League One promotion-hopefuls Bolton Wanderers squandered the chance to move four points clear of third-placed Fleetwood Town, after they were held to a goalless draw by relegation-threatened Bury in a Greater Manchester derby at the Macron Stadium on Tuesday night.

In a tense encounter which had implications at either end of the third-tier standings, the points were shared, despite Phil Parkinson’s Bolton side dominating play towards the conclusion.

The opening stages of the tightly-contested game offered up little in terms of clear-cut chances, as both sides looked to gain an ascendancy on a mild spring evening.

Dorian Dervite and Adam Le Fondre were presented with efforts on goal for Bolton, but any in-roads that Parkinson’s men attempted to make were thwarted by a regimented Bury outfit, in what was a fiery, highly-tempered start.

With the Shakers sitting deep, frustrating their local rivals in the process, Bolton went close in the closing minutes of the half when Filipe Morais’ teasing low cross from the right found its way to left-back Andrew Taylor, who skewed a tame, trickling shot wide.

As the two teams emerged for the start of the second-half, it was Lee Clark’s visiting Bury who immediately threatened, with James Vaughan connecting with Taylor Moore’s cross from the right to force goalkeeper Mark Howard into tipping the ball out for a corner.

Up the other end, against a backdrop of boos from the frustrated home faithful, Bolton pushed for an opener which they craved, though they were once again limited to half-chances, the most significant of which came through Morais’ daisy-cutting snapshot, which was straight into the grasp of ‘keeper Joe Murphy.

In the final 20 minutes of play, Bolton ramped up the pressure. David Wheater went close with a rasping drive from 30-yards, which was clawed to safety by Murphy, before Le Fondre was denied when his spectacular shot from the edge of the area crashed off the underside of the crossbar onto the line and away to safety.

Mark Beevers later glanced over Morais’ floated corner, with Bolton firmly turning the screw in the dying embers, against their struggling neighbours from Gigg Lane.

Having come under a substantial, ever increasing bombardment from Bolton, Bury held on resiliently to gain an invaluable point, though it is a case of what could have been for second-placed Wanderers, who are winless in three, in their promotion pursuit.

The result means Bolton edge two points clear of Fleetwood Town in the race for automatic promotion, while Bury, who are 21st in the division, are two points ahead of the bottom four relegation positions.

Here is three things Shoot!’s Ben Reardon learned from last night’s stalemate…

Bolton’s winless run continues

In what was a frustrating night’s work for Bolton Wanderers, their winless run now stands at three League One games.

Successive narrow defeats on their travels to Scunthorpe United, and most recently Oldham Athletic, had seen the Trotters looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack, having previously gone nine matches unbeaten.

The absence of target man Gary Madine in recent weeks has hit Wanderers notably hard. Subsequently, tactical changes enforced by manager Phil Parkinson, to cope without the forward’s physical presence, have proved fruitless.

Tuesday’s uninspiring stalemate at home to local neighbours Bury leaves the promotion carrot dangling ever so slightly in Bolton’s favour, but with the gap to Fleetwood now just two points, there is no room for error at this stage.

Saturday sees a trip to Vale Park, where relegation-threatened Port Vale await – that really is a must win game, for both teams.

Valuable point for Lee Clark’s Bury

By contrast, Bury and their 1,552 travelling supporters who had made the short journey, left the Macron Stadium knowing that survival could well be achieved with a victory at home to Northampton Town on Saturday, should other results go in their favour.

The Shakers dealt with Bolton well throughout the first-half, before weathering the inevitable onslaught that came their way deep into the following period, to earn a fine point which could prove vital, with only two matches of the season remaining.

Clark’s strugglers, who are perched just above the bottom four, came into the all-Greater Manchester contest off the back of three straight defeats, so to put in a resolute, industrious display in which they did, is a welcomed boost for the men from Gigg Lane.

An interesting finale awaits, at both ends of the table

Following on from the shared points between the two Greater Manchester teams, the permutations at the summit and the foot of the division, makes for an intriguing final couple of weeks.

Bolton are currently in pole position to join Sheffield United in the second-tier next season, but they are doing it the hard way, if they aim to claim that second automatic spot.

When Mark Beevers netted a stoppage-time winner away to Southend United earlier in April, Wanderers were 10 points clear of Fleetwood – now the gap is two.

Knowing that promotion is in their hands, Bolton face Port Vale and Peterborough United in the end-of-season run-in.

It is also just as tight at the bottom of the league, with five teams considered to be fully involved in the relegation scrap.

While relegated Coventry City and Chesterfield plan for League Two, Gillingham, Shrewsbury Town, Bury, Port Vale and Swindon Town continue to fight for their League One status.