IN-form striker Jamie Thomas was the matchwinner as Wanderers under-18sbeat Portsmouth to secure progress in the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night.

David Lee's youngsters won 1-0 at Fratton Park to end a run of 10 games without victory.

And it was top scorer Thomas who decided the third-round tie with his ninth goal of the season as Wanderers knocked Pompey out at the first hurdle for the second time in three seasons.

Going into the game with a patched-up side and under-16 goalkeeper Jake Turner starting between the sticks, it was a creditable display that pleased coach Lee as his team set up a trip to Crewe Alexandra in Round Four.

Lee said: "We worked hard to pressurise the opponents and forced them into mistakes.

"They didn't threaten us in the first half.

"We scored after 60 minutes with a great ball by Callum Spooner for Jamie Thomas to go through one on one against the keeper to score a great goal.

"We were put under pressure in the latter stages of the second half, but stood firm and resolute, with Jake Turner making some great saves.

"Overall, it was a hard-fought performance."

Having been depleted for their last FA U18 Premier League North Group game – a 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough – Wanderers had several players back from injury with five changes to the starting line-up and they started brightly on the south coast.

And Thomas went close to giving them an early advantage on five minutes when he pounced on a Portsmouth defensive error.

The Wales under-19 striker curled an effort towards the top corner but saw it graze the top of the bar.

Brandon Joseph-Buadi was lively for the hosts but it was the young Whites who continued to create the better openings.

And home keeper Alex Bass had to dive full-stretch to keep out Christopher Cvetko's powerful strike.

Although goalless at the halfway point, Wanderers had been the more likely to score and 12 minutes into the second period Thomas broke the deadlock.

On the counter-attack from a Portsmouth corner, the striker picked the ball up and flicked it over his marker’s head before racing to goal and nutmegging Bass with a cool finish.

The Whites rode their luck after that with one Pompey effort cleared off the line and then Turner pulled off a superb double save to thwart Conor Chaplin and protect his clean sheet.

Substitute Will Abbotts saw an effort deflected over and Thomas fired wide as Wanderers looked to seal the tie.

But they had to clear another Portsmouth effort off the line late on.

However, one goal was enough to secure progress into Round Four.

Lee's team will now look to build on the cup win when they return to league action for their final fixture of 2014 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Kick off at the Eddie Davies Academy is later than usual at 12.30pm.

FULL TIME

TEAMS:

Bolton: Turner, Spooner, Honeyball (Abotts 75), Perry, Phillips, Nolan, Palmer, Kennedy, Cvetko, Thomas, Garratt.

Unused subs: Lonsdale, Allen, Abdo.