BOLTON old boys Nicky Southall and Rod Wallace return to The Reebok Stadium with Gillingham tonight looking to inflict more problems on a home side drained of confidence after one Premier League win in 10 games.

Gills go into the Carling Cup, third round, tie boosted by the fact that Bolton have failed to beat them in their last two league meetings.

In the first, in October, 2000, Gillingham held them 2-2 at Priestfield and then came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at the Reebok in March, 2001 with Southall equalising with a spectacular free kick.

Player-manager Andy Hessenthaler hopes to name an unchanged side after Gillingham ended their four-match losing sequence with Saturday's welcome 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. All hinges on skipper Paul Smith overcoming a back injury.

Southall is confident Gillingham can pull off a surprise victory. The 31-year-old midfielder said: "If we go there in a postive frame of mind we can run them very close. If they put a weakened side out I do fancy us strongly."

Southall can feel even more confident following comments made by Bolton boss Sam Allardyce after his team's 1-0 defeat at home to Birmingham City last Saturday.

"The unfortunate thing is that we can't hit a barn door at the moment, so until we can get that better life is going to be difficult for us."

Striker Marlon King is back in the Gillingham squad after injury but is unlikely to be in the starting line-up. The match kicks off at 8pm.