Joe Garner netted an equaliser in the 82nd minute as Town and Bolton drew 1-1 at the Macron Stadium, the first Blues league game to end in that scoreline for 34 matches. Earlier, Gary Madine had given the home side the lead on 53.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was handed his Blues debut having signed on loan from Tottenham yesterday.
The 20-year-old was making a debut at Bolton for the second time this season having made his Sheffield United bow at the Macron Stadium earlier in the season when he scored his only senior goal up to now.
Carter-Vickers started alongside skipper Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence with Jonas Knudsen moving to left-back and Myles Kenlock dropping to the bench.
Also among the subs was Stephen Gleeson, who joined Town from Birmingham City yesterday.
Bartosz Bialkowski returned in goal having missed last week’s 1-0 victory over Leeds with a calf problem, while Dean Gerken dropped out of the 18 having been hampered by a hip injury in recent weeks. Michael Crowe was again the sub keeper.
The Pole in the Town goal was forced into action within the first 20 seconds, Josh Vela battling his way into the area and stabbing towards goal, however, Bialkowski had come off his line quickly to block.
The game was held up for a couple of minutes moments later after Bolton’s Sammy Ameobi underwent treatment for a head injury after a clash with Callum Connolly before continuing.
The Blues, with David McGoldrick playing in the central role behind lone striker Garner with Martyn Waghorn on the right, had most of the ball in the minutes after play got back under way but without creating an opportunity.
In the 11th minute the home side went close again, Madine getting above Carter-Vickers to nod over at the far post from Mark Little’s right-wing cross. Seconds later, Will Buckley cut in from the left and shot over the bar.
Bolton had the ball in the net in the 15th minute, David Wheater lashing into the corner from just inside the box, but referee Peter Bankes had already halted play for a foul on Waghorn by Buckley as the cross had come into the box from the right.
Ameobi shot low to Bialkowski’s left from distance on 22 but failed to trouble the Blues keeper.
The game had developed into a scruffy affair with both teams giving the ball away needlessly far too often. On 25 Buckley again cut in from the left and hit an effort which looped off Carter-Vickers and into Bialkowski’s arms.
Two minutes later, a Town spell encamped in the Bolton half led to Bersant Celina crossing to the far post from the left and Cole Skuse knocking back across the six-yard area but with no Blues player on hand to add the final touch. Bolton gratefully cleared the danger.
The Blues were beginning to get on top - Celina was becoming more influential - with the Trotters increasingly unable to escape from their half.
Play did eventually return to the other end and on 33 Bialkowski punched away a freekick from the left but Waghorn conceded another freekick for a high boot on the edge of the box as he looked to clear. Madine hit the second set piece into the wall, then Derik Osede’s subsequent effort was deflected behind for a corner.
Two minutes later, Madine was shown the game’s first yellow card for a very late tackle on Skuse midway inside the Town half, well after the Blues’ midfielder had moved the ball on. The Bristolian underwent lengthy treatment before continuing.
Town almost claimed the lead in the 40th minute having forced back-to-back corners. Waghorn sent the ball over from the left and Chambers flicked towards goal, Bolton keeper Ben Alnwick pulling off an excellent sharp save to his right. Iorfa laid the loose ball back to Waghorn but the Blues’ 10-goal top scorer blazed over.
It was the closest Town had come to a goal and they were beginning to look a more dangerous prospect. Soon after, McGoldrick did well on the right and ought to have produced a better cross.
A minute before the break Madine headed well wide for the home side from Antonee Robinson’s cross from the left.
Neither side seriously threatened during three minutes of injury time and the 0-0 half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of a scrappy and not hugely entertaining first period.
Bolton had had the better chances, with Vela’s early-seconds effort the nearest the Trotters had come to a goal, while the Blues had seen most of the ball but had only forced the one save from Alnwick, his impressive reflex stop from Chambers. Waghorn will feel he should have done better with his subsequent strike.
New signing Gleeson was handed his Town debut in the middle of midfield at the start of the second half in place of Skuse, who has been struggling with an ankle injury for a number of weeks and clearly felt Madine’s challenge.
Five minutes after the restart, Garner was fouled by Dorian Dervite on the Town right and Waghorn sent over a freekick which McGoldrick flicked on only just over Connolly breaking into the area at the far post.
In the 52nd minute Waghorn broke away after good work from Gleeson and McGoldrick but overran the ball just as he was looking to shoot under pressure form Dervite and Alnwick claimed.
But a minute later Bolton took the lead. Robinson crossed from the left, Vela flicked on and Madine stabbed across Bialkowski and into the net at the far post.
McGoldrick wasted a chance to level immediately, shooting tamely to Alnwick from the left of the area having been found by Garner, then at the other end Osede’s far post header from a left-sided corner was blocked by Connolly.
But as the half moved past the hour mark the Trotters were looking more likely to add to their lead than the Blues were to equalise. On 67 sub Filipe Morais crossed from the left and Madine headed into the side-netting at the far post.
Four minutes later Garner volleyed high and wide after exchanging passes with Waghorn, then on 73 Iorfa was booked for a foul on Karl Henry.
Bialkowski saved a Madine freekick down to his left in the 75th minute, then two minutes later Morais was a couple of feet away from doubling his side’s lead with a low first-time strike from the edge of the box which arced just wide.
But with eight minutes remaining the Blues pulled level via their best move of the afternoon. Gleeson fed Celina, who played to his left to McGoldrick, who exchanged passes with Waghorn before cutting across to Garner, who turned in his ninth goal of the season over the line from close range.
Freddie Sears took over from Celina in the 85th minute, then a minute later Craig Noone replaced Ameobi for Wanderers.
Two minutes from time Garner and McGoldrick pressured a Bolton error on the Blues right, the Irish international breaking into the area on the right but hitting a defender with his cross.
Town continued to keep the Trotter pinned in their own half as the match moved into its final minute in which the Blues came within an inch or two of winning it.
Iorfa fed McGoldrick midway inside the Bolton half and he played it on to Waghorn, who brought it forward before smashing a brilliant strike which beat Alnwick but crashed off the angle of bar and post to his right before falling safely for the home side.
In injury time, seconds before the final whistle, Luke Hyam took over from Connolly in midfield.
In the end it was a well won point for the Blues with Bolton looking on their way to all three until Town’s goal, which came from easily their best football of the game.
Having gone in front Bolton had looked the more likely scorers of the game’s second goal with Madine, who gave Town’s central pairing a tough time all afternoon, and Morais both having come close to sealing the win before Town’s equaliser.
However, the Blues, with Gleeson making a big impression with a controlling and very tidy display from the bench in midfield, looked the more likely victors in the closing minutes and Waghorn was unlucky not to win it with his strike off the woodwork.
Town, who face leaders Wolves at Portman Road next week, remain 12th, now six points from the play-offs.
Bolton: Alnwick, Little, Dervite, Wheater, Robinson, Henry, Osede, Buckley (Morais 65), Vela, Ameobi (Noone 86), Madine (Wilbraham 90). Unused: Howard, Taylor, Le Fondre, Darby.
Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Carter-Vickers, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse (Gleeson 46), Connolly (Hyam 90), McGoldrick, Waghorn, Celina (Sears 85), Garner. Unused: M Crowe, Drinan, Kenlock, C Smith. Referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool). Att: 13,870 (Town: 645).