Bolton fight back to nail Hammers
BOLTON (3) vs WEST HAM (1)
WEST HAM came within four minutes of a rare foray into the fourth round before being dumped out of the Carling Cup in extra time by battling Bolton.
Defender Herita Ilunga’s goal looked to have sent the Hammers into the last 16 for only the second time in eight years until target man Kevin Davies headed an equaliser in the 86th minute.
The home side then took a firm grip in extra time, centre-back Gary Cahill crashing in a 30-yard piledriver before goal-shy striker Johan Elmander sealed the win with his first strike of 2009.
Ilunga put the visitors in front against the run of play just before the hour mark, when Bolton failed to clear an Alessandro Diamanti corner and the full-back poked in his first senior goal for the east Londoners. With time running out Bolton finally made their barrage of set-pieces pay, Davies decisively meeting a whipped delivery from Matt Taylor.
Midfielder Taylor almost won it early in extra time when his free-kick hit a post. Bolton did not have to wait long for another goal, however, and Cahill rifled in on 96 minutes. Sweden forward Elmander slid in the third goal a minute from time.