Bolton Wanderers – Middlesbrough

All the action from the 44th English League Cup Final. Kicking off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT

Bolton Team: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton, Frandsen, Campo, Okocha, Nolan, Djorkaeff, Davies. Subs: Poole, Barness, Giannakopoulos, Pedersen, Javi Moreno.

Middlesbrough Team: Schwarzer, Mills, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Mendieta, Boateng, Doriva, Zenden, Juninho Paulista, Job. Subs: Jones, Riggott, Ricketts, Maccarone, Downing.

Bolton go looking for their first trophy since 1958 today while Middlesbrough, if successful today will get their hands on silverware for the first time in their history. An English manager will lift a cup for the first time since 1996 but will it be Sam Allardyce or Steve McClaren?

Bolton get things under way but it is Jaaskelainen who is the first keeper to get a touch

Long hopeful ball forward from Charlton and the first free kick as Okocha is fouled

Free kick into the Boro box is cleared by Southgate. Mendieta gets the ball in the middle of the Bolton half, feeds Zenden on the right in space. He powers in to the box and picks out Job in the six yard box. Simple finish and Boro score the fastest goal in League Cup final history. 1-0 Boro

Steve McClaren didn't even see the goal as he was still taking up his position on the touchline

Long throw into the box from Okocha is helped on by Southgate and finds Djorkaeff. Very narrow angle but the snap shot makes Schwarzer work to prevent a goal

Ball into the Bolton box to Job's feet. Turns Thome who is right up behind him. Not much in it but the ref points to the spot straight away. Penalty!

Zenden steps up and sends it straight down the middle. Jaaskelainen dives to his left and a trailing foot clips the ball but not enough to prevent it going in. 2-0 Boro inside seven minutes

Amazing start to the final and the noise levels are cranked right up under the closed roof

Southgate comes along way out to challenge for a header but is too heavy handed

Free kick dinked over the top but Djorkaeff is offside

Fantastic reverse pass from Davies splits the Boro defence and the opverlapping Hunt gets to the byline. Tries to centre but Southgate puts behind for a corner

Corner is a poor one and easily cleared

After the blistering opening the game has settled down (a bit)

Davies penalised for backing into Southgate. Looked six of one and half a dozen of the other and that is a personal battle that will run the length of the match

Bolton try a variation of their 'new offside set plays from dead ball situations' rouse. twice now the linesman has flaged and the Bolton coaching staff are in conversation with the fourth official

If the linesman is going to crack down on the plan Bolton will have to change tactics pretty quickly.

Bolton becoming frustrated as a number of decisions are going against them. Davies, this time, is punished for a foul on Ehiogu when there was little in it

Juninho springs the Bolton offside trap down the right. tires to pick out Job in the middle but it is Thome who spoons the ball over his own bar. Could have gone anywhere and very nearly ended up in the net

Davies working his way down the right has little support. From an acute angle on the right he decides to go for goal. Keeper looks odds on to save but it squirms through his hands at his near post and ends up in the net. Very soft goal but Bolton are back in it. 2-1

Amazing match on our hands and now a two footed Boateng foul angers the Bolton players

Argy bargy and handbags flying everywhere as players from both sides square up to each other

Boateng is the first player into the referee's notebook

Free kick from all of 30 yards tempts Okocha to have a pop. Not a bad effort, dipping and culing a bit but only finds the top of the Boro net

The temperature and noise level's are sky high again. Already a cracking, rip roaring cup final. If there is any way you can I suggest you find a TV screen that is showing the match - now

TV replays show that Zenden slipped when taking the penalty and actually touched the ball with his right foot before his left - against the rules of the game - so more controversy

Frandsen sees the ball break to him just inside a crowded Boro box. Looks to curl one towards the far corner of the goal. It's going in until Schwarzer dives to his right and just gets finger tips to it to force it on to the post and the collects the rebound

The pace of the game contiunes at full speed

Long ball into the Boro box. Ehiogu meets it but only deflects to the path of Djorkaeff who's shot bounces across the face of the goal

