MIKE Whitlow told Wembley bound Wanderers' fans today: "We owe you one!"

The repentant Bolton skipper says Sunday's FA Cup semi-final clash with Aston Villa has given him and his team-mates a chance to make up for past disappointments, a chance they fully intend to take.

Last season's morale-shattering defeat by Watford in the Play-off Final and the recent horror shows against Tranmere in both legs of the Worthington Cup semi-final will, he insists, be a major motivating factor as Wanderers look for a performance that will restore pride and, hopefully, lead to glory.

"We're going down there to perform," Whitlow promised as the squad left for its pre-match headquarters this morning. "There are a few lads who went last time who want to go back and show they can perform on the big stage.

"It doesn't matter how hard you try to ignore it, the disappointment of last year is still in the back of people's minds and we are nearly at the end of this season.

"The fans were rightly disappointed because of the performance and the fact that we didn't go back up. Since then we've had a bit of a roller-coaster season, starting not so well, then doing well under the new chief before we let ourselves down, big time, as everyone who came to watch the two legs against Tranmere will know.

"That was a chance of getting into a final and we blew it. But now we're fortunate this year to have another crack of the whip and, although we are the underdogs, we're going down there confident after the results we've had recently.

"We're going down there to give it our best shot and, if we can play to our potential, then Villa will know they have been in a game. Villa might have the player of the moment in Merson and the little lad, Carbone, who's done well and they probably say we've got no chance. But Gudni Bergsson is having the best season of his career, Claus Jensen has come on in bundles, Mark Fish and Paul Ritchie are doing well and Eidur has already shown he can do well against Premiership teams in the Worthington Cup."

Whitlow, ironically, could be a casualty of the strength of Sam Allardyce's semi-final squad.

He has missed the last two games because of suspension and, although Paul Warhurst's gashed calf in last week's 2-0 victory over Sheffield United appeared to have paved the way for his instant recall at left back, the utility man impressed with his performance in a training session yesterday and effectively declared himself fit for selection. That leaves the manager with options - Whitlow or Robbie Elliott at left back, Elliott, Warhurst or Franck Passi for the midfield holding role.

Whitlow, who rates the consistent Elliott as "one of the toughest players I've ever played with" was taking nothing for granted when he confirmed: "Big Paul's given himself a chance so that's good for the gaffer.

"Whoever he plays is going to perform for the team. At least he's got options now, which is great because half way through the season he didn't have any.

"It's been an up and down season and maybe we've under-achieved looking at the quality of players we've got here. But I know there are a lot of teams who'd give their right arms to have got to the semi-finals of the two major cups, be going to Wembley and still be in with a chance of the play-offs.

"And we all want success for the club. Some people don't see it but every one of us wants Bolton Wanderers to do well. Big Mark Fish wants nothing more than to help get Bolton Wanderers into the Premiership and to play in the Premiership with Bolton. Some people read the wrong signs but, hand on heart, we all want to do well.

"I made no secret of the fact that (being a former Leicester player) I dreamed of a Bolton-Leicester final in the Worthington Cup. It wasn't to be and I know that I didn't play well in the two Tranmere games.

"Now I'm dreaming again of getting to an FA Cup Final and a Play-off Final. But it's not just a dream - I know we have the potential to do it."

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