For the second time in five days Mason Burstow came off the bench to save a point for the Whites, writes Pete Oliver.
The super-sub didn’t leave it quite as late as he had in the mid-week draw at Reading, but Burstow’s 85th-minute equaliser still came as some relief after Steven Schuamcher’s men had threatened to throw away a game they should have had under lock and key.
When Eoin Toal headed Wanderers ahead 20 minutes into the second half, there appeared little chance of Blackpool winning a first game in Bolton since 1986.
Two goals in a five-minute burst changed that scenario and although Burstow’s 10th league goal of the season then spared the Whites a first defeat in nine games, a third successive draw further diminished hopes of bridging a 10-point gap to the automatic promotion places on an ultimately disappointing afternoon.
The return of former boss Ian Evatt for the first time since his exit from Wanderers 13 months ago saw the Whites make three changes to their starting line-up as they looked to secure a fourth successive home win to try and stay with the pace.
One of those returning was Corey Blackett-Taylor and the on-loan wingman was the stand-out performer of a first half dominated by the Whites.
Time and again he went past Reuell Walters and delivered a stream of crosses Wanderers couldn’t make count, former Blackpool winger Rob Apter going closest to silencing his former fans with a header which forced Bailey Peacock-Farrell into a save 17 minutes in.
The Northern Ireland international made a better stop to keep out a header from Chris Forino from one of 10 corners Wanderers forced before the break and also made a finger-tip save to deny the outstanding Kyle Dempsey an opener just before half-time.
Blackpool, without an away win since December, had defended their box well but barely threatened at the other end bar one counter-attack which saw Niall Ennis meet Leighton Clarkson’s deep dross with a header well blocked by Toal on the Wanderers’ captain’s return from injury.
The roles were reversed six minutes into the second half when Apter crossed for Blackett-Taylor for a heading chance he couldn’t take as Wanderers continued to push for the break-through and moments later they came the closest yet when dangerman Blackett-Taylor cut in and send a drive skidding across a sodden playing surface and against the post.
Ethan Erhahon then saw a shot blocked as Wanderers began to camp around the visitors’ penalty area and the pressure finally paid when the Whites converted from their 15th corner of the game.
The deliveries had been threatening all afternoon and this time Toal found space in the box to meet Apter’s floated centre with a perfectly placed header that gave Peacock-Farrell no chance to earn the defender his first goal since August.
That should have given the Whites even more control but Blackpool, with some fresh legs off the bench, released the shackles and with nothing to lose suddenly struck twice in a matter of minutes to turn the game around as Wanderers relaxed their grip.
Hayden Coulson swept home the first and George Honeyman was then gifted a second when goalkeeper Jack Bonham passed the ball straight to the Seasiders’ substitute who couldn’t believe his luck when rolling home what he thought might be the winner.
Wanderers have been nothing if not resilient in recent weeks, though, and there was another late goal to come, Burstow climbing high to meet Thierry Gale’s fine cross with an excellent far post header he steered back across goal and into the far corner.
That was not the end of the drama as both sides then went close to claiming all three points in a dramatic seven minutes of injury time. Chris Forino made one superb goalline block before Ashley Fletcher hit the outside of a post for the visitors.
And then with almost the last kick off the game substitute Gale looked like he had won it for Wanderers with a superb strike that appeared destined for the bottom corner before agonisingly flying just wide of the target to deny the Whites another grandstand finish and the win they really needed.
Wanderers: Bonham; Osei-Tutu, Toal, Forino, Johnston (Kenny 83); Sheehan; Apter (Burstow 76), Dempsey, Erhahon (Conway 83), Blackett-Taylor (Gale 76); Dalby. Substitutes: Harrington, Simons, Christie.
Booked: Gale
Blackpool: Peacock-Farrell; Casey, Horsfall, Ashworth; Brown; Walters, Anderson (Bowler 70), Clarkson (Honeyman 61), Coulson (Hamilton 88); Fletcher, Ennis (Bloxham 70). Substitutes: Ravizzoli, Hamilton, Nwankwo, Richardson.
Booked: Horsfall, Walters
Referee: Richard Eley
Attendance: 23,172 (away 2,086)