Stephen Dobbie’s penalty seven minutes into injury time denied the Blues a third successive win as Bolton came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at the Macron Stadium. Kevin Bru put Town in front on 24, Christophe Berra added a second on 73 but Lawrie Wilson hit back within a minute, before Dobbie’s late penalty, awarded after Maitland-Niles had fouled his fellow Arsenal loanee Wellington Silva.

Jonathan Douglas replaced Luke Hyam in central midfield in an otherwise unchanged Town side.

Hyam dropped to the bench, while Cole Skuse (toe ligament) and Daryl Murphy (calf) weren't fit enough to return.

Bolton included former Blue Liam Trotter and one-time Town trialist Wilson in their starting XI, while former England man Emile Heskey and Josh Vela missed out.

Mick McCarthy’s men were in their orange third kit with the Trotters wearing a special dark blue strip to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Burnden Park Disaster in which 33 fans died.

Prior to the players taking to the field the FA Cup final hymn Abide With Me was sung, then before kick-off there was a well-observed minute’s silence.

The home side created the first opening in the third minute when Liam Feeney escaped down the left and cut the ball back for skipper Darren Pratley, but the midfielder, reportedly a Town target in January, sliced his effort high and wide when he should at least have hit the target.

Wanderers continued to have the better of the opening spell and on six Mark Davies waltzed through the Town backline and into the area but failed to make significant contact on his shot and Bartosz Bialkowski saved down to his right.

On 10 Zach Clough shot over from the edge of the box with the Blues still having made little impact on the game.

Three minutes later, Clough claimed a penalty when he went to ground as he went past Kevin Foley. Referee Mark Haywood awarded a Bolton corner as the Town players protested that they ought to have had a freekick for a dive.

Following the flag-kick, the ball fell to Feeney on the left but his shot flew across the face of goal and out for a throw.

Town finally threatened in the 19th minute when Freddie Sears brought the ball inside 25 yards out and hit a shot which Bolton keeper Paul Rachubka could only parry. Derik Osede beat Brett Pitman to the loose ball but in any case the linesman had already raised his flag.

Bolton had dominated the first 20 minutes but without having anything to show for it and in the 24th minute they were made to pay.

Ben Pringle crossed from the left after a corner had been returned to him and the ball reached Berra at the far post, skipper Luke Chambers having flicked on.

The Scot stabbed the ball back to Bru on the edge of the area and the Mauritius international smashed a superb strike which looped over Rachubka, hit the underside of the bar and nestled in the corner of the net.

Having gone in front via Bru’s second goal of the season, his first since the opening day, the Blues started to play with greater confidence and on 28 Pitman shot not too far wide from distance.

Trotter was unable to control a cross from the right and the ball bounced through to Bialkowski, then as the clock ticked round to 33 there was a spontaneous burst of applause in tribute to the fans who died in the Burnden Park Disaster.

The home side should have equalised on 36 when Davies cut the ball back from the right but Trotter fluffed his effort at close range and Clough looped over the bar off a Town player.

The Town goal was living a somewhat charmed life with the home side by now putting the Blues under great pressure with Berra, Douglas and others making important blocks, while Bolton players appealed for a number of penalties.

On 38 Bialkowski made a superb double stop, first blocking Dean Moxey’s effort from distance with his foot before he somehow got up and managed to keep out Osede’s close-range rebound.

Wanderers continued the pressure - with Pringle down injured having taken a blow to the foot - and Chambers made another important block from Feeney.

Pringle was OK to carry on after treatment as was Bru after he suffered a knock on the touchline. Town saw out three minutes of injury time to retain their lead at the break.

Bolton had started the half the stronger and might well have taken the lead through Pratley early on but despite continuing to dominate didn’t seriously threaten again before Bru’s excellent goal.

Pitman went close with Town’s only other dangerous effort before a late onslaught with the Blues’ area like the Alamo at times with defenders making desperate blocks and Bialkowski making his brilliant double stop.

Clough flicked Feeney’s 49th minute cross from the left over the bar with the second half starting somewhat less frenetically than the first had ended.

Six minutes after the restart goalscorer Bru, evidently still feeling his first-half injury, was replaced by Luke Varney.

Soon after, Berra blocked from Trotter in a promising position on the left of the box.

