Wanderers suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak as they bowed out of the FA Youth Cup at the fourth round stage.

After a pulsating tie finished 2-2 through extra time, Fulham ran out eventual winners, triumphing 5-3 in a dramatic shoot-out.

Peter Farrell's side did however put in a brave performance as they twice came from behind in front of the club's new manager Owen Coyle.

An early goal from Marcello Trotta gave the Cottagers the lead before a tidy Maison McGeechan finish on 30 minutes levelled proceedings.

The game moved into extra time after both sides failed to conjure up a decisive goal in the second half.

A superb volley by Courtney Harris restored the lead for Fulham but parity was soon restored through a delicious free-kick from Liam Irwin.

And when the game had to be decided by penalty kicks, it was the unfortunate Javlon Campbell who missed from 12 yards.

It was an eventful opening to the tie with Keanu Marsh-Brown volleying tamely into the hands of Wanderers keeper Jay Lynch and Oulwasanmi Odelusi blazing over from 20 yards for Peter Farrell's men.

Bolton were lucky to see a free header from Aaron Pierre directed wide of the target, but slack marking didn't go unpunished on ten minutes when Fulham nudged themselves ahead through Marcello Trotta. The number nine found space on the edge of the box before darting forward and planting a low shot into the bottom of the net.

Winger Odelusi almost fired Wanderers level straight after the restart but his first time finish skidded the wrong side of the post. Likewise was a Jack Sampson effort from a similar distance midway through the half.

The presence of the centre-forward caused the Fulham defence plenty of problems and on countless occasions he got the better of both Cheick Toure and Pierre with his aerial threat.

Indeed, Wanderers' equaliser on the half hour mark came through a masterful flicked header from Sampson, with Maison McGeechan racing in behind the Fulham backline to dink a superb finish over goalkeeper Betinelli. It was route one football at its best.

And just seconds after the levelling goal, the number nine almost gave his side the advantage with a towering header from a corner, only for Courtney Harris to make a vital headed clearance from underneath his own crossbar.

McGeechan came within a few feet of notching his second shortly before half-time and Liam Irwin came close with a 25 yard free-kick as Bolton went into the break in the ascendancy after Fulham's brisk and dominant start. However the scholars still had to be on their guard of the pace within the Cottagers' side, none more so than when a lightning quick counter attack resulted in Trotta heading over from point-blank range.

The second half started as the first 45 minutes ended with Sampson and McGeechan impressing in attack for Bolton. The pair had worked in tandem to create the first goal and another perfectly weighted pass by Sampson - this time with his right boot - set his diminutive strike partner away once more. This time however McGeechan lacked composure and his left-footed finish was skewed wide.

With 55 minutes on the clock, the pocket of home supporters who had braved the elements were on their feet saluting what they thought was Wanderers' second goal of the evening. Odelusi looked to have rounded off and excellent team move with an unmarked header at the far post, but celebrations around the Reebok were cut short when it became apparent that the linesman had raised his flag for offside.

Having been assisted by Sampson for his goal, McGeechan returned the favour in what was arguably the move of the match on 75 minutes. A precise cross from the left landed invitingly for Sampson, but unfortunately the powerful centre-forward side-footed wide.

Goalscorer Trotta had been Fulham's main threat throughout the game and on three occasions in the second half he had opportunities to restore the lead for his team. The most clear cut of those came in the last minute but Lynch came to the rescue, palming away his effort from an acute angle. And when the rebound landed to Harris, the winger could only blaze wide.

After finishing 1-1 through 90 minutes, the tie moved into extra time where Fulham regained the initiative just moments after the restart. An excellent first time volley from Harris was the source of Fulham's second goal, a strike that left Lynch with no chance.

But Wanderers were only behind for a matter of minutes as Liam Irwin popped up to score a goal that his father Denis would have been proud of.

The son of the former Manchester United defender struck a brilliant free-kick from 25 yards which beat the defensive wall and also the dive of goalkeeper Betinelli.

Sampson was withdrawn after running his socks off and his replacement Ryan Stayte came within a whisker of netting what would have been the winning goal with his first touch on 100 minutes. Superb build-up play from Javlon Campbell on the left touchline resulted in the substitute side-footing wide from just five yards out.

The demanding pace of the game started to take its toll in the second period of extra time as stray passes and mistimed tackles became the theme as the dreaded penalty shoot-out looked the only way of separating the sides.

And when the game went to spot kicks, it was Campbell who became the first and only player to miss from 12 yards. After seven perfect kicks, the substitute struck his effort wide of the post, leaving Harris to step up and book Fulham's place in the fifth round.

Bolton: Lynch, Riley, Blakeman, Eckersley, Battersby, MacGregor, Odelusi, Irwin, Sampson, Vela, McGeechan (Subs: Burns, Fielding, Campbell, Stayte, Duyille)

Fulham: Betinelli, Marquez-Sanchez, Kamau, Jones, Toure, Pierre, Marsh-Brown, Smith, Trotta, Peniket, Harris (Subs: Fry, Quinn, Bangura, Reece, Pritchard)