverpool have more men upfield than Bolton, but over-elaborate and the home side shuttle back to throw a blanket over the move. Liverpool look rattled.

9.05pm GMT

60 min: Allen is booked for some challenge or other in the middle of the park. Is this better than being a total non-event? Not really, no.

9.03pm GMT

Gudjohnsen owes Liverpool one for that miss in the 2005 Champions League final. And this might be it! He sends Mignolet off to the left, and slips his penalty straight down the middle!

9.02pm GMT

58 min: Clough picks up possession to the left of the D, and takes a step into the box and to the left. He’s clipped by Skrtel. Lightly, but that’s enough for a penalty!

9.01pm GMT

57 min: Markovic wins a corner off Wheater down the right. Coutinho’s delivery finds Skrtel, 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. Skrtel leans in and tries to caress the ball goalwards with his nipples. Blue-sky thinking, so a tick for that, but back to the drawing board, perhaps.

9.00pm GMT

56 min: Henderson’s first act is to spray a godawful pass out of play down the right, Markovic left with no chance of reaching it. The only way is up for Liverpool’s vice captain.

8.59pm GMT

55 min: Wheater is quite correctly booked for coming straight through the back of Sterling. While the grimacing young Liverpool star gets a little treatment, Lallana, who has some unspecified complaint, is replaced by Henderson.

8.58pm GMT

53 min: Sterling is sent clear down the inside-left channel by Coutinho. He’s one on one with Lonergan, but hesitates, allowing Dervite to slide in to block. Sterling checks back and latches onto the loose ball, near the left-hand corner of the box. Sterling bends one towards the top right. It’s heading in, but Lonergan, at full stretch, palms clear. Brilliant football all round, that.

8.56pm GMT

52 min: Space for Sterling down the right, but he’s quickly closed down by Wheater, and though the winger gets a cross away, he’s rushed into sending it straight into the arms of Lonergan.

8.56pm GMT

51 min: Coutinho rolls a lovely pass down the left to send Sterling racing towards the Bolton area. When he reaches the edge of the box, he slides a pass towards the penalty spot, but Moreno, rushing in like billy-o, can’t get there. Liverpool aren’t clicking tonight.

8.54pm GMT

50 min: And now an offside down the other end, as Coutinho latches onto a loose ball down the right, flicking it into the area for Gerrard. The Liverpool captain’s clear on goal, but he was a yard ahead of the Bolton back line. The flag goes up, and this isn’t very good at the moment. Plenty of time still for this match to get going.

8.53pm GMT

48 min: Skrtel concedes a free kick, preposterously, by shoving Mills in the back. It allows Bolton to load the box and Moxey to hook a dead ball into the area from 40 yards up the left wing. It’s a diagonal delivery, and Wheater, level with the right-hand post, rises to win a fine header, planting it back into the middle, but Gudjohnsen is easily offside.

8.51pm GMT

47 min: Moxey throws long into the Liverpool area from the left. Mignolet comes to punch, and is upended by Gudjohnsen, who is in a no-nonsense mood. A free kick ... and a slow start to this second period.

8.50pm GMT

46 min: A scrappy start to the half. On a cold night, the teams are just warming up again.

8.49pm GMT

The best part of a couple of minutes pass before Bolton bother turning up. Our gaff, our rules, seems to be the message here. No changes, both teams as they were. And Bolton get the second half underway!

8.48pm GMT

Liverpool come out to play. Where are Bolton? Still in the changing room, that’s where! Saucy Neil.

8.38pm GMT

Half-time advertisements: In memory of the Normid co-operative superstore at Burnden Park ...

8.34pm GMT

Entertaining, if not accomplished. Bolton will be happy enough, while Liverpool will curse Sterling’s effort off the right-hand post. Level pegging seems about right, though. We’re still a long way from finding out who will be visiting Crystal Palace in the fifth round. No flipping!

8.33pm GMT

45 min +1: In the one and only added minute of the first half, Liverpool ping it around in front of the Bolton box awhile. Markovic cuts in from the right and thinks about shooting, but lays off to Coutinho, who drops a shoulder, pushes the ball back to the right, and looks to curl one into the right-hand side of the net. It’s wide, but a decent effort.