The Blues were sitting into allow Bolton to bring the game to them, looking to catch them on the break.

That pattern continued, on 64 Davies saw a shot blocked by a phalanx of Town defenders on the edge of their own box, then two minutes later Foley got in the way of a Clough strike on the left.

On 67 a Sears break almost led to a second Town goal, the striker feeding Jonas Knudsen behind him on the left. The Dane crossed but a Bolton toe took it away from both Sears and Pitman and Rob Holding’s clever turn took him to safety.

Gary Madine replaced Trotter for Wanderers, then Luke Hyam took over from Foley in the centre of the Town midfield. Pringle was then replaced by Maitland-Niles.

Town were starting to spend more time in the Bolton half and in the 72nd minute, they doubled their lead.

Varney won a freekick on the left and Maitland-Niles whipped over a freekick which flicked off Berra’s head and into the net, the Scotland international’s first goal since April last year at the far post.

But Wanderers hit back just a minute later. Bialkowski punched away a cross from the left ahead of Clough and the ball fell to one-time Blues trialist Wilson, who lashed a powerful 30-yard half-volley into the empty net, the former Charlton man’s first goal since joining Bolton last summer.

Clough headed Madine’s left-sided cross into Bialkowski’s arms on 78, then five minutes later Jay Spearing was fortunate to see only a yellow card for pushing Pitman in the face.

Stephen Dobbie replaced Clough as Town prepared to take the freekick from which the Blues came very close to restoring their two-goal lead. Varney flicked the ball on Maitland-Niles’s ball into the box and Smith’s diving header at the far post flew just wide.

Madine headed straight at Bialkowski from Dobbie’s left-sided cross with two minutes remaining.

Bolton took the game to the Blues in the closing stages but the Town backline remained resolute. The fourth official’s board signalled six minutes, Madine having spent a lengthy spell down receiving treatment for a head wound earlier in the half.

Wellington, who had only come on for Pratley seconds earlier, was booked for a rather obvious dive as he burst into the area on the left.

Bialkowski was out quickly to block from Dobbie, then Feeney’s hooked shot was blocked through to the Blues keeper with desperate appeals from the home fans that the ball had struck a Town arm.

Douglas made a brilliant sliding challenge on Madine, who looked to have been played through on goal and Town looked to have seen out the danger.

But in the seventh minute of injury time, Wellington brushed off Maitland-Niles as the Blues' sub looked to see the ball out of place, cut into the area on the left and was tripped by the Town midfielder.

Referee Haywood had already turned away numerous and largely very ambitious home penalty appeals but this time he pointed to the spot.

Dobbie stepped up and slammed his spot-kick to Bialkowski’s right and into the net. There was no time for the Blues to hit back with the whistle going seconds later.

Town had the game won at 2-0 but Wilson’s goal gave Wanderers an unexpected lifeline.

Even then, the Blues seemed to have seen off the danger until the penalty which was somewhat needlessly conceded with Maitland-Niles having had a chance to clear before he was beaten by Wellington and fouled him.

However, on the overall balance of the game Bolton deserved something from the match, having been much the better side before the break when they created plenty of opportunities.

But that will matter little to manager Mick McCarthy, particularly as Town would have returned to the top six if they had held on with results elsewhere going in the Blues’ favour.

As it is, Town travel to Cardiff on Saturday up to eighth still a point off the play-offs and a place and goal difference ahead of the Blues.

Bolton: Rachubka, Moxey, Feeney, Spearing, Clough (Dobbie 84), Osede, Davies, Trotter (Madine 67), Pratley (c) (Wellington 90), Wilson, Holding. Unused: Campbell, Danns, Woolery, Finney.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Foley (Hyam 69), Douglas, Pringle (Maitland-Niles 70), Bru (Varney 51), Sears, Pitman. Unused: Gerken, Digby, Touré. Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire). Att: 12,681 (Town: 503).

