Aldridge is Wembley bound

Amid scenes of delirium shot through with a sizeable dose of disbelief, Tranmere Rovers, a club more accustomed to being the punchline rather than a newsline in their 116 year history, last night qualified for their first major Wembley cup final.

John Aldridge, beside himself with bliss, performed a lap of honour on his own, and no wonder. As he knows all too well from his days at Anfield, this kind of achievement at Tranmere is parallel universe stuff.

At the end they invaded the pitch, and there is now the prospect of Aldridge leading his club into Europe next season. Neither Gerard Houllier at Liverpool nor Walter Smith at Goodison Park can say that with confidence. Tranmere Rovers are the pride of Merseyside. Believe it.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Rovers ensured a safe passage early with goals in the fifth and 20th minutes from Nicky Henry and Alan Mahon - his display must have caught the eye of Mick McCarthy - and with 20 minutes to go David Kelly rounded proceedings off. As captain, Kelly will lead his team out at Wembley. It is a privilege well-earned.

Phil Babb, whose loan period runs out just before next month's final, may find himself asking for an extension this morning. There is an emotion here Babb cannot have experienced too often at Liverpool.

As for Bolton, they were outfought as well as outplayed. For their 3,000 supporters packed into the Cowshed End it was a stinking evening. Theirs is a season being engulfed by mediocrity, and Cambridge United await in the FA Cup on Saturday. Fear and some self-loathing is apparent among these unhappy Wanderers.

Even before Tranmere launched their first real attack, and with it collected their first goal, that was evident. It came in the fifth minute, although prior to that Rovers had created a half-chance when Kelly sneaked through the middle. Kelly, however, slipped at the same moment as Gudni Bergsson came across. The opening closed.

Henry had supplied the ball for that, but his next contribution was to be even better. Dave Challinor, the man with the world record for long throw-ins, flung in a 25-yarder from the right; Dean Holdsworth, one of many Bolton players in his own area, headed the ball clear to the edge of the box. But Henry was waiting with a cocked left foot and the ball screamed into the far top corner. Bolton's goalkeeper, Steve Banks, went through the motions of diving, but it was a gesture. Gordon Banks would not have saved this shot.

A stadium already high on excitement almost wet itself at that, and five minutes later another flood of cheers greeted a magnificent effort from Mahon. The 21-year-old Dubliner picked up a loose ball roughly 30 yards out and, assessing the situation quickly, decided to shoot. It was a wise choice, the ball cracking the crossbar with Banks again beaten.

It was desperately unlucky, but Mahon had kept Rovers' momentum going and soon he was to be given a rather easier opportunity to score, this time from 12 yards. Bolton's defenders had been troubled from the beginning by the speed of Tranmere's forwards, and when Scott Taylor ran around the Bolton captain Mike Whitlow it was predictable that Taylor would be felled. It happened. Mahon sent Banks the wrong way with the inevitable penalty.

Three down on aggregate and stunned, Bolton could only wander. Really they needed to gel and start passing with cohesion. Yet the basics were beyond them and by the time Kelly burst through to score Tranmere's third, Bolton had still not forced a save from John Achterberg at the other end.

The stiffness of Bolton's backline was again illustrated by their inability to deal with Mahon's clever quick free-kick. Kelly ran on to it as the Bolton players stared at each other. Kelly's shot was barely worth the name but it dribbled past Banks and in off a post.

It was not a question of quality then, though. Tranmere had proved theirs and they will have celebrated loud and long in the bar attached to Prenton Park. A little place called "Aldo's".

Tranmere: Achterberg, Hazell, Challinor, Babb, Thompson (Allen 88), Parkinson, Jones, Henry, Mahon (Koumas 86), Taylor, Kelly (Black 84). Subs Not Used: Nixon, Santos. Booked: Thompson. Goals: Henry 5, Mahon 20 pen, Kelly 70.

Bolton: Banks, Holden, Bergsson, Whitlow (Johansen 68), Phillips, Jensen, Passi (Warhurst 53), Elliott, Gardner, Gudjohnsen, Holdsworth (Taylor 77). Subs Not Used: Jaaskelainen, Ritchie. Booked: Holden, Elliott, Whitlow.

Referee: G Poll (Tring).