More argy bargy at a Bolton corner between Mills - surprise surprise and Nolan

Real chance for Djorkaeff as the ball breaks to him about 15 yards away from goal to the left. Opts to shoot arcoss the keeper but Schwarzer gets down well and saves to his left. The striker should have done better but Schwarzer is earing his corn after that early error

Bolton are starting now to get into the game after their horror first ten minutes

Mendieta makes some room in a crowded midfield, feeds Job who inturn lays it right into space for Boateng. Should shoot but cuts inside and gets tackled. Throws in a weak dive for good measure but the ref ignores him

Hunt is lucky to get away with a tug back on Job just outside the box

Schwarzer, having a mixed afternoon, loses a simple ball in the air but there are no Bolton men there to pounce

Campo is beaten by Mendieta so he manhandles him rugby style to earn himself a yellow card.

Zenden and Hunt square up to each other after theformer fouls the latter.

Quick free kick from Zenden catches everyone off guard - including his own men and it runs harmlessley through to the Bolton keeper

Campo indulges in a bit of theatrics to earn a free kick off Zenden who did arrive late but without making any contact

Break in play whilst Nolan receives treatment for a knock

Okocha, never scared to try one from distance, hits an arrowed shot from 30 yards out. On target but Schwarzer is well positioned and holds on to the effort with comparative ease

Four minutes of added time on the half to be played

Massive boot forward from deep in his own half from Okocha gives Davis too much ground to make up and Southgate calmly heads back to his goal-keeper

Half winding up with a passage of scrappy play in midfield

Half-time arrives with the score still at 2-1

What a match. We've had it all - fastest goal ever in a league cup final, a penalty (that possibly shouldn't have stood after Zenden touched it twice), a goalkeeping blunder at the other end, flaired tempers and a bit of handbags and Kevin Davies even left the field with blood dripping from his neck from some clash or other. Not the most skillfull encounter but certainly one of the most entertaining

Middlesbrough had the best of the opening part of the match but Bolton have dug in to get themselves right back into it. Plenty more drama left in this game and it's impossible to pick a winner from here

Middlesbrough get the second half underway with both sides now attacking the ends where their fans are camped

Davies, working very hard in the game, rides a couple of challenges wide on the left and throws in a cross that is too long for any Bolton players

Mendieta robs Davies but Charlton wins it straight back. Feeds Frandsen who crosses for Davis who is marginally offside as Boro clear their lines

Djorkaeff finds room in midfield and tries to put Davis in behind the defence. Queudrue plugs the gap though

Davis runs with the ball into the boro box and takes a tumble as the ball runs away from him. Several Boro men around him but none fouled the striker

Hostilities are resumed early in the second half. Mendieta and N'Gotty go eyeball to eyeball

Job spins round around Campo in the centre circle befor ereleasing Mendieta on the right in acres of space. Keeper rushes out and the Spaniard tries a litle lob. Jaaskelainen gets a decisive touch but the referee awards a goal kick

Okocha runs a the Boro defense for probably the first time in the match. Plays a diguised pass the Nolan who tries to play in Davis via a back heel but it doesn't reach it's target

Campo, on a yellow already sails close to the wind with an awful dive that the referee awards a free kick for

Boro have looked the more threatening so far after the interval

Charlton and Davis try to work play down the Bolton left but to no avail

Campo tries to play a defence spliting pass for Frandsen. Finds space behind the Boro back line but puts too much weight on it

Zenden, marauding down the left swings in a dangerous looking cross that forces Campo to hack the ball away

Juninho gets some time on the ball and tries to play in Job. Good ball into the Bolton box but Jaaskelainen is alive to the danger

Hunt floats in a looping cross from the right looking for Davis. He is in space and the sort of ball he would be looking for but he can only head down right at the Boro keeper this time

Okocha picks it up deep and plays up to Dojkaeff's feet. He turns Queudrue but the same man then tugs him back for a free kick in Okocha territory

It is Okocha to take but the wall does it's job

First substitution for Bolton. Off goes Per Frandsen to be replaced by Henrik Pedersen

Hopeful punt forward from Boro sees Junhino in a race with Jaaskelainen. The keeper gets out of his box to make an important clearance off the Brazilian's toes

