Bolton snatch late draw

Mark Davies grabbed a late equaliser for Bolton in a 2-2 draw with Blackpool that saw the Seasiders squander a two-goal lead.

Bolton have had the under-soil heating on all week at the Reebok stadium, but on a freezing day the match took a while to warm up.

Ian Evatt scored the opener for Blackpool from an Elliott Grandin corner in a less than entertaining first half, and they increased their lead after the break through Luke Varney from another Grandin corner before Bolton fought with late goals from Martin Petrov and Davies.

Both sides failed to create many chances in a scrappy first half, but when Grandin whipped the ball in to the near post in the 28th minute Evatt flicked the ball on to beat both Bolton 'keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and Chung Yong Lee on the line.

If the first half was dull, the second was anything but. Blackpool started strongly and their second goal was almost carbon copy of their first corner, this time Varney finding the net with a looping header from the near post just before the hour mark

Blackpool have played some wonderful attacking football under Ian Holloway and despite being two goals ahead they continued to press forward looking for a third.

Twice they went close through DJ Campbell, who forced Jaaskelainen into a good save and then minutes later should have done better when one on one with the Finnish goalkeeper.

However, with Blackpool flooding forward looking for a third Bolton had space to exploit and they hit back late on to.

Petrov, a second half substitute pulled one back with a wonderful volley from the edge of the area, flicking the ball up with his first touch before smashing the ball into the top corner with his second.

With 25 minutes remaining Blackpool refused to sit back and conserve their lead and they were punished when a brilliant flowing move involving Kevin Davies, Johann Elmander and Ivan Klasni, before Mark Davies was found in space and he side-footed home.

Had Blackpool won they could have moved up to seventh, but they remain 10th and Bolton stay in fifth.