Chapter 617: Next Round!

The second half offered Bolton a chance to recover, but Wigan returned with little intention of allowing the match to become competitive again.

They moved the ball quickly, pushed their full-backs higher and continued to find space around the edges of the penalty area.

Bolton tried to press, but each attempt to regain possession left gaps that Wigan were increasingly comfortable exploiting.

And it translated when Fletcher completed his hat-trick with a loose ball dropped invitingly inside the box.

He reacted before the defenders around him, getting to it first and guiding his finish past the goalkeeper.

It was a straightforward goal in its construction, but it left Bolton with another problem to solve and gave Wigan a two-goal cushion.

The Latics continued to attack, and Dawson soon turned to his bench.

Ezra came on and immediately brought fresh energy to the right side, taking on his marker and driving towards the edge of the area.

When he found a little room, he shaped his body and bent a shot towards the far corner.

The ball curled away from the goalkeeper’s reach and nestled inside the post to make it, Four-one on the night.

The Wigan supporters were in full voice now, and the home crowd had grown noticeably quieter.

Bolton had started the afternoon believing they could trouble the Premier League visitor, but they were now struggling to contain them.

"Wigan are absolutely battering Bolton Wanderers here! They were behind inside seven minutes, but look at the response. Four goals, and the visitors are showing exactly why they’ve been so difficult to stop in the league this season."

As the commentators went on, the broadcast camera cut to Dawson.

The Wigan manager stood near the technical area with his arms folded, following the match keenly.

He showed little outward excitement, even as his team continued to dominate.

His eyes moved between the pitch and the substitutes warming up nearby, weighing up the remaining minutes and the players who still needed time on the field.

Then he turned towards the bench and muttered something to Nolan.

It was brief, but it was enough to set a change in motion.

Leo Calderon rose to his feet, and Reyes followed, pulling his training top over his head, while Carlo Regutti got up beside them.

The three exchanged a few words as the staff prepared the brief substitutions.

Dawson beckoned them over, giving each a few quick instructions before sending them towards the touchline.

There was no need to take unnecessary risks with the scoreline, but the manager wanted his regular players to get some minutes and maintain their sharpness ahead of the league fixtures to come.

The board went up in the eighty-second minute, and the three replacements entered together.

Leo moved into position in midfield, immediately looking over his shoulder to assess the spaces around him.

Reyes, on the other hand, took up a more advanced role, while Carlo settled out wide, ready to stretch a Bolton defence that had already spent much of the afternoon chasing shadows.

They barely had time to settle before Wigan found another opening.

Leo received the ball in midfield and turned away from the first man closing him down.

Rather than forcing a forward pass, he carried it a few steps, drawing another Bolton player towards him before slipping a measured ball into Reyes.

The substitute took it in stride and, with a quick glance towards the defence, threaded a pass through the gap between the centre-back and full-back.

Just like that, Carlo had already started his run.

He accelerated into the space, reached the ball before the recovering defender and carried it into the area.

The goalkeeper came off his line to narrow the angle, but Carlo kept his composure and finished beyond him to make it five-one.

Carlo turned towards the travelling supporters, raising an arm as his teammates caught up with him.

The move had taken only a few seconds to develop, but it showed how quickly the three could combine despite having just come on.

Bolton barely had time to regroup before Ezra created another chance.

The winger drove down the flank and sent a cross into the penalty area. Reyes arrived in space, adjusting his feet as the ball dropped towards him, then struck it on the volley.

The shot rocketed towards goal, leaving the goalkeeper with little time to react.

He got a hand towards it, but the power carried the ball beyond him and into the net, and it was getting distasteful for home fans if it wasn’t already.

Reyes turned away with both arms spread, smiling as his teammates rushed over.

The goalkeeper remained near his line for a moment before retrieving the ball, his afternoon having become increasingly miserable with every Wigan attack.

"Six-one!" the commentator exclaimed.

"And that is quite some response from Wigan Athletic. They found themselves under pressure, and have gone on to score six.

Was there ever really any doubt once they settled into this game? The Premier League side have taken complete control, and Bolton have simply had no answer in the second half."

The remaining minutes passed without another goal, mainly because Dawson didn’t want to risk any hiccups with the ongoing tension in the last minutes of the game.

Wigan kept possession, moving the ball around rather than chasing a seventh, while Bolton did what they could to see out the match.

When the final whistle came, the Latics had secured their place in the next round with a commanding 6–1 victory.

The players applauded their travelling supporters, who answered with cheers and chants from their corner of the ground.

Fletcher received congratulations for his hat-trick, while Ezra and Reyes shared a few words before the squad began making its way towards the tunnel.

Dawson remained near the touchline, watching the players acknowledge the fans.

Jake, who had spent the afternoon observing from the bench, caught the manager’s eye.

The two looked at each other for a moment before Jake gave a small nod and turned towards the tunnel.

Dawson returned the gesture, then beckoned the remaining players off the pitch.

The first drops of rain had begun to fall, darkening the grass beneath the floodlights, and there was little reason to keep everyone outside any longer.

One by one, the Wigan players disappeared into the tunnel as the rain began to come down more steadily, leaving the noise of the crowd behind them.