Bolton Wanderers Under-23s were denied an eighth consecutive league victory as a last-gasp equaliser saw them held to a 2-2 draw by Leeds United in an entertaining clash at Lancashire FA on Monday night.
Connor Hall had initially given the young Whites an early lead, before Bryce Hosannah equalised shortly before the interval.
Cole Lonsdale then reclaimed the advantage for the hosts during the second half, but David Lee’s men couldn't hold on to the three points as Kun Temenuzhkov levelled the scores in the dying embers of the game.
Hall’s 12th goal in 12 games provided the perfect start for Bolton after just 60 seconds as the striker capitalised on a mix up in the Leeds defence to round goalkeeper Will Huffer and slot home.
The match was played at a high tempo; Bolton were organised in defence and broke forward with pace, while United were encouraged to play from the back and move forward with the ball.
As the first half progressed, Leeds grew into the game and a switch of play found their dangerous left winger Jack Clarke, who beat his man and broke into the area. He fired his cross into the box but Mark Howard was alert to the danger.
Hall was a constant threat for the Trotters, stretching Leeds’ defence and linking up fantastically with Jack Earing on the left-hand side.
This was demonstrated around the half-hour mark when Earing’s defence-splitting pass found Hall, who beat the offside trap but was denied by Huffer who made a good save.
Leeds had their best chance of the half after 36 minutes. Successive chances from Clarke and Hugo Diaz were denied, before Liam Morris was called into action to head Paudie O’Connor’s effort off the line.
But it wasn’t long before the visitors found an equaliser. Four minutes before half-time, Hosannah drove at the Wanderers defence, played a one-two with Jamie Shackleton and found the bottom corner.
Leeds started the second half as they’d finished the first, with Clarke again threatening, but it was the Whites who struck once more through Lonsdale just before the hour mark.
Jeff King’s low corner was played directly into Lonsdale’s path, and the wideman made no mistake as he unleashed a spectacular strike from the edge of the box to reclaim the lead for his side in style.
Bolton had a good chance to extend their lead when Lonsdale’s cross was headed just over the bar by Adam Mitchell, but Leeds were fighting hard to get something from the game.
Substitute Alex Machuca fired straight at Howard, before Hosannah almost notched another from a close-range header with five minutes remaining.
The visitors increased the pressure and, in stoppage time, found another equaliser.
With just moments to go, Temenuzhkov, on as a late substitute, pounced on the loose ball after a blocked shot from a corner, finding the bottom corner with a low shot from the edge of the box.
Bolton Wanderers: Howard, Brockbank, Morris, Mitchell, Edwards, Perry, White (Fearnley 87), Earing, Hall, King, Lonsdale
Subs not used: Navarro, Aspinall, Jones-Griffiths, Moulden