By Mark Heys
September 25 2007

Tommorow evening will see Bolton Wanderers begin their Carling Cup commitments when they take on Premiership rivals Fulham in this competition for the first time in over thirty years when the late Bobby Moore played for the Cottagers.

In October 1976 the two sides met in a highly contraversial game at Burnden Park when Wanderers defender Mike Walsh scored a goal deep into injury time to earn Bolton a second replay.

John Mitchell had given Fulham the lead but Bolton striker Steve Taylor levelled shortly before the break. Centre half Ernie Howe put the Londoners back in front prior to Walsh's dramatic late salvo.

Furthermore Fulham captain Moore was sent off at the end of normal time and this lead to the entire Cottagers team walking off the field in protest. Referee Kevin McNally eventually got the game re-started and the two clubs ended up staging a second replay at St Andrews which Bolton won by two goals to one.

There is sure to be no such drama at Craven Cottage tommorow but one things for sure Bolton will need to find the winning habit at a ground they have not been victorious at since 1992.

Earlier in the season a goal from ex-Fulham man Heidar Helguson wasn't enough for Bolton as goals from David Healy and Alexei Smertin gave Lawrie Sanchez side three Premiership points.

Bolton manager Sammy Lee will be hoping to build on the last two results against FK Rabotnicki and Tottenham Hotspur with a win against the Cottagers.

The Trotters have twice reached the final of this competition, the first was in 1995 when they lost 2-1 to a Steve McManaman inspired Liverpool side at Wembley and the second was three years ago at the Millennium Stadium when Middlesbrough also ran out 2-1 winners.

Fulham have never got past the fifth round in this competition, the last instance of this came in 2000 when under the management of Jean Tigana.

Lee has hinted he will make changes to the side which drew against Spurs with Daniel Braaten, Christian Wilhelmsson and Stelios Giannakopoulos set to feature.

Joey O'Brien and Ricardo Gardner will keep their places in the side as they look to regain their match sharpness following long spells on the sidelines.

Heidar Helguson (ankle), Blerim Dzemaili (knee), Jlloyd Samuel (hamstring) and Ricardo Vaz-Te (knee) are unlikely to feature in the squad which travels to the capital.

Sanchez is without long term injury victims Brian McBride (knee) and Simon Elliott (calf) but former Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard is close to a first team return after a year out of action.

LAST TIME WE MET (LEAGUE CUP SPECIAL)

05/10/1976 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Taylor, Walsh) FULHAM 2 (Mitchell, Howe)

BOLTON: Jim McDonagh, Peter Nicholson, Mike Walsh, Roy Greaves, Paul Jones, Sam Allardyce, Willie Morgan, Neil Whatmore, Steve Taylor, Peter Reid, Brian Smith

SUB NOT USED: Alan Waldron

FULHAM: Ian Mellor, Terry Bullivant, Les Strong, Alan Slough (Barry Lloyd), Ernie Howe, Bobby Moore, John Dowie, John Evanson, John Mitchell, John Lacy, Les Barrett

PLAYED FOR BOTH

Peter Beardsley, Dave Clement, Martin Djetou, John Dreyer, Fabrice Fernandes, Heidar Helguson, Claus Jensen, Steve McAnespie, Gerry Peyton, Martin Pike, John Salako, Mark Walton