Spot on Wanderers

After extra time. Wanderers win 3-1 on penalties. SEVEN short words summed up the pain Keith Branagan inflicted on Bruce Rioch with his cup-winning performance at Carrow Road last night. "Why did I ever sign him?" the Norwich boss asked, torturing himself as he cast his mind back more than six years to the early days of his Bolton reign.

Branagan was the first recruit to the Rioch ranks in June 1992 and went on to play a central role in the three-year adventure that brought cup fame and promotion glory.

And it was the Republic of Ireland keeper - one of the most valuable free-transfer signings of all time - who was again the inspirational hero as Wanderers booked themselves a place in tonight's draw for the last 16 of the Worthington Cup.

Four sensational saves in open play and a priceless stop from Craig Fleming in the penalty shoot-out revived memories of previous knockout performances and brought sweet revenge for the Burnden defeat by the Canaries when their fifth round replay two years ago also went to penalties.

It was also a victory to savour for Jimmy Phillips and Gudni Bergsson, the two other surviving Rioch signings who were on the receiving end in December 96 and made winning returns to shore up Colin Todd's shaky defence.

But no return was more emotional nor more sensational than Robbie Elliott's.

Fourteen months after breaking his leg on his Reebok debut, the genial Geordie gave the sparse travelling contingent a taste of what they've been missing with a terrific midfield performance capped by a stunning extra-time goal.

For seven minutes it seemed Elliott's super strike would be enough to settle a close, hard-fought tie until Keith O'Neill's close range header forced the spot-kick decider.

Andy Marshall's save from Dean Holdsworth gave Norwich the early advantage in the nail-biting finale but Wanderers held their nerve and with Hasney Aljofree, Jimmy Phillips and Bob Taylor on target, Erik Fuglestad's miss proved decisive.

"It was a brilliant team performance," Elliott said celebrating his winning comeback.

"We were disappointed with the way we played at Bristol but we've worked really hard on getting our shape right and I think we made it really hard for Norwich.

"We didn't come to defend but we set our stall out and we played really well.

"It was great for me after being out for nearly 14 months and scoring on my first game back. But I've been working really hard - in training and in the three and a bit games I've had in the reserves - and I felt good, although if you'd said to me before the game that it was going to go to extra time, I think I'd have collapsed. I was down to take one of the later penalties but I'm glad it didn't come to that.

"It was good to get the goal, though. Things just opened up in front of me. I'd scored one for the reserves the other week with my right foot, so I thought 'Why not?' I tried it again and it went in."

The result was game set and match to Todd over his former boss. But he preferred to let the obvious satisfaction speak for itself as he left Norwich without comment.

He had earlier asked for a performance that would restore pride lost in recent league games that had seen Wanderers slide to 10th in the division and, with four changes in the wake of the Ashton Gate defeat - two forced, two out of choice - he got everything he'd hoped for. And more besides.

This was neither the time nor the place for a cavalier performance, which has been the feature of so many Division One displays this season.

Instead, with Bergsson and Phillips preferred to Cox and Whitlow at full-back and Elliott and young Aljofree replacing the injured Gardner and Frandsen, Wanderers had a much more solid look about them.

Mark Fish and Andy Todd weren't anywhere near as exposed as they have and, although Branagan had to be at his best, he'll be happy enough playing behind a defence and midfield that looked in better shape and more organised than they have for some time. Norwich went into the game on the back of highly-encouraging wins against Ipswich and Huddersfield but they found Wanderers an altogether different proposition.

Branagan's spectacular eighth minute save from top scorer Craig Bellamy was crucial and the Bolton No 1 followed that up with two more equally important stops from the young Wales striker.

All three were top drawer material but none was more encouraging for his team-mates and more dispiriting for the Norwich players and supporters than the one-handed stop from O'Neill in the second period of over-time when the Irish winger got away from the previously rock-solid Todd and looked certain to claim the winner.

There was none of the all-singing, all-dancing attacking style that has been the feature of so many Wanderers performances this season. Indeed they didn't muster a single shot or header on target in the first 45 minutes.

But they had their moments and Claus Jensen gave Canaries keeper Andy Marshall chance to display his talents with a cracking 30 yarder while Arnar Gunlaugsson couldn't have gone closer when he hit the post with a wickedly curling free kick.

And they left a lasting impression on Rioch who knew his side had created more chances but had to acknowledge that Wanderers deserved their win.

"It's always disappointing to go out of a cup competition," said the man who enjoyed more giant-killing success in his three years at Burnden than any other Bolton manager in history.

"Getting this far and having a home tie, we wanted to progress but it was not to be.

"Bolton are a very good passing side with a lot of international experience and their ball possession was better than ours, although we had the better chances.

"Keith Branagan has always looked as though he was going to be a good keeper. He came from the backwaters of Millwall but he's come on leaps and bounds since then."

Wanderers have come on leaps and bounds since Ashton Gate. It may have had its roots in adversity with changes being forced by injuries but they have shown that they can produce solid performances and, despite fears to the contrary, they do have depth in midfield.

Elliott lasted the pace and played an important role and young Aljofree - just 20 and with only two senior performances to his name - didn't look out of his depth in the central midfield role.

Striking home the second penalty of the shoot-out after Holdsworth's had been saved, showed he has the temperament too.

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