Blackburn Rovers 0 Bolton Wanderers 1: Despite Max Clifford's best efforts, Sam Allardyce is not universally popular, but even his biggest critics would concede Bolton Wanderers' manager deserves incalculable credit for apparently turning Nicolas Anelka into a team player.

Unselfish in the extreme here, the Frenchman sublimated his skill to the collective cause with a performance which greatly helped consolidate Bolton's grip on third place.

Even so, they rode their luck when Jussi Jaaskelainen saved two penalties in the last three minutes, Blackburn's Benni McCarthy missed a sitter and Kevin Nolan was sent off for foul and abusive language.

Yet impressive as Anelka, Jaaskelainen and Ivan Campo undoubtedly were for the visitors, Bolton, who, typically, won it from a set-piece, let themselves down with time-wasting.

Blackburn, unbeaten in the eight games, played the better football, created the superior chances and deserved a draw.

Mark Hughes' side should have been ahead in the first half when Zurab Khizanishvili's header appeared to rebound off Jaaskelainen before being cleared by Gary Speed with Blackburn's players convinced it had crossed the line.

"It was clearly over but these things happen; you just have to put it down to experience," said Hughes, who had seen Jaaskelainen save McCarthy's penalty after Quinton Fortune's foul on Jason Roberts. Roberts then had a spot kick saved after his felling by a combination of Speed and Nicky Hunt.

The first penalty offered Allardyce an opportunity to wallow in victimhood. "We were the victims of some dubious decisions," he said, conveniently overlooking the first-half moment when El Hadji Diouf appeared to foul Brett Emerton in the area.

This perception that the world, and certainly referees, are against him is one reason why even Clifford may struggle to rebrand Allardyce as football's unfairly maligned renaissance man.

It was Campo who scored the only goal, as Bolton's Spanish midfielder rose above the home defence to head Diouf's corner beyond Brad Friedel.

Allardyce sensed divine intervention.

"Blackburn played good football," he conceded. "But maybe someone up there was looking after us."

• Guardian Service