8.32pm GMT

44 min: Danns scuffs a shot from 25 yards. It still finds Gudjohnson in the area, 12 yards out. Gudjohnson can only send the ball miles into the sky, but he’s looking to head the dropping ball goalwards. Mignolet comes out and punches clear with purpose.

8.30pm GMT

42 min: Gerrard creams a pass down the middle of the park, Sterling scampering after it. He takes a couple of touches before being clipped by Dervite. The defender holds his hands up; it should be a free kick for Liverpool, 35 yards out. But the referee gives nothing. A poor decision, though in fairness hardly a game-changing one: Sterling still had plenty of distance to travel, and men to beat. Another illustration, however, of Bolton’s complete unwillingness to bow to supposedly superior opposition.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: Feeney zips down the right and, near the corner flag, digs out a superb cross. If only the big man Wheater could keep up with the attack. No white shirts in the area, allowing Mignolet to pluck the ball from the skies.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: Bolton are coming back into this. The game tilts into Liverpool’s half for the first time in a while, though the home side aren’t doing much with their possession and territorial advantage. Still, it’s halted Liverpool’s momentum. And it’s clever game management.

8.25pm GMT

36 min: Bolton have been under the cosh for the last ten minutes or so, but they’re not likely to lie down. Mills meets a dropping ball, 30 yards from goal, just to the left, and sends it pealing towards the Liverpool net. Mignolet was behind it all the way, but that’s a fine effort nonetheless. “I’ve heard the Steven Gerrard chant so many times tonight that I can’t make out whether it’s the Liverpool version or everyone else’s versh,” writes Jonny Mac. “Can we not not come to an agreement that the ‘Alt. Version’ can only be used by Chelsea and Man City? I mean, come on Bolton, WTF?” Ha. A fine idea. But don’t worry, everyone will get sick of it soon enough*.

* Everyone might not get sick of it soon enough.

8.22pm GMT

35 min: Shots at either end. Lallana has a weak-ish effort from 20 yards that goes straight at Lonergan, while Dervite attempts to beat Mignolet, off his line, from the halfway line. Or it might have been a dreadfully sliced attempt at a cross. Not sure.

8.21pm GMT

34 min: Liverpool are beginning to move up through the gears. Coutinho goes on a trademark Brazilian (1914-2013) run, skittering down the inside-right channel. He breaks into the area with a view to shooting, but Wheater sticks out a perfectly timed leg to block the ball and then clear. Magnificent defending, for anything mistimed would have been a penalty.

8.19pm GMT

31 min: Liverpool come straight back at Bolton. Moreno strides down the left, then slips one inside for Lallana, who on the edge of the D spins and slides one in for Sterling, on the penalty spot. Time stands still for a while, as Wheater opts not to lunge in. Sterling sizes up the situation like a golfer, takes out a wedge from his bag, and chips one towards the top right. It’s a brilliant effort, Lonergan beaten all ends up, but it clatters off the upright and away. Superb effort.

8.17pm GMT

30 min: Can goes on a determined dribble down the inside-right channel. Unopposed, he reaches the area, but instead of shooting lays off for Coutinho to his left, who in turn shuttles it on to Moreno. The full back reaches the byline, but his pull back doesn’t find a red shirt. Bolton clear.

8.15pm GMT

29 min: Danns goes in the book for a late slide on Allen. No malicious intent, just mistimed. But yellow it is.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Sterling draws a couple of white shirts towards him down the left, then flicks a pass to Moreno along the wing. Moreno sprints into the box, and is sort of bundled over by Wheater before he can take a shot. But the referee’s having none of it, and quite rightly so, because though there was a little contact, Wheater was coming in from the side, and Moreno went to ground far too easily having over-run the ball. The full back was trying to buy one there.

8.13pm GMT

26 min: It’s amateur hour right now. Dervite has a shot from 25 yards. It flies out of play on the left, almost level with the edge of the Liverpool box.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Moxey, under some, but not much, pressure from Markovic, needlessly heads behind for a corner from 25 yards out. Dear me. Luckily for Bolton, Gerrard’s resulting set piece, from the right, clears the entire area.

