Bolton's players and fans were incensed after referee Mick Fletcher ruled out a goal from Dean Holdsworth in a clash which simmered gently for a long while before coming to the boil.

Wanderers were celebrating Holdsworth's intricate lob, which would have put the visitors 2-1 ahead midway through the second half, when Fletcher appeared to change his mind after consulting his assistant.

It later transpired that he had blown the whistle for a free-kick immediately prior to the ball going into the net.

His decision sparked furious protestations from the visitors but justice was seen to be done when Barnsley's Macedonian substitute, Georgi Hristov, saw his late strike wiped out as parity was maintained.

There had been signs this would be a game fraught with controversy when Holdsworth fired home a penalty late in the first half in contentious circumstances.

He chased a long ball from Bob Taylor and was sent crashing to the floor by the Barnsley keeper Kevin Miller.

Holdsworth picked himself up and put his side a goal to the good at the interval.

But Barnsley came out in the second half with all guns blazing and quickly found themselves back on terms as Eric Tinkler found the equaliser.

The South African's goal keeps alive play-off-chasing Barnsley's slim hopes of a place in the Premiership next season, but a draw was a fair result as neither side had either the guile or the craft to create a winner.

Moments prior to Barnsley's goal Bolton saw star midfielder Ricardo Gardner carried off with an injury.

The Jamaican midfielder left the field on a stretcher after a collision with Barnsley's England Under-21 defender John Curtis.

But the setback did not knock Bolton out of their dominant frame of mind as they continued to press forward and search for a winner which would have kept their hopes of a place in the play-off alive.

Holdsworth struck a post close to the end as the home side hung on but whether they can hang on to their hopes of promotion is open to question considering their inconsistent form.

Teams:

Barnsley: Miller, Curtis, Brown (Barker 57), Morgan, Chettle, Eaden, Hignett, Tinkler, Van Der Laan (Barnard 78), Shipperley, Sheron (Hristov 82).

Subs Not Used: Dyer, Thomas.

Booked: Miller.

Goals: Tinkler 46.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Whitlow, Holden, Bergsson, Elliott, Fish, Johansen (Passi 86), Jensen, Gardner (Johnston 49), Taylor (Hansen 84), Holdsworth.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Ritchie.

Goals: Holdsworth 43 pen.

Att: 14,604

Ref: M Fletcher (Warley).