IT was an all-too-brief, bitter-sweet experience but Wanderers have tasted the high life.

Now, are they hungry enough to fight their way back to the Premiership table?

They've been found wanting and, it must be said, they can have no complaints about losing their place among the elite of English football. Nevertheless, they have had their appetites whetted and it's hard to imagine anyone - players, management or fans - leaving Highbury yesterday without a backward glance and a deep-seated desire to make a quick return.

But, as he sent his players away to lick their relegation wounds over the summer, Colin Todd, pictured, rapped out a stern warning of the size of the task they face when they report back for Endsleigh League duty. Deeply disappointed at failing to consolidate after last season's promotion run, the Burnden boss cautioned: "They are in for a shock if they think that, just because they've been in the Premiership, they can just go out and waltz their way back.

"You've got to be hungry enough, make things happen, and batter down doors to get back up there.

Determination "Next season is going to be about attitude, the desire and the determination to make things happen for ourselves."

First and foremost, Wanderers will have to rid themselves of their suicidal tendancies.

There was something all-too-familiar, almost poetic, about the way they finally bowed out. Leading through Andy Todd's goal with eight minutes to go, they were in sight of a victory that would have given them the satisfaction of at least ending the season with their first double and being the only Premiership side to take maximum points from the Gunners.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, it all went wrong!

Arsenal's attackers hadn't looked capable of hitting a barn door. Suddenly, as if by magic, everything went their way. Gudni Bergsson was so tight to Dennis Bergkamp that they cast a single shadow but, as the Dutchman fell to ground and lost control, the ball broke kindly for David Platt to thread in the equaliser. Three minutes later Platt latched onto a loose pass from Simon Coleman and with a rapier-like thrust, delivered the ball for Bergkamp to lash a peach of a rising right-footer past an awe-struck Keith Branagan from 20 yards.

Suddenly last summer's much-maligned £13 million splash on two of Europe's highest profile stars was looking a gilt-edged investment. Arsenal had clinched a place in the UEFA Cup: Wanderers were left singing the same old song.

"You can look back on about 10 games which we should have won or at least taken a point," Todd reflected ruefully on the ones that got away.

"We've shot ourselves in the foot far too often. The second goal was the story of our season: we had the ball, gave it away and got punished!" Bruce Rioch, who a year ago was leading Wanderers into the Premiership, was a relieved man as the final whistle sounded.

He admitted: "When young Toddy got that goal I thought it was fated.

"A lot of people looked at this fixture and thought it would be a case of us putting Bolton into the First Division. But that wasn't the issue as far as I was concerned. My main concern was that Bolton would come along and put a dent in our hopes of going into Europe. And they very nearly did!

"Being already relegated I knew they would be relaxed and, for obvious reasons, they would have the extra incentive. They made us work extremely hard." At a time when the Championship chase has been tarnished by claims and counter-claims questioning the honour and commitment of certain teams, it was satisfying to see Wanderers doing their Premiership duty. Spurs, Blackburn and Everton - all poised to pounce should Arsenal fail - can have no complaints.

Todd fielded a line-up that was as much of a shock as Ian Wright's newly-dyed orange/blond hair!

Branagan had been widely tipped for a return after his seven-match injury lay-off but there were four other changes to the side beaten by Southampton, plus a change of system.

Steve McAnespie returned for his first start since November; Bryan Small was given his debut at the expense of Jimmy Phillips, who failed at the final hurdle to complete his second successive season as ever-present; Todd was drafted into midfield; and Mixu Paatelainen was preferred to Nathan Blake and Fabian de Freitas as John McGinlay's partner in a switch back to the twin-strike approach. Todd reverted to the three centre-back system in which Alan Stubbs operated in his favoured position as sweeper in what is generally accepted as being his last game as a Bolton player, against the club he is strongly tipped to join.

He left the field knowing he had done his duty to the last.

For 82 minutes Stubbs, Bergsson and Coleman stood strong at the heart of a defence which, riding its luck at times, contained and frustrated the off-target Gunners. Wright, Merson, Parlour, Bergkamp and Platt were all wayward and woeful with their finishing - unlike Todd who beat David Seaman with the composure of a seasoned striker after stumbling onto a Scott Sellars pass intended for the over-lapping Small. Injuries might have restricted him to just 11 starts but the manager's son can at least look back on the Premiership having scored at Anfield and Highbury. And not many young players can say that!

For seven minutes, until victory was finally lost in the Premier League's equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle, it seemed Wanderers were signing off with the classic counter-attacking win.

So was this the shape of things to come?

Todd cautioned against drawing conclusions. He has still to decide how to approach next season tactically: whether to adopt a three centre-back formation or revert to the 4-4-2 style that proved successful last time in Division One.

But he was giving no clues when he explained: "I told the players in advance that the team I put out at Arsenal would have no bearing on anything I have planned for next season.

"I put a team out to do a job, to win a game of football and to take the opportunity to cast an eye over one or two players who haven't been involved for a while.

"I'm just disappointed we couldn't hang on after getting our noses in front."

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