Trotters hang on for UEFA Cup spot

Bolton 2 Aston Villa 2

But Villa continued to probe and got the goal their endeavour deserved with nine minutes remaining.

Young raced to the byline and produced another telling cross which reached Carew at the near post.

The towering Norwegian deflected the ball into the path of Moore, whose right-foot volley rifled past Jaaskelainen’s near post.

That ensured a tense finale but, thankfully for Bolton and Allardyce, Reading’s draw at Blackburn meant it was the Trotters who finished seventh and claimed a UEFA Cup berth.

Sam Allardyce endured a nervous return to the Reebok Stadium but was ultimately left celebrating as Bolton secured European qualification for only the second time in their 133-year history.

Allardyce quit as Trotters boss on April 29 after seven-and-a-half hugely successful years in charge and seems certain to be unveiled as Newcastle manager early this week.

Yet the 52-year-old still found time to accept an invitation from Phil Gartside to attend the game and take up his old seat in the directors’ box next to the Bolton chairman.

A tense encounter saw Villa snatch a deserved point in the 81st minute when substitute Luke Moore fired home to tie the scores at 2-2.

But Reading’s failure to win at Blackburn ensured Bolton finished the season four points clear of the Royals in seventh spot to clinch a coveted UEFA Cup berth.

That ensured a tangible and rich reward for new Trotters boss Sammy Lee and the team Allardyce built.

Bolton have hardly been out of the European places all season but a turbulent end to the campaign, and a five-match winless streak, threatened a final-day disaster.

Villa were clearly up for it and they twice came back to equalise after goals from Gary Speed and Kevin Davies had given Bolton the lead.