On This Day – 17th April
Bolton Wanderers fans may want to look away now as it was on this day back in 2011 that they lost 5-0 against Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup Semi Final.
It was a real demolition by ‘The Potters’ over ‘The Trotters’ with three first-half goals to seal their place in the Final and effectively end the tie.
Matthew Etherington fired Stoke into the lead after 11 minutes. He scored with a fierce left-foot drive from 25 yards out after Bolton lost possession.
Robert Huth doubled Stoke’s advantage from near enough the same spot from where Etherington scored the opener. His half-volley flew past Jussi Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal, giving the Finn next to no-chance.
Kenwyne Jones then broke the Bolton offside trap to score Stoke’s third on the half-hour.
Jonathan Walters completed the rout with a double in the second half to complete the rout.
His first goal was the pick of the bunch, as he took the ball from inside his own half, holding off an opponent and firing in from almost 30 yards out.
Walters second came after 81 minutes, as he latched onto a ball at the far post. He had to take a step back, controlled the ball and scooped it into the far corner of the net.
The other Semi-Final was a Manchester Derby and City won the game with a goal from Yaya Toure.
Stoke knew that whatever the result in the Final, they would have qualified for the Europa League the following season.
Manchester City would win the Final with Stoke City, Yaya Toure’s 74th minute winner settling the tie.