Wolves 2 (Mason 3, Henry 77)
Bolton 2 (Silva 81, Dobbie 89)
Joe Mason needed just two minutes to open his Wolves account but after that encouraging start against bottom of the table Bolton, the game descended into a frustrating and scrappy affair.
After James Henry had scored a fine individual effort to seemingly seal victory, Bolton hit back with two late goals to take a point.
New signing Mason made his debut, Bjorn Sigurdarson returned whilst Tommy Rowe came in for his first start of the campaign. They took the places of the injured Dave Edwards, and Adam Le Fondre and Henry who were named as substitutes.
The visitors kicked-off attacking the South Bank end and it took a full length save from Carl Ikeme to prevent Wolves from going behind in only the second minute as former Molineux Academy graduate Mark Davies pulled the ball back for Liam Feeney who made a good connection on the edge of the box.
Seconds later it was the home supporters that were cheering wildly as Mason made the perfect debut. The ball was cleared upfield to Sigurdarson who held off the challenge of Dean Moxey as he homed in on the Bolton goal.
The Icelandic striker’s low shot was blocked by keeper Ben Amos but the ball rebounded to Mason who kept his cool and steered it home from 20-yards.
In the 17th minute Sigurdarson looked on for a second as he chased down Rajiv van Le Parra’s through ball but he was nudged off balance by a defender and the chance was gone.
Wellington Silva’s foul on van La Parra wide on the right gave Rowe the opportunity to float in a free-kick which was headed clear by Rob Holding.
Bolton were close to levelling in the 27th minute as Feeney cut into the right hand channel of the home area and drove the ball narrowly over the bar.
Matt Doherty cleared a dangerous low cross from Feeney whilst another deep free-kick from Rowe was headed behind for the first of two unproductive van La Parra corners.
Davies headed well wide from a Feeney centre and then a good run by van La Parra took him into the Bolton box and although he was forced a little to the left he still looked in a good position to get a shot away until, at the last second, Holding kicked the ball off his toe for a corner.
Van La Parra’s first flag kick was headed behind for another and from that the ball was half cleared to Conor Coady who hit a tremendous shot that cannoned to safety off a defender.
Just before the break Ikeme plucked a Feeney cross-shot out the air and van La Parra blazed a shot high over the bar at the other end.
Half-Time: Wolves 1 Bolton 0
After the resumption, Jay Spearing’s cross-shot was cleared and then, from a Coady cross, Amos bravely punched the ball clear as Mason charged in.
Bolton introduced veteran Emile Heskey as they continued their search for an equaliser and Silva was too high with a rising drive.
There wasn’t much to cause either keeper much concern as the scrappy play meant that chances were few.
But when Henry was sent on in place of Sigurdarson with a quarter of an hour remaining, he needed just two minutes to make his mark.
He picked the ball up wide on the right and held off two challenges before running into the area where he ran past a defender before curling a low shot inside the far post.
Just four minutes later, however, Silva cut the deficit after Feeney’s cross went over Liam Trotter’s head to Silva who nodded home from close quarters.
In the 89th minute Bolton equalised in fortuitous circumstances as Stephen Dobbie’s from 30-yards out and in a central position, took a massive deflection that left Ikeme with no chance.
Wolves: Ikeme, Iorfa, Doherty, Rowe (Saville 82), Batth (capt), Ebanks-Landell, van La Parra, Coady, Sigurdarson (Henry 75), McDonald, Mason (Price 86).
Unused subs: McCarey, Deslandes, Byrne, Le Fondre.
Bolton: Amos, Moxey, Dervite, Vela, Feeney, Spearing, Davies (capt), Trotter (Dobbie 83), Silva, Woolery (Heskey 66), Holding.
Unused subs: Rachubka, Osede, Twardzik, Wilson, Walker.
Referee: F. Graham.
Attendance: 17,825.
