Bolton had taken a 22nd minute lead when their top goalscorer Nicolas Anelka struck a delightful free kick over the wall and past his former Arsenal team mate Stuart Taylor in the Villa goal.

Whilst having a lot of possession in the opening half the Wanderers struggled to make it count and the shots on target column for both sides combined did not manage to reach double figures throughout the ninety minutes.

That said, Megson can be pleased with the way in which his troops approached the first half even though there wasn't much in the way of goalmouth action for Anelka and co.

Villa had the first chance of the game in the second minute but Scotland international Shaun Maloney fired his free kick high into the back of the family stand.

Maloney, signed from Celtic earlier in the year, is usually quite an accomplished player when striking in dead ball situations but this time Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was left with nothing to do.

A couple of minutes later some incisive running by El-Hadji Diouf down the left flank presented an opportunity to Ivan Campo but the veteran Spaniard put too much lift on his shot and fired over.

Bolton had a couple of penalty appeals waved away in the first half, the first came on the quarter hour mark when Villa full back Wilfred Bouma appeared to handle inside the area after tangling with Wanderers forward Kevin Davies.

The second came when left wing back Ricardo Gardner made a remarkable run down the left only to come between two Villa defenders. Referee Martin Atkinson ignored both appeals much to the disgust of the Wanderers players who felt that at least one of the decisions should have been given.

On 22 minutes the Wanderers took a deserved lead when Anelka curled an unstoppable free kick past Taylor for his sixth league goal of the league season and seventh in total.

Five minutes later Diouf made another exciting run down the left and his pass to Anelka nearly brought about a goal but the Frenchman showing great skills could only curl the ball just wide of Taylor's left hand post.

Whilst the game hadn't been full of incidents it was the hosts who went in the happier at the interval and this was met with a chorus of boos, not from the Wanderers supporters, but from the couple thousand fans who had made the journey from the Midlands.

Unfortunately for Bolton they allowed Villa back into the game in the second half and the visitors made a couple of changes at the start of the final period with Luke Moore and the experienced Patrik Berger coming on for Maloney and Isaiah Osbourne.

Villa had a bit more of the possession in the opening moments of the second half but did not look like scoring until a moment of lady luck came their way due to some indecisive officiating.

The ball had gone out for a thrown in which was given Bolton's way despite it having come off the ex-Villa favourite Gavin McCann. However, a quick throw in by Villa found its way to winger Ashley Young who in turn fired in a quickfire cross which went in past Jaaskelainen off the chest of substitute Moore.

It was fair to say Moore didn't know too much about the goal until it had gone in but whether it was a Bolton throw or not the officials clearly gave the decision the way of the Wanderers.

On the hour mark Bolton's Campo blasted another effort high and wide and this proved to be his last involvement in the game as he was replaced by Gary Speed soonafter in a decision which some of the home support where not happy with.

Danny Guthrie also entered the fray in place of McCann and the young midfielder, who is vastly making an impression at the club, nearly got on the scoresheet following a Davies flick and but for some last minute Villa intervention.

With just over ten minutes to go ex-Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel made his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring injury against Birmingham City last month but unfortunately it was at the expense of the injured Anelka who had taken a knock.

On 83 minutes Bolton could have gotten themselves back in front, Ricardo Gardner lashed in a shot from just inside the edge of the area and the lively Diouf somehow managed to fire the ball over.

In fairness the effort was at a tight angle but even so many around the Reebok where bemused at the fact that the African forward was unable to grab his second goal of the week.

Bolton now face local rivals Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday and this will be followed by a trip to West Ham United where they hope to gain revenge following last season's 3-1 defeat.

BOLTON WANDERERS: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Joey O'Brien, Andy O'Brien, Abdoulaye Meite, Ricardo Gardner, El-Hadji Diouf, Gavin McCann (Danny Guthrie), Ivan Campo (Gary Speed), Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies, Nicolas Anelka (Jlloyd Samuel)

SUBS NOT USED: Stelios Giannakopoulos, Ian Walker (GK)

ASTON VILLA: Stuart Taylor, Olof Mellberg, Zat Knight, Martin Laursen, Wilfred Bouma, Isaiah Osbourne (Patrik Berger). Stilian Petrov, Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Shaun Maloney (Luke Moore), Gabriel Agbonlahor

SUBS NOT USED: Marlon Harewood, Curtis Davies, Thomas Sorensen (GK)

ATTENDANCE:

18,413

REFEREE:

Martin Atkinson

BOOKED:

Anelka (Bolton)

Campo (Bolton)

Young (Aston Villa)

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