Bolton kept their play-off dream alive with a vital victory over Port Vale.

They claimed all three points in what should have been a comfortable triumph that in the end was anything but.

After bossing the first half and only taking two of the numerous clear-cut chances that fell to them, Wanderers were met by a resurgent Valiant side at the restart.

Ville Viljanen pulled one back for Brian Horton's men seven minutes into the second period, and the visitors went all out in search of a leveller right until the death.

The tense and scrappy finale overshadowed Eidur Gudjohnsen's classy 16th minute opener. After good work by Allan Johnston, on loan from Sunderland, down the left flank, Claus Jensen lobbed the sleepy Vale back line and the Icelandic striker nipped through to volley home ferociously.

Wanderers doubled their tally three minutes before the break when Gudjohnsen released Jensen down the left wing.

The Danish midfielder beat two Vale defenders and centred the ball for Johnston to slot home.

However, the first half was largely a story of missed chances for the home side, with Gudjohnsen sending a great Michael Johansen through ball wide of the right-hand post.

He then having a weak shot saved on 13 minutes, which rebounded into the path of Dean Holdsworth who was also unable to find the net.

But Wanderers were enthused by Gudjohnsen's ninth of the season and continued to make trouble in front of Vale's goal.

Holdsworth was unlucky to head a pin-point Robbie Elliott cross wide of the target, and he then provided a neat cross which Gudjohnsen tamely nodded into Kevin Pilkington's arms.

The visitors fought back briefly, stringing together a great sequence between Alan Tankard, Tommy Widdrington and Viljanen, but the resulting shot by Michael Cummins produced a fine save from Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Tony Rougier then tried his luck with a free-kick from the edge of the Bolton penalty area, but once again Jaaskelainen had it covered.

Wanderers stepped up their attack towards the interval and were rewarded with Johnston's goal on 42 minutes to give them a comfortable advantage at the halfway stage.

But Vale refused to cave in and stunned an already animated Reebok crowd into silence when Viljanen headed home Rougier's left-wing cross on 53 minutes.

That sparked a plucky fight-back in which Viljanen twice went close and David Healy fired fractionally over the bar.

Bolton were imaginative in the build-up for the duration, but had problems finding a way through the visitors' stubborn rearguard, and Vale looked well capable of nicking a point in the closing stages with their spirited counter-attacks.

But thankfully for Reebok boss Sam Allardyce, the Wanderers defence also held firm, keeping their outside chance of making the play-off melting pot intact.

Teams:

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Bergsson, Fish, Ritchie, Elliott, Johansen, Jensen, Passi, Johnston (O'Kane 86), Holdsworth (Hansen 90), Gudjohnsen.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Grant, Farrelly.

Booked: Ritchie.

Goals: Gudjohnsen 16, Johnston 42.

Port Vale: Pilkington, Carragher, Burns, Viljanen, Tankard, Burton, Cummins, Talbot, Widdrington (O'Callaghan 84), Rougier, Healy, Brisco (Naylor 74).

Subs Not Used: Musselwhite, Brisco, Smith.

Goals: Viljanen 53.

Att: 12,292

Ref: D Laws (Whitley Bay).