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich58 added 22:58 - Mar 8 Why did MM change a winning team with one of our worst ever signings. Douglas is slower than Dobbin . I hate it that MM equates being old as being experienced and better. I hate the way MM sets up the side. He never learns and is tactically clueless. And he persisted with Gherken when we all knew Bart was far better.
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Ipswich58 added 23:02 - Mar 8 Eeh that Lowestoft are a bloooody good side . Position int table don't do 'em justice. FFS how much more BS do we have to put up with
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runningout added 23:02 - Mar 8 going 2 nil up was a shock to the system, and to think we could add to that was not in some of our squads mindset... You have to be ruthless not toothless
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Dissboyitfc added 23:05 - Mar 8 Absolutely gutted, but spare a thought for those who travelled, going to be a long journey home.
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Gforce added 23:10 - Mar 8 I would love to know how many times we have conceded goals in the last 10 minutes or so,if you add all those lost points to our tally we would probably be in the top two !!
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Notts_tractor added 23:11 - Mar 8 It's a sad fact that this will probably be the thing that AMN is most remembered for once he's disappeared back to Arsenal's reserves
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cornishblu added 23:19 - Mar 8 ....great credit to the 503.... Will be at Cardiff but have been threatened by the other half that I need to find a bed for the night if I come home grumpy....sadly nothing in tonight's performance gives me any inspiration to believe that I won't be knocking on doors come bed time on Saturday night...perhaps Mick will put me up!! COYB
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Taricco_Fan added 23:37 - Mar 8 The stats tell the story, much like the Huddersfield game (which we somehow won) and many others this season where we have either been outplayed by, or made hard work of, distinctly average sides. Yes, ok, we may be doing quite well in the table - which is an indictment of how poor this league is more than anything - but let's face it: this team and our style of football is utter dross.

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DannyITFC added 23:42 - Mar 8 This may come back to haunt us when we miss out on the play offs in May! Two bad mistakes for their goals - Barts has to catch it instead of punching straight into danger and Niles got lazy and even when the chap got passed him there was no need to bring him down. Brentford, Forrest now Bolton (6 points dropped) Not good enough.......bottom of the league and 2-0 up......what hope have we got in the play offs (if by a miracle we scrape in there) if we can't see off the worst team in the league? Yet again away fans let down. No wonder so many people are not nenewing season tickets next year. Pathetic.

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multiplescoregasms added 00:18 - Mar 9 If we really want to get promoted, we have to go to places like Bolton and win. 2 up with no more than a quarter the game to go, and we can't hold on to it. Just not good enough. 56% to 44% possession is poor. Sorry, but it is. Well done to all those fans that made the trip. Consistently the best supporters in the division. 2 points lost, not a point won.
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derby123 added 01:25 - Mar 9 Gutted, we make things so hard for ourselves. For me we need 4 points from these two games which means we need to go to Cardiff and win which is no easy task as can see them being up for it after there defeat tonight.
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Bert added 01:25 - Mar 9 Yes we are all gutted and probably having a restless night, yes it looks like the ball could have been cleared but no need to go into meltdown. The youngster made a mistake, take a leaf out of Barts's book and forgive him and credit him with his assist. Move on.
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Minneapolis_ITFC added 02:01 - Mar 9 Bottom line we're not good enough to realistically be considered promotion material. Tired of seeing points lost against teams we should be overcoming and even then Bolton appeared the better team overall and if they had indeed won it wouldn't have been that unfair a score ? Six minutes of added time when the equalizer arrived and two goals ahead before that, all against the bottom team, sorry but this is largely unacceptable. Hard to change opinion on McCarthy. Realize some view him as the golden child or some level of savior, but there's been too many instances now where the team has lost out and dropped points that will eventually prove critical by end of season. The Forest game was a level of improvement but even before then Hudderfield could just have easily been victorious. Three average teams played, one win maybe deserved, one victory which wasn't,, and on to today, dropping two points against another mediocre club side. You can dress it up any way you want, but once again, we're simply not promotion material. Coming up to 15 years in the championship league and to be honest, at least for as long as Evans and McCarthy are in place, can see little way out of this situation.

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PJH added 03:36 - Mar 9 It was a game that we certainly should have won but probably did not really deserve to. I did not think that any of the starting midfield or Pitman impressed. Sears worked hard and defence generally did ok with Knudsen the best in my opinion. Bart made a couple of very good saves. Will need to play better at Cardiff but a playoff place is there for the taking. Disappointing loss of 2 points.

