Underdogs snap again

They headed back to London overnight shellshocked, wondering why their name won't be in the hat for the draw for the 4th round of the Coca-Cola Cup.

But they are in good company. Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Aston Villa and the rest all suffered similar fates in a sensational three-season stint that established Wanderers as one of the most feared underdogs of modern times.

Now, after a season when Premiership problems overshadowed cup capers, normal service has been resumed.

There's a new manager and a handful of new faces but the spirit is still the same. Wanderers have no respect for reputations, as Gullit's international brigade discovered to their cost. Leboeuf, Hughes, Di Matteo and Co were all dumped on their backsides by a team that's fighting fit and hungry for success.

There's just no satisfying the appetites of the Burnden battlers. Already blazing a trail at the top of Division One, they're now ready for another Coca-Cola cup run too.

And they won't stop at that, according to midfield hero Alan Thompson who enjoyed the highlight of his career when he scored in the 1995 Final and unashamedly wants more.

Thompson dismissed suggestions that a busy cup schedule might distract Wanderers from their prime objective of promotion back to the Premiership, arguing: "A cup run can only be good for confidence and I see no reason why we can't go all the way to Wembley.

"And when the FA cup comes along, we won't want to get knocked out of that either. I'm sure the supporters don't want to see us get knocked out of any of the competitions."

Such is the confidence of Colin Todd's high-fliers - one defeat in 16 league and cup games and now unbeaten in 11 - that they fear no-one. They believe they can go one better than their promotion and Wembley double of two seasons ago.

Having seen dynamic duo John McGinlay and Nathan Blake net the goals to wipe out Scott Minto's stunning opener after just 90 seconds, Thompson set his personal stall out. "Two years ago we won promotion through the play-offs and lost at Wembley in the Coca-Cola Cup Final," he recalled. "It would be nice this time if we could go up as Champions and get a winners' medal in one of the knockout competitions ... why not?"

Indeed. Gullit might not have been in the mood to give Wanderers any credit for their win but this latest giant-killing act will, nevertheless, rank alongside some of the best in terms of excitement, commitment and skill.

For 20 minutes you wouldn't have backed the Nationwide League leaders with toy money. Minto will argue he intended to chip Keith Branagan when his lobbed shot spooned over the keeper and dropped just under the bar. There are many who say otherwise but no-one could argue that Chelsea weren't running the show.

Gullit started his first game as Chelsea manager and was elegantly strolling through it. But the game turned on 14 minutes when referee Richard Poulain ruled no penalty as Jimmy Phillips took John Spencer and the ball in a decisive, well-timed tackle.

Wanderers sensed they'd had a great escape. Suddenly they clicked into the gear that has helped them accelerate away from the rest in the league and, though the Dutch Master refused to acknowledge it, they outpassed, outclassed and outfought the Premier League all-stars for the rest of the half.

Gullit complained that his side had been beaten by two corners and he had a point. His defenders simply couldn't cope with Scott Sellars' inswingers; the first helped in by McGinlay on 22 minutes, the second flicked on by man of the match Per Frandsen for Nathan Blake to head in at the back post. Goals 10 and 11 respectively for the Fabulous Burnden Boys.

But there was more to the Wanderers win than two corners. In terms of effort, character and commitment, they were streets ahead and there were levels of skill, notably in the first half, when they matched anything Chelsea had to offer. Frandsen had it all and completely overshadowed Gullit in terms of influencing the outcome.

In the second, when they couldn't sustain the fluency, they continued to battle and the defence came into its own.

The back four, often supplemented by the grafting midfield quartet, stubbornly refused to be intimidated by the combative Hughes and the wandering Spencer while Gullit's raids - apart from once when he bounced a delightful chip onto the crossbar - amounted to nothing.

Branagan, who has been called on very little at home this season, made key saves from Denis Wise and Roberto Di Matteo to underline Todd's claim that credit goes to every member of his hard-working side.

It was nail-biting stuff at the end but you sensed Chelsea had run out of ideas when Hughes and Clarke showed their frustration with terrible tackles on Michael Johansen and McGinlay, which rightly earned them bookings.

Todd, justifiably proud of his team's performance, was anxious to keep things in perspective. "This was a little bit of a yardstick for for us but I wouldn't take it too seriously," he noted.

"Cup games aren't the same as playing top opposition every week as you do in the league. We were in the Premiership last season and found it difficult.

"But we always felt we were capable of beating Chelsea. They are an excellent side if you let them pass the ball. We couldn't get to grips with them and had to weather the storm in the first 20 minutes.

"But there is character in our side and, once we started to pass the ball as we know we can, we caused them problems.

"I can't single players out because all 11 did remarkably well. If you'd gone into the dressing room at the end you'd have seen how much graft and work and effort they put in. They were absolutely exhausted."

Gullit was in no mood to hand out plaudits as he suffered the first serious setback of his managerial career. He graced the game with a handful of memorable contributions but grumbled later: "If you are beaten by a team that is better than you, okay.

"But we lost to two corner kicks, that's all. In the second half our goalkeeper had nothing to do, hardly. We did everything to win the game but the goal didn't come. It was just one of those nights."

Wasn't it, just!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.