KEVIN Poole - the voice of experience in the Reebok dressing room - gave a ringing endorsement today to Sam Allardyce's claim that he has never had it so good.

The veteran keeper, at 41 the oldest registered Premiership player, dug deep into his memory banks and confirmed that he had never known a better bunch of team-mates.

Jubilant after captaining Wanderers to a comfortable Carling Cup win at Yeovil last night, Poole said: "In all the time I've been in football, I don't think I've worked with a better squad than I'm working with now - great players, great team spirit and all gelling on the pitch."

Allardyce will be pleased to hear that, but it was the performance of a team some misguided observers might label "second string" that said everything about the wealth of talent he now has at his disposal.

It took until deep into the final quarter for goals from Julio Cesar and Henrik Pedersen to break the resolve of the team from Coca-Cola League Two, but Wanderers were never in any trouble and looked a class above their opponents.

And all that was achieved with eight of the players who kicked off against Arsenal on Saturday sitting at home watching on television.

Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Jaidi, Gardner, Campo, Okocha and Speed did not even travel to Somerset ... a measure of the strength of the squad which has raised Allardyce's expectations to heights he could hardly have dreamed of this time last year, let alone five years ago when he first took control.

Now he can make nine changes to his starting line-up, give full debuts to five players and still field six internationals, including a three-time European Cup winner, a European champion and two-time African Player of the Year. Fernando Hierro, Stelios and El-Hadji Diouf will make significant contributions in the Premiership this season, and it appears Allardyce can rely on Cesar, Tal Ben Haim and Blessing Kaku to play their parts.

In previous seasons, the manager has been criticised for having scant regard for the cup competitions with his selection policy - but he made it clear this time that, although he planned to ring the changes again, there was still enough talent and experience to win the game. And so it proved.

Allardyce is so comfortable with the squad he has assembled that he can even afford to let Michael Bridges leave for Sunderland.

"We've still got Kal Fadiga and Florent Laville to come through," he said, adding two more names to the squads who were on duty at Arsenal and Yeovil.

"When you look at the teams we've played at this stage of the season last year and the year before, this one's a lot better.

"It's a lot younger, it's a lot fitter and I hope it can keep winning and take us a long way."

Wanderers had to work hard to make it four wins from seven league and cup games. But they were always in control.

They were frustrated in the first half, with Chris Weale making impressive saves from Les Ferdinand and Kaku, and Diouf missing a golden oppportunity.

But it was again Allardyce's use of substitutes that proved decisive, with Pedersen and Kevin Davies injecting pace and power at a time when Yeovil were flagging.

Diouf made up for his off-key finishing with two assists - curling in the 79th-minute corner headed home by Cesar, and seven minutes later supplying the pass for Pedersen to hit his fifth of the season across the keeper.

Yeovil Town 0, Wanderers 2

WANDERERS 4-3-3

KEVIN POOLE ... 6

Captain for the night on one of his rare senior outings; well protected and never tested.

RICKY SHAKES ... 6

The rookie of the side got his first senior start and looked like he enjoyed the experience.

TAL BEN HAIM ... 8

The Israeli was determined to make the most of his full debut and didn't disappoint.

JULIO CESAR ... 8

Solid at the back on his first team return and broke the deadlock with a powerful header.

ANTHONY BARNESS ... 7

Used his experience to great effect, playing well and helping those around him.

KEVIN NOLAN ... 7

Full of running and always in the thick of the action.

FERNANDO HIERRO ... 8

From his first kick to his last, he looked pure quality - calm and unhurried, he used the ball simply and sensibly.

BLESSING KAKU ... 7

Allardyce has found another tireless midfield player in the talented Nigerian.

; another promising debut.

STELIOS ... 6

Busy and bustling back in the first team routine; no end product, but never stopped working.

LES FERDINAND ... 6

Foiled twice first half by good saves - it was a frustrating first start for the veteran striker.

EL-HADJI DIOUF ... 7

Booed at every touch by the home crowd who remembered his cup appearance at Huish Park with Liverpool, but handled it well.

Subs: Kevin Davies (6) for Ferdinand 63 mins, Henrik Pedersen for Stelios 70 mins, Joey O'Brien for Hierro 87 mins. Not used: Andy Oakes, Jason Talbot.

YEOVIL TOWN 4-4-2

CHRIS WEALE ... 8

TERRY SKIVERTON ... 7

LIAM FONTAINE ... 7

ROY O'BRIEN ... 7

MICHAEL ROSE ... 7

PAUL TERRY ... 8

DARREN WAY ... 6

LEE JOHNSON ... 8

ADRIAN CACERES ... 7

ANDREJS STOLCERS ... 6

PHIL JEVONS ... 6

Subs: Kevin Gall (6) for Way 63 mins, Gavin Williams (6) for Caceres 63 mins, Bartosz Tarchulski for Stolcers 81 mins. Not used: Colin Miles, Stephen Collis.

Referee: Dermot Gallagher.

Attendance: 8,047

Man of the Match

FERNANDO HIERRO: FROM the Bernabeu to Huish Park - what a contrast! But there was not the slightest hint that the former Real Madrid captain considered this was beneath him. He played with an economy of effort but an abundance of skill and experience that only great players are capable of.

Magic Moment

EVEN in defeat, the Yeovil fans showed a great sense of humour at their own expense. When the attendance was announced - 8,047 - they responded by taunting the Bolton contingent with chants of "What's it like to see a crowd?"