SAM Allardyce revealed the depth of his disappointment at seeing his Carling Cup dream shattered by Wigan hit-man Jason Roberts when he admitted: "I'd sooner have got knocked out of the UEFA Cup," reports Gordon Sharrock.

Big Sam hoped this would be the season in which he would be the man to end Wanderers' 47-year wait for a major trophy, but now, after missing out on a place in the semi-finals, he fears his best chance has gone.

There is still the matter of a showdown with Marseille in February for a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup, but Allardyce accepts that a European trophy is not a realistic ambition.

"I'm absolutely gutted," he said after Roberts struck twice in the space of nine minutes at the end of the first half, to write another chapter in the Wigan fairytale.

"The UEFA Cup is an impossible dream for us, but to win the Carling Cup is a reality and has been a reality from the start.

"It would be the shortest route to this club winning some silverware for the first time since 1958 and we've thrown it away.

"We've thrown away a massive chance to be in the semi-finals, which would have been difficult for us to get through, even if we'd got a reasonably kind draw, because some of our players would have been away in the African Nations Cup.

"But we'd still have fancied ourselves over two legs, on the form that we are showing on a regular basis in the Premiership and the UEFA Cup, and in the Carling Cup - until last night."

Any doubts that Allardyce was determined to take Wanderers all the way and make up for the bitter disappointment of losing to Middlesbrough in the 2004 final were answered when he made only three changes to the team that won 4-0 at Everton on Saturday to consolidate fifth place in the Premiership.

Indeed, the return of Ricardo Gardner and Tal Ben Haim, in particular, should have strengthened a side further encouraged by the decision of Latics boss, Paul Jewell, to rest Henri Camara to the subs bench three days after he scored a hat-trick in the victory over Charlton.

Add to that the sense of purpose among the players - most had not only expressed a desire to keep the momentum going but to also avenge the Premiership defeat they suffered at the JJB in October - and there was a strong feeling that this was going to be Wanderers' night.

But all the determination in the world could not legislate for the defensive errors that were punished with ruthless efficiency to take Wigan, who have already exceeded their wildest expectations in their first Premiership season, into Wednesday night's semi-final draw.

Wanderers, whose recent success has been based on defensive solidity, had enough players around to deal with the first, but Roberts was able to find space to fire in his fifth of the season.

The second, in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, was pure farce - Ricardo Gardner, Abdoulaye Faye and Tal Ben Haim all hesitating before Radhi Jaidi got himself in a mess to present Roberts with a chance he stuck away with ease.

Wanderers, who started well - Faye had a shot blocked on the line by Leighton Baines and another chance went begging when Stelios hesitated - tried everything they could to rescue the situation in the second half, just could not find an answer.

They had opportunities, the best falling to Ricardo Vaz Te on 66 minutes. But Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt, Bolton-born and a lifelong Wanderers fan, denied the youngster with a point-blank save.

In the end, Allardyce was left to regret the lack of a quality finisher - and the lapses in concentration that left Wanderers smarting from another defeat at the hands of Jewell's gems.

"This place is not dealing us the cards," the Wanderers boss said, wearily, "but, in many ways, we only have ourselves to blame.

"I'm really bitterly disappointed we've gone out and by the way we've gone out. I'm disappointed with the players who have produced so much and allowed this to happen.

"Their professionalism should have been a lot better. The overall performance of the players was OK, the amount of chances we created - more than we created at Everton - was OK, but the conversion rate was abysmal and the defending was abysmal on the two goals. And that was the difference between winning and losing."