Bolton shrugged off the absence of several key players and made light work of Watford to cruise into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Bolton were without El-Hadji Diouf, Rahdi Jaidi and Abdoulaye Faye, who were on African Nations Cup duty, as well as suspended duo Kevin Nolan and Kevin Davies and the injured Gary Speed, and Watford would have been quietly confident of knocking out Sam Allardyce's team.

But their optimism diminished after only 10 minutes when Mexico international Jared Borgetti gave Bolton the lead, and it had evaporated completely after Stelios Giannakopoulous - one of the few first-team regulars on show for Wanderers - scored the second 23 minutes later.

Watford improved after the break, but Bolton always seemed to have an extra gear, and they found it through Ricardo Vaz Te, who hit a well-taken third after 72 minutes.

Jay-Jay Okocha was granted special permission to play before departing to join Nigeria's African Nations Cup campaign, and his presence - along with that of Hidetoshi Nakata and Tal Ben Haim - settled Bolton, who looked a much better team than their hosts from the outset.

Watford skipper Gavin Mahon did well to ward off danger in only the second minute after Nakata had combined cleverly with Giannakopoulos - but the home side could do nothing to prevent Wanderers taking the lead 11 minutes later.

Malky Mackay did not clear Ricardo Gardner's left-wing cross properly, and Borgetti was on hand to fire a left-footed shot past Ben Foster from 12 yards.

Watford were being outplayed, but they almost found an equaliser from nothing in the 16th minute.

Anthony McNamee beat Joey O'Brien on the left with some neat footwork, and from his cross the unmarked Darius Henderson shot wide of the right post from just six yards.

Two minutes later, Nakata released the overlapping O'Brien on the Bolton right, but Borgetti did not make proper contact with the right-back's low cross and Foster made a simple save.

In the absence of the suspended Ashley Young, McNamee was Watford's liveliest attacking threat, but his crosses too often failed to match his dribbling skills, and as a result Walker was put under little pressure in the Bolton goal.

The Premiership club continued to be far more incisive going forward. Gardner shot over from 18 yards after 29 minutes following a Fadiga corner that was half-cleared, and Allardyce's men had a goal ruled out two minutes later.

Vaz Te forced the ball over the line from a yard after Watford had failed to deal with Giannakopoulous' right-wing cross, but the Greek was judged to have been offside when he made the initial break.

Giannakopoulous' disappointment did not last long, though, as he doubled Bolton's lead in the 34th minute.

Vaz Te raced onto Fadiga's through-ball on the left, and from his cut-back Borgetti allowed the ball to run to Giannakopoulous, who steadied himself before rifling into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Six minutes before the break, Toumani Diagouraga headed the ball to Marlon King just inside the area, but Watford's leading scorer shot well wide of the left post from 15 yards.

Watford showed far more conviction and vigour at the start of the second half, and perhaps should have claimed a goal for their efforts.

Although he had not been tested in the first period, Walker did not look comfortable in goal.

Seconds after the re-start, he was unconvincing in clawing King's right-wing cross away from the head of Henderson, and in the 49th minute he failed to hold King's shot on the turn from 15 yards, forcing Gardner to scramble the ball behind for a corner.

Bolton were beginning to re-establish their first-half superiority, and they wrapped up victory 18 minutes from time.

Shortly after Okocha had drilled an 18-yard effort straight at Foster, Vaz Te collected a loose ball midway inside the Watford half, moved forward and cracked a low shot from 25 yards which beat Foster's dive before going in off the right post.

The pacy Vaz Te almost created a fourth when he escaped down the left once more and slid the ball towards Borgetti, who was inches away from diverting it past Foster.

Watford continued to seek a goal, but Clarke Carlisle's ferocious 25-yard strike flew just over the bar as the home side were denied even the smallest consolation from a chastening defeat.

Teams:

Watford Foster, Doyley, Mackay, Carlisle, Stewart, Eagles, Mahon, Diagouraga, McNamee, Henderson (Gill 72), King.

Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, DeMerit, Bouazza, Grant.

Bolton Walker, N'Gotty (Sissons 84), Gardner, Fadiga (Fojut 79), Nakata, Giannakopoulos, O'Brien, Ben Haim, Vaz Te, Okocha, Borgetti (Ashton 90).

Subs Not Used: Buval, Sinclair.

Goals: Borgetti 11, Giannakopoulos 34, Vaz Te 73.

Att: 13,239

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).