Crystal Palace 0
Bolton Wanderers 1 (Nolan 31)

Crystal Palace wasted a golden opportunity to pull further away from the relegation zone after Bolton punished the Eagles inability to convert a host of chances.

Iain Dowie's side should have been 3-0 up before Kevin Nolan's disputed opener, but despite creating further chances, Palace couldn't find a way past Trotters keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

But the Eagles boss can take positives from the clash, as at least his side are creating chances, which begs the question of why a new frontman wasn't brought in during the transfer window?

Dowie said: "We lost against a side that have won seven games in a row and having watched a few of those games I have not seen anybody create as many chances as we did.

"We have had many clear-cut chances and I think we deserved to win the game, but we haven't."

Wayne Routledge missed the first of Palace's guilt-edge chances in the ninth minute when he was released by Johnson and was put one-on-one with the Finnish keeper, but the young winger hesitated and Jaskelainen claimed the ball from Routledge's feet with the goal gaping.

Then six minutes later Danny Granville directed Michael Hughes' floated cross just wide of the post, despite not being picked up by either N'Gotty or Haim.

The usually reliable Andrew Johnson was the next Palace player to rue another missed chance when he hit the side netting following his angled run into the box.

Palace's failure to take their chances was compounded just before the interval when Kevin Nolan headed the ball towards goal after Mikele Leigertwood blocked Stelios' effort on the line, but Emmerson Boyce couldn't quiet repeat his team-mate's heroics as Nolan's effort just crossed the line before it was hooked away.

Bolton effectively tried to kill the game off in the second half, with the classy Speed and Campo retaining possession, trying to unleash the live-wire Diouf into the space.

But the Eagles still managed to carve out openings, with Johnson somehow firing wide from six yards after connecting with Freedman's cross, and then Freedman himself, pulling his shot wide after he did well to create space to shoot.

In a last-ditch attempt to grab an equaliser, Palace pushed Hall and Powell up front and even Kiraly joined them in the Bolton box for a free-kick.

But in keeping with the manner of the game, the ball fell to Danny Granville after a goal mouth scramble but the Palace full back dragged his shot wide, as vital points went begging.

PALACE: Kiraly, Boyce, Hall, Powell, Granville, Routledge (Kolkka 59), Soares (Andrews 88), Leigertwood (Riihilahti 64), Hughes, Johnson, Freedman. Subs not used: Speroni, Borrowdale.

Palace Bolton 7 On Target 6 10 Off Target 2 16 Fouls 10 0 Yellow Cards 1 0 Red Cards 0