Wanderers were denied all three points late on in their latest Sky Bet Championship clash as they were forced to settle for a share of the spoils against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
The deadlock was broken halfway through the first period, with the skipper Darren Pratley nodding home from a matter of yards out following a Bolton corner.
The visitors had a leveller with 11 minutes to go however as Idrissa Sylla somehow flicked the ball home at the near post, with the scoreline remaining as such come full time.
TEAM NEWS
Wanderers named an unchanged matchday 18 from the side who defeated Sheffield Wednesday last time out, with Karl Henry lining up against his former employers.
FIRST HALF
With the rain falling steadily at Macron Stadium, the game got underway and Bolton enjoyed the first sight of goal when winning a free-kick five yards outside the box, but Adam Armstrong’s effort and Henry’s subsequent follow-up failed to trouble Alex Smithies.
And the former enjoyed an opportunity with just three minutes gone, with his 30-yard half-volley flying just wide of the upright.
It was a bright start from the Whites, and although the R’s did venture forward briefly in the eighth minute, their pressure came to nothing much.
Thereafter however, the visitors did see a little more of the ball, but Alnwick remained virtually untroubled.
With 17 minutes gone though, the Bolton keeper was to be the saviour as he somehow kept out Luke Freeman’s effort from close range following a scramble in the six yard box.
It appeared to be just the boost needed for QPR, but on the counter-attack Wanderers almost snatched the lead following some beautiful link-up play between Gary Madine and Armstrong, with the latter’s shot taking a deflection out for a corner kick.
And it was from that set-piece that the Whites broke the deadlock, with Pratley heading home from close range following a Madine knock-down into the six yard box.
A deserved goal for the Whites, it was one which appeared to give them a much-needed tonic as they proceeded to control proceedings for the most part thereafter, although not so much in terms of goalmouth action.
And as the clock ran down to half time though, Wanderers were visibly keen to add to their tally and were pushing forward despite the testing weather conditions.
But try as they might, they couldn’t find the net before the break as they went in leading courtesy of Pratley’s header.
SECOND HALF
With no changes for either side at the break, the game got back underway with the rain and wind still playing their part from the off.
And although the Whites started the brighter of the two sides in front of a 14,242 crowd, the visitors were soon seeing possession in the final third as they looked for a route back into the clash, with substitute Conor Washington seeing a deft header from eight yards calmly collected.
On the attack themselves meanwhile, Bolton saw an angled Josh Vela drive parried away by Smithies with the majority of those inside BL6 already on their feet.
The visitors then proceeded to enjoy a period of pressure as the rain thundered down, with that spell resulting in a Jamie Mackie effort flying high and wide from all of 30 yards.
Washington also found himself in a promising position at the far post when connecting with a down-field pass, but his touch let him down and the shot cannoned out for a goal-kick.
It was a full-blooded affair as the game entered its final 20 minutes, with Idrissa Sylla forcing Alnwick into a smart save down at his near post following an R’s free-kick into the mix.
QPR were pushing and knocking on the door, but Wanderers were standing firm in their numbers, with Massimo Luongo calling for a penalty kick with 14 minutes to go to no avail.
And with 11 minutes to go, they had their leveller with Sylla beating Alnwick at his near post.
Despite the set-back, Wanderers set about trying to find a winning goal inside the closing stages and threw Adam Le Fondre into the mix with six minutes remaining.
It was end to end as the clock ran down, and with three additional minute indicated, Bolton threw everything forward.
But despite their efforts, the spoils were shared come full time.
FULL TIME