WANDERERS fans were celebrated into the night after their team reached the final of the Carling Cup.

Now they can look forward to their big day out at the final in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium at the end of next month.

Cardiff Factile: All you need to know

But it was only after a nerve-wracking final few minutes at Villa Park in Birmingham that the Bolton fans were able to let their hair down.

Wanderers had gone into the second leg of the semi-final with a 5-2 lead over Aston Villa.

Villa, however, fought back and a goal for them two minutes from the end last night, giving them a 2-0 lead on the night, left the Wanderers fans biting their fingernails.

Then the relief of the final whistle sent the Boltonians into a frenzy.

The flags and banners appeared the instant referee Steve Bennett brought the game to an end. Wanderers had won the semi-final 5-4 and the Bolton flags were waved high and proud. Shouts of "We're going to Cardiff" rang out.

Despite the cold, many Bolton fans took off their shirts and waved them above their heads.

And the man who got them most of the way to the final was not forgotten. The name of Jay-Jay Okocha, who scored two goals in the first leg at the Reebok Stadium, was chanted so loud he might have heard it in Tunisia where he is now playing for Nigeria in the African Nations Cup.

Hours before the game got underway, as around 1,000 fans gathered at the Reebok Stadium to board the coaches for the journey to Birmingham, there was a slight air of anticipation.

No-one seemed daring enough to start singing about a trip to Cardiff yet.

It was almost as if the fans were dreading throwing the three-goal lead away.

But after the match, the fans showed their pride in the team.

Abbie Marsh, aged 19, of Wilmslow Avenue, Astley Bridge, said: "They did not half put us through the mill, but nothing changes on that front! It really is brilliant that a small club with no money can manage to get to a cup final.

"It's all down to manager Sam Allardyce really. There is no reason why we should not win the cup now, whoever we are playing."

Chris Rearden, aged 23, of Orchid Avenue, Farnworth, said: "We were all a bit nervous through that second half, and I thought we were heading for trouble after their second goal because they really piled on the pressure.

"Luckily, we had it tied up in the first leg and we needn't have worried! Now we're all off to Cardiff. It's an absolutely tremendous achievement for the club and we are more than capable of lifting the cup. Anything can happen on the day."

The snow, sleet, rain and fog on the coach ride home could not dampen the spirits of the fans whose hearts had been warmed by the thought of their trip down to Cardiff and the very real possibility of lifting the Carling Cup.

In the final, Wanderers will meet either Arsenal or Middlesbrough whose second leg tie on Wednesday night was postponed until next Tuesday for crowd safety reasons because of the poor weather.