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Westy added 03:55 - Mar 9 Just got back - 3am. When we scored the second the players thought they had done enough and then Bolton score whilst we're still celebrating. The penalty, and there was no doubt it was - how naive. AMN had no prospect of making any contact with the ball and clipped the player from behind. Feels like defeat slightly tempered by other results going our way but still an opportunity missed.

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Dissboyitfc added 06:44 - Mar 9 i guess i am not the only one, waking up and feeling totally gutted. The Ironic thing is, the one time i would encourage a pointless hoof and we dont do it! This will cost us a play-off place, then again i think over a season you generally end up where you deserve. A massive well done to Westy and the other travelling fans.
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Hegansheroes added 07:37 - Mar 9 Reality is we got another undeserved point & that was due to Bart. Again poor against a very bad side, Great goal by Bru
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Gazelle added 07:53 - Mar 9 The stats tell you everything. 44% possession, 6 shots to their 23 and 3 corners to their 9 And this was against the bottom them, how on earth would we survive in the Premier League
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prebsa added 08:05 - Mar 9 Disgusted, to go from the way we played Saturday to that is a joke! 2-0 up to dead and buried bottom of the league and not professional enough to hold onto it. It is games like this that will stop us getting into the top 6!. One of the best opportunities all season to get into the top 6 and catch a few with the most amazing results elsewhere and we throw this away!
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essex57 added 08:05 - Mar 9 Can't comment on the game as I listened to it on radio whilst I can understand fans frustrations there's no one more gutted than me let's not beat ourselves Up to Much Middlesboro who have spent lots of money got beat by Rotherham, no one in this crazy div is guaranteed to beat anyone. luckily we've still got the game in hand and none of our main competitors gained ground so onto Cardiff we are still in it.

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essexboy added 08:36 - Mar 9 Good Morning posters.Back in my office after a long 4hour drive and a few hours sleep,and on my second expreso.! Right,to be very honest we were lucky to come away with one point,let alone three.Yes the pen was needless and a very bad error from AMN.Bolton,I must say are a very good team and are in a very false position.For the first 20 mins they battered us.It was only after that we got going and scored a well taken by Bru.Bart was once again Outstanding and saved us on many occasion.I must say the defence was very solid at times but did get pulled apart by the great running of Feeney and Pratley.I must say Pratley would or could have been a good signing for town,he has great vision and determination.The midfield was ok,but some hard tacking from Bolton I feel knocked them off there stride.Still not sure about Douglas.Sears was always a threat and I think he missed Murphy by his side.The second half flowed from end to end and at times you could see goals coming from both ends.A good game for the natural. Just a shame about the pen,BUT get get too despondent,we played ok,and Bolton are a lot better then there position.On to Cardiff now.If the lads still have belief they can still do if.Not sure just what the tactics will be on Saturday.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 08:38 - Mar 9 essex57, it seems the top 6 excluding Burnley are having an attack of the collywobbles, real shame we coudn,t capitalise, we have to now win at Cardiff & win the game in hand, as you say, crazy league & very frustrating to drop 2 points. this season will go right down to the wire, but are we good enough to get in the play offs?.
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 08:59 - Mar 9 We have a chance at Cardiff, a win there keeps it all alive. At least we still have an active interest in the season. Some people seem ambivalent about the play-off's, plenty on here saying it would be a waste of time making them as we are "pants" and will loose , and if we win will be crucified in the Prem "so what is the point?" It has been an exciting season so far, I bet we are all anticipating the Cardiff game. That is entertaining, in and of itself.

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Kirbmeister added 08:59 - Mar 9 We're all annoyed but look at the table and our record is still decent for a side that cost pretty much nothing. One point off the playoffs and game in hand. I don't think we have a cat in hells chance of being promoted but it was hardly MM's fault that we lost concentration for the first and gave away a silly penalty. I don't care if Bolton are bottom it was always going to be a tough game.

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Geoff added 10:12 - Mar 9 Agree with the majority on here once again why play Niles proved on Saturday not good enough keeps giving the ball away.Why cant we play our youngsters instead,same old MM no tactical ideas defend to deep still players out of position (unbalanced) Same old Evans money not football.Why renew our season tickets if no investment and no real intent to go up stop conning us and come out and tell us the real intent of where you want this once great respected club to be and your plans for the future.

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