AKINORI Nishizawa finally made it. It was only a low priority Worthington Cup tie but the man from Japan made his bow in English football and the television company who elected to screen the match 'live' in his homeland got their money's worth.

Nishi had the first shot on goal, won the first corner, forced the first save out of Walsall keeper Lee Harper and went on to play a significant role in helping Wanderers safely through to the third round - scoring the goal that took the game into extra time before laying on the pass for Henrik Pedersen to net the winner.

The posse of Japanese journalists who have tracked his every move since he arrived at the Reebok from Osaka finally got the story they were looking for.

But they may have to wait for the next chapter.

For in the same breath as praising Nishizawa, Sam Allardyce made it crystal clear he will not be in his starting line-up for Saturday's high priority game against Southampton.

"If he thought that was fast then wait till he plays in the Premiership!" the manager suggested.

Nevertheless, Allardyce was as impressed as anyone by what he saw from the striker and felt he could have made an even bigger impact on the game, if he had had a little more help from his team-mates.

"I was pleased with some of the contributions he made," the manager added, "but I felt we should have given him more of the ball.

More difficult

"Some of his touches and speed off the mark, his little dribbling abilities ... even when he went up front on his own he showed a good spring and made it difficult for the centre-halves.

"It's always nice to score your first goal for your new club - that will always give you confidence. But, if you spoke to him, he'd probably tell you how tired he is after playing his first game in English football. If he thinks that was difficult, wait till he gets into the Premiership. That's much more difficult than the other night, certainly from a physical point of view.

"But he got 120 minutes under his belt and did well. He did his dribbles and tricks and a Nishi cup show

live in Japan From back page couple of little passes in the first half when he picked out players that were in positions which perhaps others might not have seen."

But he soon brought the player, and the journalists, desperate for more good news stories to send to their editors, down to earth.

How soon will he play again? "Well he can't get in yet because we keep winning," Allardyce explained. "While we keep winning or drawing nobody's going to get in.

"Until that changes, the 11 that we've played in the first team since the start of the season are still in the first team because we've only conceded one goal. While that goes on there is no need to change it."

Of that vital first goal, Nishizawa said: "There was a team-mate in front of me, the goalkeeper could not see me and I just shot. It was an easy goal."

In last night's edition we referred to Wanderers' Worthington Cup opponents, Walsall, as a Second rather than a First Division club.

We apologise for any confusion, as the Daily Express may have to do after carrying a report of last night's Worthington Cup tie under the scoreline "Blackburn 2, Bolton 0".