8.10pm GMT

23 min: Feeney whips another ball into the Liverpool box from the left. Mignolet is out to claim, and well, because Wheater was floating around again, with extreme prejudice.

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Bolton seeing more of the ball right now. Liverpool getting a little bit frustrated. “Given that Lucas has gradually undergone the remarkable reinvention from sigh-inducing journeyman to must-have talisman, I’m nervous that he is not on the pitch for a game like this,” writes Dan Rookwood, erstwhile MBM scribe of this parish. “Rodgers told him he was surplus to requirements at the start of the season but he’s proved him and everyone else (apart from Benitez) wrong.” I would ask Dan how he’s doing, folks, but I know full well he’s gadding around NYC, wearing expensive threads, twirling a cane no doubt. Any more detail and we’re all going to feel very bitter.

8.07pm GMT

19 min: Danns makes good down the left. Can has him covered, by Lallana panics and clips the Bolton man’s ankles. That’s a no-brainer of a free kick, in more ways than one. It’s just to the left of the Liverpool area. Feeney takes the set piece, and finds the head of the behemoth Wheater, who plants a header towards the bottom left from 10 yards. Mignolet is behind it all the way. Bolton, after a slightly slow start, are right in this game now.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: Vela finds space down the left. Nearing the corner flag, he pulls a low ball back into the area. Gudjohnson, coming in from the left, meets it first time, and blooters high and wide to the left. A dreadful finish, but Bolton have a smooth move to their name tonight now, too.

8.02pm GMT

14 min: Feeney jigs down the right, and loops a delicate, dangerous cross into the area. There are plenty of white shirts sniffing around, but Can calmly chests the ball down and clears. Liverpool fly up the other end, Sterling taking on Wheater as he zig-zags down the left. Entering the area, he shoots low towards the bottom right. Lonergan is down to smother, albeit grabbing the ball at the second attempt with Lallana rushing in. This is an entertaining game, with both teams giving as good as they’re getting.

7.59pm GMT

12 min: Liverpool ping it around very prettily in the middle of the Bolton half. The baroque moves of Lallana feature quite heavily. Eventually the ball’s laid off to Coutinho, racing down the inside-right channel to meet the ball, 25 yards out. Coutinho has a shot, and sends a poor effort bobbling well wide left of goal.

7.58pm GMT

10 min: Clough steals the ball off Allen, who isn’t exuding presence. Clough dances at pace down the inside-right channel, and has Mills nearby in a little bit of space, but he hesitates and Gerrard comes back to put a stop to his gallop. He looks a player, does

Allen
Clough.

7.56pm GMT

8 min: During that previous move, Feeney clipped Sterling on the ankle. Sterling needs a bit of time to recover, but he’s up and about soon enough. “I do agree with Ian Copestake, but I try really hard to be more positive about Joeallen,” writes Matt Dony. “He grew up near me, he’s a tidy enough footballer, and his short passing is (on the whole) neat. But then I watch Xabi Alonso play, and something deep inside me aches.”

7.55pm GMT

7 min: Skrtel sashays out of defence like Franz Beckenbauer. Yes he does. He slides the ball forward for Coutinho, who flicks to Lallana beside him. The play’s over-intricate, but the ball breaks right for Gerrard on the right-hand edge of the D. Gerrard sends a daisycutter straight down Lonergan’s throat. A smooth move.

7.52pm GMT

5 min: Coutinho drops a shoulder, 25 yards out from goal, then slides Lallana into the box down the left. Lallana fires a low cross through the area, and out of play to the right of goal. A dangerous ball, that, and one which Sterling didn’t anticipate.

7.51pm GMT

4 min: But Bolton are pressing hard, and force Can into a rushed clearance into touch. Clough the irritant there. Vela tries to dance down the left but the ball’s whipped off his toe. Then Liverpool race up the other end through Sterling, but the winger-cum-striker loses control as he romps down the middle of the park. A high-octane start to this game.

7.49pm GMT

2 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back awhile. It’s like watching their 1978/79 team, only with added anxiety every time Martin Skrtel touches the ball. The away fans are meanwhile giving it plenty, returning the favour, Bolton fans having won the singing competition at Anfield. Not that the home supporters are sitting on their hands. It’s a rare old atmosphere.

