While it may not have been the elusive win that Bolton continue to search for, there will once again be a sense that after all the turmoil they have faced recently, Monday night's goalless draw with Blackpool was a step in the right direction for Wanderers.

Not for the first time since the appointment of Keith Hill as manager, Bolton would go face to face with one of League One's early pacesetters, and perhaps be somewhat disappointed not to come away with more than a single point.

For Blackpool they will undoubtedly see this as a point dropped given the circumstances, and although they were well restricted at times by Bolton, they may feel they could have taken another step towards the division's top two, had Liam Feeney's effort early in the match been a few inches lower, save for cannoning ooff the woodwork.

In what was a pre-cursor of what was tom come, it would be a slow start to the game, with a couple of dangerous crosses into the Blackpool area from Dennis Politic and Thibaud Verlinden the closest either side would come to an early opening.

But after a quiet opening quarter of an hour, the game would suddenly burst into life with a flurry of chances, which started when a fizzing shot cum cross into the Bolton area from Callum Guy found Feeney at the back post, with the winger smashing an effort against the crossbar against his former club.

Next up to Bolton's rescue was Jack Hobbs, with the defender producing a brilliant late block to deny Matty Virtue after Guy's ball into the area found the 22-year-old via a deflection.

Bolton however were not without chances of their own, with Politic bringing a save from the legs of Blackpool goalkeeper Jak Alnwick from a tight angle after running onto Verlinden's through ball.

Not long after that, it would be round two between Hobbs and Virtue, with the Bolton man once again coming out on top, as he came up with a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny the Blackpool attacker once again, after he had got on the end of Feeney's run and cross into the Bolton area.

With the half drawing to a close, it was Bolton how very nearly took the lead in spectacular circumstances, as Ali Crawford - who opened his Bolton account with a 25-yard effort against Rochdale in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday - almost repeating the trick, with Alnwick reacting brilliantly to get down to his right and tip the midfielder's free-kick just past the post.

Like the first half, the second 45 would also start slowly, with a James Husband effort from the edge of the area that was easily held by Matthews the only real chance in the opening ten minutes or so.

After that however, it would be Bolton who would enjoy a sustained spell of pressure. After Politic cut into the Blackpool area, only to see his deflected behind, with the resulting corner deflecting behind into the side-netting 55 minutes.

Although Bolton would continue to maintain that pressure, it would be some time until they tested Alnwick again, with the opportunity eventually falling to substitute Joe Dodoo - on for his debut in place of Politic - who would see his first effort spilt by Alnwick, with the former Blackpool loanee's follow-up dragged narrowly wide of the far post.

While Blackpool would respond with some pressure of their own - with Spearing and Gnanduillet both firing off target from distance - it was Bolton who would once again to close to threatening a breakthrough, with Curtis Tilt producing an impressive late challenge to intercept Verlinden's ball into the area as Murphy bore down on goal.

Keith Hill had spoken at length in the past few weeks about the challenges of competing with a side that was behind on fitness following their late start to the season and a lack of options to rotate, something which was perhaps best highlighted by the fact that eight of Bolton's lineup were starting for the third time since Blackpool had last played.

That however, seemed to have very little bearing on the way this game went, and with the exception of four straight Blackpool corners in the final through moments of normal time, it will be Bolton, who on the balance of the play late in the day, will feel they perhaps had the best chance to snatch a late win, which ultimately, was once again not to be.