Paul Dickov emphasised his value to Blackburn by scoring his seventh goal of the season at the Reebok Stadium.

The Scotland striker is being coveted by Birmingham but it is understandable why manager Mark Hughes is reluctant to let him leave.

Dickov's superb strike eased Blackburn's relegation worries but condemned Bolton to a sixth straight defeat.

After a bright start to the campaign they are now closer to the foot of the table than the top and these are anxious days for the club.

Blackburn made their determination plain from the first whistle after three successive draws and never looked back.

Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was called into action inside the first minute - and he reacted well.

Jaaskelainen beat away a shot from Bothroyd from close range after the Blackburn striker had skipped clear of Gardner.

Blackburn made the breakthrough in the sixth minute with a wonderful piece of skill from Dickov.

He fired an unstoppable volley into the corner after the ball had been chested down by Steven Reid.

It was just the boost Blackburn needed after three successive draws.

Play broke down the other end and Jay-Jay Okocha's inswinging cross was headed away at the back post by Lucas Neill with Henrik Pedersen on hand for any mistakes.

Pedersen then saw his effort go wide of goalkeeper Brad Friedel's post as Bolton maintained the momentum.

Blackburn, however, carved out another good chance in the 27th minute when Dickov cleverly set up Brett Emerton.

He fired in a shot that was deflected to safety by Bruno N'Gotty who threw his giant frame at the ball.

Then Gary Speed fired in a powerful free-kick from an acute angle that visiting goalkeeper Friedel did well to punch clear.

Substitute Jon Stead, who had replaced the injured Jay Bothroyd, came within inches of scoring his first goal of the season for Blackburn in the 35th minute.

He got away from his marker to get on the end of Steven Reid's cross only to see his header come back off the bar.

It was a lucky escape for Bolton, who were finding it hard to string passes together.

Blackburn were growing in confidence and Garry Flitcroft tried to chip Jaaskelainen from distance only for the goalkeeper to be equal to his effort.

Jaaskelainen then had to look alert in the 43rd minute to push away an angled free-kick from Australia midfielder Emerton.

Bolton looked to have a chance of an equaliser on the stroke of half-time but Pedersen got only a slight touch to a teasing cross from El-Hadji Diouf.

Then Radhi Jaidi raced up field at the start of the second half and tried his luck on goal from 25 yards, only to see his effort go well wide.

The ineffective Pedersen was replaced in the 52nd minute by 18-year-old Ricard Vaz Te, who has been scoring goals for fun in the reserves.

Bolton were looking more organised than they were in the first half but confidence still appeared a problem.

Davies cleared the bar from 20 yards and his body language suggested his effort was not going to test Friedel.

Blackburn, however, were looking solid at the back with Andy Todd and Nils Eric Johansson mopping up any attacks that came their way.

Davies then fed Okocha in the 63rd minute on the edge of the area. The Nigerian playmaker, however, only succeeded in screwing a shot wide.

Okocha was reinstated to the starting line-up after being dropped at Old Trafford but he was finding it hard to create any real openings.

Davies was working his socks off as usual while Vaz Te's awkward style was causing one or two problems for Blackburn.

The visitors looked content to sit back and soak up the pressure, which can sometimes be a dangerous game.

Bolton boss Allardyce drafted in two veteran substitutes in Fernando Hierro and Les Ferdinand in an attempt to get back in the match.

Davies had a good chance of grabbing the equaliser in the 82nd but could only flick a header wide in front of the posts following a corner from Diouf.

Reid should have added a second on full-time but somehow steered a shot wide from close range after good work by Dickov and Stead.

Blackburn did not win a corner in the second half but did just enough to get past their local rivals, who are in free fall.

Teams

Bolton Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Jaidi, Gardner, Okocha, Speed (Hierro 72), Giannakopoulos (Ferdinand 76), Pedersen (Vaz Te 52), Davies, Diouf.

Subs Not Used: Poole, Barness.

Booked: Vaz Te, Jaidi.

Blackburn Friedel, Neill, Todd, Johansson, Matteo, Reid, Flitcroft, Ferguson, Emerton, Dickov, Bothroyd (Stead 25).

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Gallagher, Thompson, McEveley.

Booked: Ferguson, Flitcroft.

Goals: Dickov 6.

Att: 27,038

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).