ON the eve of one of the most nail-biting experiences of their footballing lives, Sam Allardyce urged his players not to get wrapped up in the emotions of the play-offs.

"Anybody who lets their emotions overcome them will cause themselves and the team problems," the Wanderers boss warned ahead of tomorrow's opening gambit at West Brom.

He knows full well that on a hot afternoon and in the pressure cooker atmosphere at the Hawthorns, keeping cool will be easier said than done as an entire season's hopes hinge on the outcome of a system he doesn't even relish himself.

"It's going to take the maximum of effort," he concedes, "because at any given time, something controversial can happen and you can lose that emotional control.

"You need a level of control throughout the game and, if we can do that, our performance will be so much better."

Allardyce has given no indication of the team he will send out for tomorrow's first leg at The Hawthorns but the likelihoood is that Colin Hendry will be the only member of the starting line-up who played in the final League game against Sheffield United.

The manager will rely heavily on experience with Hendry and Gudni Bergsson at the heart of the defence with Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton, who finished the regular season so strongly, in the full-back berths.

Ahead of them, the selection will depend on his tactical approach to a game in which Wanderers will primarily be looking not to concede a goal. Robbie Elliott is tipped to get the holding role in the centre of midfield, probably alongside Gareth Farrelly, with Bo Hansen and Ricardo Gardner on the flanks.

A record-breaking 14 away wins and with 37-goal strike duo Michael Ricketts and Dean Holdsworth in their current form, Allardyce is confident his high-scoring attack will take the chances that come along.

"We've only lost seven games in total, we've won a record number of away games and go into the play-offs having lost just one of our last 11," he totted up. "We're in good form."

Meanwhile, Baggies' boss Gary Megson paid tribute to his play-off rival.

"Sam's done a fantastic job," he acknowledged. "He's had to make financial decisions over football ones with some of the players he's sold ... yet Bolton have still finished third!

"They finished 13 points ahead of us, scored more goals than us and let fewer ones in than us. Whether that's fair or not is for other people to decide but Sam probably won't think so."

Albion (probable): Hoult; Butler, Gilchrist, Clement; Lyttle, Fox, Appleton, Sneekes, Van Blerk; Hughes, Roberts.

Wanderers (probable): Clarke; Barness, Bergsson, Hendry, Charlton; Hansen, Farrelly, Elliott, Gardner; Holdsworth, Ricketts.

Wanderers are still selling tickets (£10 adults, £5 concessions) for tomorrow's 'live' screening of the match action at the Middlebrook Exhibition Centre. They will be on sale until 5 o'clock today and from 11 am tomorrow morning at the club superstore.