Magennis does the trick after early scare
JOSH Magennis bagged a second-half hat-trick as Championship side Bolton came from a goal down to see off League One Walsall.
Magennis, who hadn’t scored since September 15, netted three times in 26 minutes to ease the pressure on Trotters chief Phil Parkinson.
Clayton Donaldson and a Jon Guthrie own-goal completed Bolton’s nap hand after Andy Cook had headed Dean Keates’ underdogs in front after 19 minutes.
Parkinson was delighted with Magennis, but said he expects more from him.
“Josh has found himself out of the team recently and those goals will do him the world of good,” he said.
“But I think he can work harder for the team and do more.
“However, strikers want to score and if you put the ball in the right areas, Josh is a good finisher and he showed that.”
Cook gave Walsall a deserved lead after 19 minutes, rising above his marker to head his 12th goal of the season from seven yards.
Parkinson withdrew Yanic Wildschut and Josh Vela at the interval for Will Buckley and Donaldson.
The move worked wonders as Donaldson struck.
Craig Noone made a twisting run on the byline before veteran Donaldson fired home from seven yards.
Magennis tapped in his first after 60 minutes after Liam Roberts saved an initial attempt.
When Donaldson failed to connect with Noone’s left-wing cross the ball ricocheted off Guthrie’s boot into the net.
Walsall reduced the deficit when Dobson’s shot from the edge of the area took two deflections before the ball bobbled into the net via Bolton’s Mark Beevers.
However, any home nerves evaporated when Magennis headed home another Noone centre. Buckley and Cook both struck the woodwork before Magennis completed his hat-trick.
Keates admitted he was stunned by Bolton’s fightback.
“We got shellshocked again and it needs to be addressed. We spoke about it through the week and we need to re-group into our shape a lot quicker,” he said.
“We were accountable for the first three goals but the fourth one (Magennis’s second) should have been a foul for us.”