1-1

*Villa held by Trotters*

Bolton secured a much-needed point in their bid for survival in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Tamir Cohen’s second-half strike cancelled out Ashley Young’s opening period effort to hand the Trotters a valuable point in their quest for Premier League safety.

Bolton bossed the opening stages of the match, only for Villa to dominate proceedings and Martin O’Neill’s side grabbed the opener after Young unintentionally scored his first goal in 18 games with a cross-cum shot which struck the post before going in.

The hosts came out of the blocks the better in the second-half and were duly rewarded when Cohen slotted home from close range from Andrew O’Brien’s knock-down.

Gary Megson’s side are now seven points ahead of third-bottom Middlesbrough, while Villa’s hopes of a fifth-place finish took another stumble.

*Bright start*

The game commenced with a bright start by Bolton when Matt Taylor sent a header into Brad Friedel’s arms following a cross from Gretar Steinsson in the fourth minute.

They kept up the pressure and Gavin McCann tried to pick out Kevin Davies with an inswinging free-kick nine minutes later only for the ball to drift past the post.

Play switched back down the other end and James Milner latched on to a clever pass from John Carew in the 21st minute, only to see his effort blocked by the alert Cohen.

Jaaskelainen had to be on his toes two minutes later to collect a free-kick from Milner that evaded the wall.

Bolton should have taken the lead in the 31st minute after Davies and Taylor combined in a swift counter-attack.

Taylor delivered the ball into the path of Fabrice Muamba but the ball got stuck under his feet in the six-yard area.

The visitors then won a free-kick 20 yards out in the 38th minute and Petrov played it short to Young.

However, the winger failed to trouble Jaaskelainen, his effort going wide of the post.

It was an open game and Davies tested Friedel with a close-range header in the 42nd minute.

*Fortunate breakthrough*

Young, however, got a lift a minute later when he made the breakthrough for Villa.

He curled in a shot for just outside the area and it went in off the post with Jaaskelainen seemingly distracted by the presence of Carew as the ball came in.

It was his first goal of the year and his last one came curiously enough against Bolton in December.

The home side responded a minute into the second half when Davies saw his shot go narrowly wide of the post following a knockdown by Johan Elmander after a cross from Taylor.

However Young was growing in confidence and rattled in a shot in the 53rd minute that Jaaskelainen did well to parry.

Young was given too much room five minutes later and delivered a cross into the area that was booted clear by Jaaskelainen.

Bolton, however, drew level in the 59th minute with Cohen smashing the ball home from close range after Davies and then O’Brien got on the end of a free-kick from Taylor.

Villa manager Martin O’Neill looked disconsolate on the touchline after seeing his side failed to clear their lines.

Bolton then had appeals for a penalty waved away when Cohen was bundled over by Gareth Barry after breaching the defence.

It was now Villa’s turn to look vulnerable with the home supporters finding their voice.

Carew, however, tried his luck from distance in the 77th minute but his instinctive effort went narrowly wide of the post.

Bolton hit back and Davies peeled away from his marker four minutes later when McCann delivered the free-kick only to see his header go across the face of the area.

Carew nearly scored the winner in the 85th minute when he got on the end of a cross from Nicky Shorey but Jaaskelainen reacted superbly to tip his effort over the bar.