7.47pm GMT

Bolton gather themselves in a huddle. The fans create noisy bedlam. And we’re off! Liverpool get the ball rolling, and in doing so, Gerrard joins Ian Callaghan and Jamie Carragher as the only players to turn out for Liverpool Football Club 700 times or more. An exclusive set. “I don’t think the inclusion of Allen in the team shows respect to anyone or anything,” argues Ian Copestake.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! Portentous music parps out of the PA. Hands are shaken. We’ll be off in a minute! “Thanks for the history lesson, but history only gets you so far, doesn’t it?” writes Peter Oh. “As a Liverpool fan I write that without even a hint of irony.” A self-aware football fan. Whatever next?

7.42pm GMT

The managers have spoken! To be fair, they’ve not really said much of interest, but there’s time to kill before kick off, so we might as well go with it. Neil Lennon has “no hesitation” in playing the “talented” Zach Clough tonight, while Brendan Rodgers expects a “tough game” although points out that his team are “in good momentum”. Tum te tum.

7.37pm GMT

A classic aesthetic for this evening’s entertainment. Bolton will be wearing their famous crisp white shirts, always a sharp look. As modelled here by a famous old boy ...

7.19pm GMT

No Emile Heskey for Bolton this time. The other Wanderers veteran, Eidur Gudjohnsen, is still standing, though. And perhaps he owes Liverpool one in cup competition, seeing he somehow missed that close-range chance in the dying seconds of the 2005 Champions League semi-final at Anfield while a Chelsea player. How did he put it wide? Anyway, Bolton make three changes from the game at Anfield: first-choice goalkeeper Andy Lonergan is back, as are David Wheater and Zach Clough, the latter having scored twice at the weekend against Wolves.

Meanwhile Steven Gerrard makes his 700th appearance in a Liverpool shirt. Brendan Rodgers has named pretty much as strong a team as he can, showing full respect to both Wanderers and the FA Cup. As well he might: Bolton were exceptional at Anfield. Neil Lennon’s turned them around brilliantly this season. Gerrard and Joe Allen are in for Jordan Henderson and the injured Lucas Leiva, who has a thigh problem that should be fine for the weekend’s Merseyside derby. They’re the only changes from Saturday’s 2-0 home win over West Ham.

6.51pm GMT

Bolton Wanderers: Lonergan, Wheater, Dervite, Ream, Feeney, Vela, Danns, Moxey, Gudjohnsen, Mills, Clough.
Subs: McNaughton, Hall, Trotter, Fitzsimons, Threlkeld, Iliev, Walker.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Markovic, Allen, Gerrard, Moreno, Lallana, Coutinho, Sterling.
Subs: Johnson, Lambert, Henderson, Sturridge, Manquillo, Borini, Ward.

6.45pm GMT

Bolton Wanderers are 6-1 to win this tie tonight, while Liverpool are 2-1 on. That’d be about right, you’d think, huh. Liverpool are one of the bigger movers and shakers in the Premier League, after all, while Bolton are currently a mid-table Championship concern. But history has a funny way of weighing folk down. Bolton Wanderers, you see, absolutely own Liverpool when it comes to cup competition.

They did, of course, famously knock Liverpool out the last time these clubs met in the world’s oldest competition. Graeme Souness’s shower were the holders back in 1993, but should have been dispatched at Burnden Park by Bruce Rioch’s third-division side in the original third-round tie. Bolton were 2-0 up within 22 minutes through John McGinlay and Mark Seagraves, but let it slip in the second half, Mark Winstanley running a Ronny Rosenthal rebound into the net. Ian Rush equalised on 82 minutes, and an Anfield replay was required. No matter, because in the return McGinlay headed Bolton ahead early doors, Andy Walker added another in the second half, and Wanderers had one of their most famous modern victories in the bag. “We were outplayed and outfought by the better team,” admitted Souness. “They deserved to win, they were better in all departments. The vast majority tonight played as if they had never been told what passion and this football club is all about.” Rioch meanwhile could have heaped praise his team, but saved the plaudits for the fans instead. “All 8,500 of them were magnificent.” That’s local derbies for you.

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