Bolton Wanderers cause cup upset against Barnsley with Penalty Shootout win

Bolton Wanderers progressed into the Carabao Cup Second Round courtesy of a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Championship outfit Barnsley.

After a goalless 90 minutes at the University of Bolton stadium, the Whites slotted home all five of their penalties to secure the win and get into their name into the hat.

Last season’s Championship play-off semi-finalists Barnsley travelled over the Pennines to League One Bolton as favourites and thought that they had taken the lead after just three minutes through Cauley Woodrow.

After a superb reaction stop from Wanderers’ goalkeeper Joel Dixon to deny Victor Adeboyejo’s header, Woodrow tapped in the rebound but was deemed offside by the linesman.

Soon after, Jordan Williams’ cross was met by Clarke Oduor and in truth, the forward should have buried it in the back of the net, but he couldn’t sort his feet out in time and Dixon gathered well on the line. A big chance for the Tykes gone begging.

Bolton captain Antoni Sarcevic then had his chip go over the crossbar in what was his team’s first real effort of the game, before Adeboyejo got away on the counter for Barnsley and fired wide.

Wanderers’ defender George Johnston also played a one-two with Sarcevic in the box but saw his low effort at goal held well by Barnsley’s Bolton-born ‘keeper Jack Walton.

That was to be the last action of note in the opening period, with the sides going in level at the break. It was Barnsley with the best chances of the game early on, but Bolton got a foothold and broke forward when possible.

That said, it was the Tykes who again started on top after the restart, Oduor firing wide from a tight angle in the box after teammate George Miller had burst forward past three Bolton players and passed the ball out to him in space. 1608 travelling supporters were vocal throughout and let Oduor know that he should have done better with that chance.

Miller had to become the hero defensively on the hour mark though to turn Gethin Jones’ low cross away for a corner with opponents waiting to convert. On off the bench, Amadou Bakayoko had added a new dimension to Ian Evatt’s side and set Jones away down the right, but his cross was palmed away by Walton before Miller intervened in the six-yard box.

Also a substitute, but from the Barnsley camp, striker Devante Cole saw his header well held by Dixon in what was to be the Tykes’ final chance of the evening.

In added time, Bolton’s late substitute Josh Sheehan – signed from Newport County earlier this summer – wriggled away from his man in the box and poked a shot at goal but Walton was equal to it with the stop. A miskicked clearance did allow Bakayoko to rise highest and head goalwards, but that effort went over the bar and the full-time whistle came.

Goalless, the cup tie would be decided by a penalty shoot-out. Bolton won the toss and had the spot kicks taken in front of their fans in the North stand at the UNIBOL.

With around 5,500 Whites fans at the UNIBOL, there were nowhere near as many in attendance as there were on Saturday – August 7 – for the League One season opener against MK Dons (circa 15,700), but those present of a Wanderers persuasion will have enjoyed the outcome no less.

Eight penalties were converted to leave the score at 4-4 when Barnsley’s Cole stepped up and had a poor attempt saved well by Bolton ‘keeper Dixon. That left the ‘hero’ role for super-sub Sheehan, and already dubbed as ‘the Welsh Pirlo’ by some Whites supporters, he duly obliged by sending his spot kick into the top corner of the net.

Five out of five successful penalties for Ian Evatt’s side, a clean sheet in normal time and a victory against a team in a higher division than them to earn a spot in round two of the Carabao Cup.

Of course, round two does see most of the Premier League teams come in – aside from those involved in a European competition this campaign – so he and Bolton will undoubtedly be hoping for a glamour tie when the draw is made this evening.

Whoever they face, that tie will be scheduled for either Tuesday August 24 or Wednesday August 25.

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