Midfielder Gavin McCann had deservedly given the Wanderers a first half lead with his second goal for the club but a Sporting fightback in the second half resulted in Simon Vukcevic scoring an all important away goal.

Bolton had been good value for most of the game as they looked to get recent defeats against Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool out of their system but the pre-match plans suffered a severe blow when long serving goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen injured himself in the warm up.

Oman international Ali Al-Habsi stepped in to deputise, and once again the young custodian did not let the side down when called upon and could do little about Vukcevic's 69th minute effort.

It was the Wanderers who pushed hard in the opening fifteen minutes and their efforts where very nearly rewarded through striker Heidar Helguson.

The Icelander has had a terrible run of luck with injuries since his summer move from Fulham but he nearly made Lisbon pay with just thirteen minutes on the clock when in a one on one situation with goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Rather than challenge for the ball ligitimately the custodian ended up flattening Helguson just outside the area instead, but to much surprise referee Alon Yefet kept his cards in his pocket.

Helguson had an assist in the opening goal on 24 minutes and was looking comfortable on his return to the side. Full back Nicky Hunt floated in a free kick from the right, Kevin Davies flicked the ball on, Helguson held the ball up for Matt Taylor who's deflected shot fell into the path of Gavin McCann who lashed the ball past Patricio.

It was no more than the hosts deserved as they had produced some slick passing and good movement and had hardly given Sporting a chance.

That wasn't to say Ali Al-Habsi had a totally uneventful first half, as Sporting captain Joao Moutinho intercepted Leandro Grimi's pass from the left flank and curled a shot which just flew over the bar and onto the top of the net just before the half hour.

A clever cross from the opposite flank also saw Al-Habsi deal with a looping header but it was food and drink for the former Lyn Oslo man who was making his third appearance for Bolton in Europe.

Wanderers utility man Matt Taylor has come close to scoring in every game he has played since his January move from Portsmouth and this game was no different as he fired in a powerful effort from just outside the area as the half drew to it's conclusion.

Five minutes from the interval Lisbon midfielder Marques Bruno Pereirinha tried an ambitious attempt to catch Al-Habsi off guard from 30-yards but once again the goalkeeper proved equal to the shot with a good diving save.

After the break Bolton where so unlucky not to go two goals to the good when Helguson saw his header from a Davies flick on come back off the woodwork.

Helguson was withdrawn soonafter and Stelios Giannakopoulos brought on in his place but the ex-Watford favourite can be pleased with the effort he put in.

Sporting started to up their game in the early stages of the second half and it was now they who kept possession well and ventured forward more.

However Bolton still had a second goal on their minds and where unlucky not to have hit the target as Gary Cahill, Joey O'Brien and substitute Giannakopoulos all tried to take advantage of some slack defending by the visitors.

Giannakopoulos went ever so close again on the hour after Matt Taylor had pumped a cross into the danger zone but despite the attentions of the veteran Greek midfielder Lisbon's Patricio unconvicingly made the ball his.

On 67 minutes Sporting came to life in front of goal when eventual hero Vukcevic cut inside from the left and fired in a shot which rattled Al-Habsi's crossbar.

Vukcevic then went one better two minutes later when he fired in an unstoppable first time shot past Al-Habsi after strike partner Rodrigo Tiui flicked the ball through the defensive barrier which Bolton defenders Gary Cahill and Andy O'Brien had worked so hard all night to maintain.

Five minutes after his goal the Montenegro danger man Vukcevic tested Al-Habsi again with the keeper doing well to divert the ball away.

Bolton tried to push for the second goal which would have helped them going into next week's return leg at the Estadio Jose Alvalade but Sporting did well to run down the clock.

BOLTON WANDERERS: Ali Al-Habsi, Nicky Hunt, Gary Cahill, Andy O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner, Joey O'Brien (Danny Guthrie), Ivan Campo (Andranik Teimourian), Gavin McCann, Kevin Davies, Heidar Helguson (Stelios Giannakopoulos), Matthew Taylor

SUBS NOT USED: Jlloyd Samuel, Abdoulaye Meite, Ricardo Vaz-Te, Ian Walker (GK)

SPORTING LISBON: Rui Patricio, Fernando Abel (Leandro Romagnoli), Antonio Tonel, Anderson Polga, Leandro Grimi, Miguel Veloso, Marques Bruno Pereirinha, Joao Moutinho, Marat Izmailov (Pereira Gladstone), Simon Vukcevic, Rodrigo Tiui (Adrien Silva)

SUBS NOT USED: Pedro Silva, Milan Purovic, Pontus Farnerud, Vladimir Stojkovic (GK)

ATTENDANCE:

25,664

REFEREE:

Alon Yefet (Israel)

BOOKED:

J.O'Brien (Bolton)

McCann (Bolton)

Grimi (Sporting)

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