Bolton 0 Manchester City 0: Joey Barton wasted a glorious chance to secure Manchester City's fourth straight win as a dismal Lancashire derby ended in stalemate at the Reebok Stadium.

Midfielder Barton summed up an uninspiring afternoon when he somehow contrived to poke his 69th-minute chance into the side-netting from point-blank range.

It was one of few chances in an uninspiring game played out amid of a surreally flat atmosphere, with City left to feel marginally the better at getting another good away point on the board.

Bolton huffed and puffed to little effect with City keeper Nicky Weaver relegated to the role of virtual spectator for much of a game which will soon be scrubbed from the collective memory.

The home side had showed good early intention with defender Nicky Hunt drilling the first shot just wide of target with less than half a minute on the cross.

And City had their own early chance through the recalled Italian Bernardo Corradi, who headed high over the bar from Barton's fine cross.

But early momentum floundered into a dull midfield stalemate with an eerily uninspired crowd watching both sides failing to create any real chances of note.