IT was muddy hell for Wanderers as they crashed out of the FA Cup at West Ham.

An Alan Waldron goal after he had come on as substitute was a mere consolation for Wanderers who were 2-0 down at the time.

Wanderers went into the game without the suspended Sam Allardyce who was replaced by Mike Walsh, making his FA Cup debut.

On a heavy Upton Park pitch, West Ham went ahead in the 29th minute through Billy Jennings.

Geoff Pike made it 2-0 and Wanderers' chances were not helped when Paul Jones limped out of the action in the 70th minute.

The result settled a score with Wanderers for West Ham who had failed to score against them in three prievious FA Cup clashes including the famous White Horse final at Wembley in 1923 which Wanderers won 2-0.

10 YEARS AGO: Saturday, January 4, 1992

TWO goals from Tony Philliskirk saw Wanderers through to the fourth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Reading.

Reading came for a draw and held out until the 74th minute when Mike Jeffrey was brought crashing to the ground in the box.

Up stepped Philliskirk to see his penalty saved and then pounce on the rebound and stroke home his 15th goal of the season.

With Mark Seagraves and Mark Came dominating at the back and Tony Kelly and star man Mark Patterson commanding the midfield the result rarely looked in doubt and Philliskirk made sure five minutes from time after trading passes with Kelly.

Wanderers came through a frustrating afternoon thanks to the free scoring Philliskirk but Reading were far from happy, claiming Jeffrey was offside for the first goal and Philliskirk offside for the second.

Their claims sounded like the clutching at straws by sore losers while the victory earned Wanderers a fourth round home tie against Second Division strugglers Brighton.

5 YEARS AGO: Saturday, January 4, 1997

WANDERERS took a break from action when their FA Cup tie at Luton Town was postponed.

It gave Colin Todd's team time to reflect on their superb league form and the prospect of going into the second half of the season still challenging on three fronts.

They were flying high at the top of the First Division, five points clear after beating Bradford City 2-1 at Burnden Park three days earlier with goals from David Lee and Scott Sellars.

And the focus was now on the other cup, the League Cup, in which a clash with Premier League Wimbledon was coming up in midweek.

Manager Colin Todd was looking to strengthen his squad and top of his wanted list was Blackburn's Paul Warhurst. The player was also interesting Manchester City but in the end neither side would manage to acquire his services.

Wanderers and Todd, of course, would eventually get their man a couple of years later and Warhurst would go on to become a key player in their First Division promotion campaign and then in the Premiership this season.