Bolton have gone closest to breaking the deadlock in a first half in which Town lost Cole Skuse to injury.
Stephen Hunt and Frank Nouble came into the Town side for departed loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe and Paul Anderson, who dropped to the bench.
Former Blue Liam Trotter was named on the bench for the visitors having joined them on loan from Millwall yesterday.
David McGoldrick threatened for the first time in the fifth minute, shooting over at the far post after Cole Skuse’s cross from the right had been flicked on. Town’s top scorer may feel he ought to have scored.
A minute later, Lukas Jutkiewicz headed Bolton’s first chance wide from Neil Danns’s cross from the right.
The visitors should have gone in front in the 12th minute after Tim Ream crossed from the left and Jutkiewicz’s effort from the edge of the six-yard box was blocked. The loose ball fell to Mark Davies 10 yards out but he completely missed his kick. Once the former Wolves midfielder had regained control, he scraped well wide.
It was a fortunate escape for the Blues, who hadn’t really settled into a reshuffled 4-3-3 system with Hunt joining Jay Tabb and Skuse in the midfield.
On 17, Chambers crossed from the right but Nouble’s looping header failed to test Trotters keeper Andy Lonergan.
Two minutes later, Tabb found Hunt midway inside the Bolton half towards the right, the Irish international cleverly threading in Nouble, whose shot from a tight angle was deflected wide off Matt Mills.
From the resultant corner, the ball was eventually cleared to Aaron Cresswell 30 yards out, the left-back smashing a powerful strike which looked goalbound until Lonergan got his fingertips to it and diverted it over.
On 27 Skuse required lengthy treatment after a clash of heads just outside the Town penalty area. A stretcher was brought on but eventually the midfielder was led off the field and around the perimeter to the tunnel to warm applause. Anthony Wordsworth took over.
Bolton had another good chance to go in front in the 34th minute, skipper Jay Spearing playing a deft pass over the Blues backline and into the path of Danns. The former Colchester man seemed set to score but Town keeper Dean Gerken did well to save his outside-of-the-boot shot down to his left.
The visitors had dominated proceedings since Skuse’s injury and threatened again on 39, Christophe Berra doing well to nod wide ahead of Jutkiewicz.
Three minutes later, the Scotland international was booked for a foul on Darren Pratley after the former Swansea man had got away from him midway inside the Town half. Spearing’s curling freekick flew well wide.
The Trotters continued to have the better of it as the game moved into six minutes of injury time, Jutkiewicz hitting a low shot wide of Gerken’s left post.
Wordsworth scuffed a shot well over after a corner from the left had reached him deep on the right, then at the other end Medo Kamara hit a powerful strike over from the right but the scores remained level at the break.
Town were rather fortunate to still be on terms, the visitors having had the half’s better chances and been in control for the most part, certainly since Skuse’s injury. Davies certainly should have taken his opportunity, while Gerken had to be at his best to save from Danns.
The Blues’ best chances were McGoldrick’s early strike, which he failed to get on top of, and Nouble’s shot which was well blocked.
McCarthy’s men had looked uncomfortable in their 4-3-3 system and had failed to settle after losing Skuse.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Tabb, Skuse (Wordsworth 32), Hunt, Nouble, McGoldrick, Murphy. Subs: Loach, Mings, Richardson, Anderson, Edwards, Taylor.
Bolton: Lonergan, Baptiste, Knight, Mills, Ream, Spearing (c), Medo, Pratley, M Davies, Danns, Jutkiewicz. Subs: Bogdan, White, Vela, Trotter, Moritz, Eagles, Lee. Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey).