Bogey team Bolton did a number on Gianfranco Zola's West Ham at the Reebok Stadium tonight, coming from behind to dump the Hammers out of the Carling Cup.
In a complete reversal of last month's second round tie with Millwall, United found themselves a goal up thanks to Herita Ilunga's 59th minute striker with just minutes of the game left to play.But just as Junior Stanislas saved Hammers' blushes that evening, Kevin Davies sent tonight's tie - played in front of a paltry crowd of just 8,050 - into extra time when he nodded home a Matt Taylor corner with just four mintes of normal time left to play.
Bolton, now full of confidence having drawn level took the lead for the first time in the match six minutes into extra time when Gary Cahill took a chance on a poor headed clearance. The defender fired an unstoppable volley beyond Rob Green from the edge of the box.
The Hammers were inches away from restoring parity when Allesandro Diamanti's 111th minute curling effort clipped the wrong side of the crossbar. The Italian forward, who had seen an earlier effort of a similar nature narrowly miss the target finished the game barely able to stand, let alone run.
With the entire Hammers side flagging Bolton added insult to injury in the final minute of extra time by adding a third goal. Record signing Johan Elmander - who cost the Trotters a startling £11million - scored a rare goal when he converted Lee's cross from close range.
Despite having been second best for much of the game, United had taken the lead on the hour mark when left-back Ilunga took advantage of some horrendous defending to stab home a low Alessandro Diamanti corner.
However that was as good as it got for Zola's side, whose form is beginning to cause some concern amongst supporters who have seen United win just two of their seven games so far this season, with tonight's game being West Ham's third successive defeat in all competitions.
Bolton 3 West Ham United 1 aet (1-1 after 90 mins) - match facts
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Tomkins, Da Costa (N'Gala 63), Ilunga, Noble, Parker, Kovac, Dyer (Cole 75), Diamanti, Hines (Faubert 88).
Subs not used: Kurucz, Payne, Edgar, Nouble.
Goals: Ilunga (59).
Booked: Parker (94).
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel, Taylor, Muamba, McCann (Cohen 82), Gardner (Lee 69), K.Davies, Klasnic (Elmander 77).
Subs not used: Al Habsi, Steinsson, A.O'Brien, Davies.
Goals: Davies (85), Cahill (96), Elmander (119).
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 8,050.
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