International star Amr Zaki cruelly netted an 88th minute winner to deny youthful Wanderers a credible draw against a star-studded Hull City side at a sodden County Ground in Leyland.

Bolton had again opted for youth in their second string, and the next generation of potential Reebok stars looked to have done enough for a point after Zoltan Harsanyi had levelled against a side containing ten players with senior experience, including five full internationals with the best part of 200 caps between them. But ultimately the 1,300-plus Premier and Football League appearances of the Hull collective won out.

Zaki's header at the death added to Kamel Ghilas' first half opener, meaning that Harsanyi's strike right at the beginning of the second period was little more than a consolation for a home side that performed admirably in difficult conditions.

Wanderers exhibited some slick early passing movements on a playing surface that was in excellent condition at the outset, but even the groundsman's superb efforts couldn't prevent the top from becoming a slippery proposition as the rain lashed down shortly after kick-off.

It meant life wasn't always easy for players to keep their feet, but both kept the ball well, with Wanderers taking the attack to their esteemed opponents given the opportunity.

Zoltan Harsanyi, Aaron Mooy and Javlon Campbell formed an effective attacking triangle with some neat movement on and off the ball, with the former teeing up the latter with a cross, only for the eventual header to drop wide of the mark.

Michael O'Halloran came as close as any in the early stages with a shot that only just cleared the bar after a deflection off Liam Cooper, and a later shot-cum-cross forced Matt Duke to tip the danger away with his fingertips, but as the half wore on, the chances increasingly went the Yorkshiremen's way.

Rob Lainton had to be alert to block both a header and a drive from Nicky Featherstone and watched as Irish international Kevin Kilbane raced into the box before firing over, and the sustained pressure eventually told ten minutes before the break.

Duke fired the ball from one end to the other in a pass generally out of keeping with the short silky strokes that most preferred during the opening period, and the change proved effective as Featherstone flicked it on and Algerian star Kamel Ghilas was first to react, poking home from close range.

It meant a half-time lead for the visitors, but parity was restored almost immediately after the break. Practically straight from the kick-off, Harsanyi beat Ibrahima Sonko and broke forward to drive home through Liam Cooper's legs from just inside the area, and would have had a second four minutes later had Duke not tipped the ball round the post.

Hull countered with a Dean Marney shot deflected behind, and Garcia's shot from resulting corner was blocked on the line by Sam Sheridan. An unfortunate consequence of the scramble was an injury to Joe Riley which required several minutes of treatment, but fortunately he was well enough to reject the use of the stretcher that was sent on for him and hobbled back to the dressing rooms for further treatment.

Lainton blocked again to keep out Mark Cullen while the defence was still re-grouping following Tom Eckersley's introduction as substitute, but he was fortunate that Ghilas' luck wasn't to afford him a second shortly after the hour mark as his rasping low shot from an angle beat the keeper, but not the far post.

Amr Zaki's head let him down twice in the space of a minute as Hull pressed to re-take the lead, firstly throwing himself at a Kilbane cross but failing to direct the ball where he wanted it, and then making a cleaner contact on Ghilas' cross but placing it straight into Lainton's arms.

It wasn't all one-way traffic - Harsanyi took a hefty blow in a brave aerial contest with Duke as he sought a winner, and Campbell worked hard to create a headed opening for Chris Stokes, but City gratefully hacked his effort off the line.

There was still time for Zaki to be denied with his head once more - Lainton blocking after Garcia had played in the cross, but law of averages dictated that the Egyptian had to find some accuracy from his brow eventually, breaking the hearts of the determined Bolton youngsters.

Only two minutes of normal time remained when Garcia found room to send Ghilas away down the right, and the subsequent cross from the by-line found Zaki in space at the far home to net the killer blow from point blank range.

Bolton: Lainton, Riley (Eckersley 61), Blakeman, Stokes, Bennett, Sheridan, Campbell (McGeechan 85), McDonald, Harsanyi, Mooy, O'Halloran. Subs not used: Lynch, Battersby, Irwin.

Hull City: Duke, Leonard, Sonko, Cooper, Kilbane, Garcia, Marney, Featherstone, Ghilas, Zaki, Cullen. Subs not used: Oxley, Satelle, Devitt, Kendall, Wilkinson.