Bolton Wanderers 5 Harrogate Town 1: Sulphurites' defending during FA Cup loss was an 'embarrassment'

Harrogate Town suffered a 5-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup second round. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

The League Two Sulphurites were beaten 5-1 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, conceding three times before half-time then twice more immediately after the resumption.

And, while he was quick to acknowledge the quality which League One leaders Bolton have in their ranks, the Harrogate chief insisted that his own players drastically underperformed on the day.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Weaver said. “I can only apologise to the fans who came here on a cold day and supported us immensely, getting behind us throughout the game. We didn’t pay them back.

Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver was not impressed by what he witnessed during Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

“You’ve got to raise your game against top of League One. I expected a lot more from our team, we didn’t really lay a glove.

"The cup upsets that will have happened today and will happen in the future, they happen when the underdogs put up a fight, are physical and in people’s faces at the right moments. They’re certainly not soft as putty in their own area, which we were today.

“Defensively, it was a shambles. Conceding five goals in 55 minutes is a source of great embarrassment.

"You can say ‘it’s against a different class of opponent’ – and it was, but you’ve still got to bring that grit. There were times where we could have cleared the ball, made a tackle, thrown bodies on the line – and we didn’t."

George Thomson netted the Sulphurites' only goal of the game.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson put Bolton in front as early as the ninth minute and went on to complete his hat-trick before the interval.

George Thomson pulled one back for Town on the stroke of half-time with an excellent 25-yard finish, however any hopes of a comeback were extinguished almost immediately after the resumption.

Dan Nlundulu bagged twice in quick succession to put the game beyond the Sulphurites, who did at least manage to avoid suffering any further damage during the final third of the contest.

And, although Harrogate headed into Saturday’s game as big underdogs, Weaver doesn’t believe that his players gave themselves any chance of causing an upset.

"Maybe I’m the eternal optimist and think more of my team than some of our individuals did today, because they didn’t perform as well as they can do,” he added.

"I don’t know if it was a case that we were too respectful. We tried to take the pressure off and say ‘the outside world won’t believe we will win, but we believe that we have a fighting chance’. But it was just a bit timid from the off.

"We had spells of possession and some great opportunities, but in both [penalty] areas we fell well short today. It was an opportunity missed.

"I’ve got to be hurt, conceding five goals in the manner that we did. I will look over them and see which individuals could have done better, been more decisive, because we have got to demand more.

"It opens the door for players to shine in training because I don’t like losing 5-1."