Aston Villa saluted their biggest crowd of the season before match last night by parading around Villa Park the League Cup and placards which read: “You are the greatest” and “We salute our fans.”

Then they proceeded to try their patience for next 90 minutes.

They should have won by several but a mixture of bad luck, bad finishing and Bolton’s defensive tactics, sent the fans home quietly with a sense of anti-climax.

Still, the point puts Villa into third place above Norwich, whom they beat at Wembley on Saturday, on goal average.

But this was the second point they have dropped at home in their last three games.

Fortunately, they have won three away games in that time, so they can go to Nottingham Forest on Saturday with confidence.

And with Sunderland playing at Norwich on the same day, Villa may even improve their position.

Bolton, defeated only once in their last nine games, still reckon to have aspirations towards the First Division themselves. But if they do go up, they will be unwelcome.

They were dour visitors, dull, unambitious, wasting time at every opportunity.

In the context of the modern game they played capably, but it seemed sad that someone as talented as Peter Thompson, the former Liverpool and England winger, has to play in a team with such a negative philosophy.

But it worked and no doubt Bolton’s manager, lan Greaves, having been sacked by Huddersfield after taking them into the First Division and then down into the Third, will continue to employ it as long as it winkles out points away from home.

Even so, Villa, should have scored at least three times in the first half, when they were close to their dazzling best.

They overwhelmed Bolton and started as if they intended to score a goal for every one of the 39,322 supporters in the ground.

And when Sam Allardyce, Bolton’s Dudley born defender, went off with a cut head after only three minutes, their chances looked bright.

By the time he came back, 18 minutes later, Villa almost scored through two of Bolton’s mistakes.

First, a lobbed back-pass from John Ritson bounced too awkwardly for Keith Leonard and Barry Siddall saved.

Then Ritson saved his goalkeeper when he palmed Ray Graydon’s free kick towards his own goal and the right-back headed clear.

Villa’s forwards were guilty of wanting too much time and space, but in the 24th minute Graydon was unlucky when he finished a sweeping 90-yard move, which he started, by firing Leonard’s header wide of the post.

There were other chances, but Bolton stifled most of the creativity, crowding out Brian Little and Graydon.

Not surprisingly, they were booed off the field at half time, and when they came back on, but they started to control the play in the second half, although Siddall looked to be booked by Nottingham’s Harold Davey, presumably for time wasting.

But Bolton continued to waste time when the ball was out of play or to play possession football when it was in play.

But it was Villa who catapulted themselves back into the game around the hour mark.

Leonard sent a brilliant header just wide, and then Chico Hamilton, Little and Leonard all missed chances as the ball ricocheted crazily around the six-yard area.

Graydon just reached a free kick from lan Ross, but toe ended the ball over the bar in the 83rd minute, but strangely enough it was Bolton who ended the match most aggressively.

Roy Greaves was wide with a 30-yard shot and then almost on time Thompson made a brilliant run, but Stuart Lee headed the perfect cross straight at Cumbes.