Ryan Tunnicliffe and Paul Anderson have both gone close but at half-time at the Reebok Stadium Town and Bolton remain level at 0-0.
Town boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side for the sixth game running with Dean Gerken and Daryl Murphy both fine to start despite having suffered with a dead leg and a groin strain respectively.
The Blues boss also named the same bench as last week, while ex-Blue Arran Lee-Barrett was amongst the home side’s subs.
Tommy Smith cleared an early cross from the right by Neil Danns, albeit not overly convincingly with the home side presenting the greater threat in the opening stages.
On six Jermaine Beckford hooked the ball over Gerken from just inside the area but too high to drop under the bar, then Matt Mills claimed a penalty after he and Christophe Berra clashed as a corner came over from the left but referee David Webb waved away the protests.
Town’s first opportunity came in the 12th minute. After Daryl Murphy had chipped a cross into Bolton keeper Andy Lonergan’s arms, the keeper gifted possession to Cole Skuse midway inside the Trotters’ half and the former Bristol City man sent a chip only just over the bar.
The Blues threatened again on the quarter hour when Paul Anderson latched on to David McGoldrick’s flick but the midfielder’s shot was straight at Lonergan, who was a Town target during Jim Magilton’s time in charge at Portman Road.
A minute later Danns crossed from very wide on the right to Chung-Yong Lee at the far post but the South Korean headed into Gerken’s arms.
The Blues should have been in front in the 19th minute when Murphy crossed from the right beyond Luke Hyam but perfectly for the Ryan Tunnicliffe as he broke into the box. The on-loan Manchester United man seemed certain to score but slammed the ball against Lonergan as the keeper spread himself.
Berra did well to get in ahead of Beckford on 25 with both sides, then three minutes later David Ngog crossed low from the left, Hyam failed to clear and Beckford hit a shot on the turn only just wide.
Tunnicliffe’s 32nd minute strike was blocked with the Blues beginning to get on top, keeping the ball on the left for a long spell.
The action quickly moved back to the other end, however, with Mills finding Alex Baptiste in a dangerous position on the left with a clever pass, but Berra cut out his low cross.
As the half moved into its final five minutes McGoldrick’s low ball was too far ahead of Anderson, but the midfielder turned and sent a low cross to the edge of the six-yard box, from where Lonergan and Mills got in one another’s way ahead of Murphy and just about prevented the Blues striker from reaching the ball.
With two minutes left on the clock, Berra stuck in a toe to dispossess Beckford with the striker having found himself space just outside the six-yard box. Soon after, Hyam shot wide from 25 yards at the other end.
Boss Mick McCarthy will have been pleased with his team’s first half display and will probably have been a little disappointed that they hadn’t gone in ahead with Tunnicliffe, who really should have scored, and Anderson having had the half’s best chances
Bolton: Lonergan, Baptiste, Mills, Ream, McNaughton, Medo, Spearing, Danns, Chung-Yong, Ngog, Beckford. Subs: Lee-Barrett, Knight, Pratley, Eagles, Moritz, Hall, C Davies.
Town: Gerken, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Murphy, McGoldrick, Anderson, Tunnicliffe, Hyam. Subs: Loach, Hewitt, Edwards, Mings, Tabb, Marriott, Nouble. Referee: David Webb (Lancashire). Att: