The Foxes played a similar system to that of the Wanderers and often proved to frustrate their Premiership opponents during a game which lacked a certain amount of cutting edge.

Bolton needed to bounce back quickly from the demoralising Fulham defeat at the weekend and they will be thankful that Leicester did not further prolong what has been an unusual seven days.

Nicky Hunt made his first Wanderers start since the win over Portsmouth in September and lasted the whole of the game whilst Ivan Campo came off the bench for Gary Speed at half time and played for the second half.

Hunt created the first of many half chances for the home side as he galloped forward to cross the ball into the path of Gardner but the Jamaican international could not get enough accuracy on his header to beat Foxes keeper Rab Douglas.

Jay-Jay Okocha then fired in a curling shot from distance which sailed over the Leicester crossbar after good work by former French international Martin Djetou who was making his first full start since moving back to English football from Nice last month .

Young foward Ricardo Vaz-Te was eager to impress further at first team level and he nearly got his second goal in the tenth minute after good build up play by Okocha and Gary Speed.

City keeper Douglas then made a brave save to deny the 19-year old after being faced with a one on one situation against the Portuguese hitman who had cleverly stayed in an onside position.

Hidetoshi Nakata was the next player to fire in a strike towards the Leicester goal as he flashed wide a snapshot after Vaz-Te had headed down a trademark set piece by Tal Ben-Haim.

Dutch striker Mark De Vries kept Jussi Jaaskelainen on his toes at the other end but his header from Danny Tiatto's cross was to go just around the post in the 21st minute.

It was certainly an early warning sign for the Wanderers who where being given a game of it by their Championship opponents on a bitterly cold night at the Reebok.

De Vries was nearly put through on goal some minutes later but a long pass by Irish defender Alan Maybury went harmlessly out for a goal kick to the Wanderers.

Chances went a miss at both ends shortly before the interval as Gareth Williams (Leicester) and Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton) both failed to test their opposing goalkeepers.

Icelandic midfielder Joey Gudjonsson is famed for his powerful shooting from distance and he fired in a powerful free kick which nearly gave Leicester the lead just seconds before the break.

Centre Half Tal Ben-Haim had Bolton's first chance of the re-start but he could not keep his header down following a pin-point corner flung in by team mate Hidetoshi Nakata.

Bolton made changes to their midfield in the second half as both Ivan Campo and Khalilou Fadiga entered the proceedings in place of Okocha and Speed. Leicester themselves brought on fresh legs as one time Celtic player Momo Sylla came on for Stephen Hughes.

On 74 minutes Wanderers substitute Campo volleyed over from just outside the area in what was the Wanderers best chance of the second half, as time wore on it was obvious that it would take something special to breach two very well organised defences.

Jared Borgetti was brought on the field with just seven minutes of normal time remaining but he was to prove the saviour in the early stages of extra time as he claimed his fourth goal of the season albeit thanks to a bit of good fortune following Dion Dublin's messed up clearance.

Vaz-Te then added a second goal for the hosts on 107 minutes as he showed some good play to outwit the Leicester defensive duo of Patrick McCarthy and Richard Stearman.

Sylla also went close late on but Bolton had Jaaskelainen to thank for preventing a Dublin equaliser from going in the back of the net in the final moments as he produced a stunning save to keep out a powerful header from the veteran.

Bolton Wanderers: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Nicky Hunt, Tal Ben-Haim, Radhi Jaidi, Ricardo Gardner, Jay-Jay Okocha (Khalilou Fadiga), Martin Djetou, Gary Speed (Ivan Campo), Hidetoshi Nakata, Kevin Davies (Jared Borgetti), Ricardo Vaz-Te

Subs Not Used: Chris Howarth, Bruno N'Gotty

Leicester: Rab Douglas, Richard Stearman (Alan Sheehan), Nils Eric-Johansson, Dion Dublin, Alan Maybury, Joe Hamill, Stephen Hughes (Mohammed Sylla), Joey Gudjonsson, Gareth Williams, Danny Tiatto (Patrick McCarthy), Mark De Vries

Subs Not Used: Patrick Kisnorbo, Patrik Gerrband

Referee:

Dermot Gallagher

Attendance:

13,067

Booked:

Kevin Davies (Bolton)

Patrick McCarthy (Leicester)

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