Boro substitution. Goal scorer Job ends his involvement and ex-Bolton man Michael Ricketts enters the contest

Boro find space in Bolton's half with Boateng. He attempts a long diagonal ball through to Mills on the other side of the pitch but Okocha is there to hack clear. Mishits it and ends up looping into his keepers grateful arms

Pedersen picks up the ball on the right a long way from goal. Had options but chose to shoot and ended up wasting possession

A few tired legs and Bolton's need to push forward is leaving gaps at the back more and more as the game progresses

Junhino almost gets a sight of goal inside the penalty box but N'Gotty forces him wide and the opportunity passes

Long ball forward from Okocha. Out jumped by Ehiogu who then beats Djorkaeff to the rebound as he looks set to spring forward

Zenden is cruedly pulled back by Djorkaeff on the left wing by the corner of the 18 yard box

Mendieta tries a shot on goal but Jaaskelainen has time to position himself and collect, two handed, above his head

Junhino with a beautifully flighted ball into the box tries to pick out Ricketts. Would have done had it not been for the timely intervention of N'Gotty

Break in play as Nolan receives treatment for a knock picked up challenging Mills for a ball in the Boro box. No foul but Nolan, who has got through an enormous amount of work, is obviously in pain

Nolan leaves the pitch to be replaced by Javier Javi Moreno

Okocha, playing very deep, pings a speedy cross into the Boro box but Southgate meets it well to clear

Mills manhandles Okocha out by the left touchline

Djorkaeff swings in a right footed cross. Headed up in the air and when it comes down Davis jumps to swing a foot at it at the same time as Zenden heads clear. The force of Davis' foot hits Zenden's back - it looked very painful

Another hold up in play as Zenden is laid out in the Boro box and the physio comes on to look at him

Loose headed pass in the middle from Charlton gives Ricketts the ball on the centre spot. Plays a quick reverse pass and Junhino is away. Under pressure from the recovering Bolton defenders though, the little Brazilian can only fire over the bar

Middlesbrough play passes around the edge of Bolton's box without finding a shooting chance. Eventually Bolton win the ball and break forward but to little effect

Bolton free kick from the centre circle is a hopeful ball into the crowded box. Everyone goes for it and in the melee a free kick is awarded to Boro

Nicky Hunt is taken off to be replaced by Stelios

Boro work the ball across the Bolton box until Medieta arrives in space. Great chance to wrap it up but he delays pulling the trigger and Thome gets back to block his effort

Bolton ball forward is flicked on by Davis who finds Stelios in the box. As he shapes to shoot Ehiogu gets in a block

Four minutes to be added on

Real drama as Bolton throw everything forward - including the goalkeeper for a corner. Boro break into space and Ricketts gets a chance that he puts down the Bolton keeper's throat.

Ricketts is booked for kicking the ball away to waste time

Whistles rain down onto the pitch from the Boro fans

Okocha picks up the ball deep, takes a few steps forward, cuts inside and then shoots from all of 35 yards. Trickles through to Schwarzer who makes no mistake

Whistle sounds and it's all over. Middlesbrough have finally won a trophy. 2-1 Boro it ends

A barnstorming and thoroughly entertaining match comes to a close and, though you have to feel for Bolton and Sam Allardyce, Middlesbrough probably just about deserved it on the day. Ehiogu and Southgate were solid at the back and their flair players in the form of Zenden, Junhino and Mendieta added the attacking edge

Bolton did well to work their way back into the match and at half-time they looked well in it. In the second, though, they appeared to tire and despite throwing men forward towards the end it always looked like Boro were more likely to score

Cracking match (not the most technically skillfull one but then it doesn't always have to be) and just a shame there had to be a loser

Terrible scenes at the Millenium Stadium. Not happy with simply presenting the trophy to the captain; the lights go out, spotlight hits the man bringing out the cup, flanked by two squaddies, to the soundtrack of some Euro-pop-dance track. Tragic, just tragic

And now a chessey pyrothecnics display to add some razzamatazz to the event. I don't think I can bear to watch anymore..