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Jon Dadi Bodvarsson just revelled in his first taste of a Lancashire derby.
The Icelandic striker produced a perfect header seven minutes from time to grab a point for Ian Evatt’s side at the DW Stadium – his fourth goal since signing from Millwall in January.
It had been a game of few chances after James McClean gave the Latics the lead early on but Bodvarsson’s entrance as a sub in the second half changed things for the better.
And the 29-year-old said his first experience of the local rivalry at Bolton was something he won’t forget.
“I loved it,” he said. “The atmosphere in these rivalry games is fantastic.
“I have played in games like Wolves v Birmingham and as a player it is what you want to do.
“This was similar. It is hostile but I love it when it is like that – it makes me play better.”
Bodvarsson had played twice for Iceland in the international break, against Finland and Spain, prompting Ian Evatt to select him as a substitute and introduce him early in the second period.
“He said to try and be a presence, get us up the field,” the striker said. “We were missing a chance to get up the pitch, so that was my main goal, to work hard.
“It was a tough game and obviously there is a rivalry. We looked a bit lost at times in the first 20 minutes but as the game settled we seemed to start playing and got better with every minute.
“It was a scramble at times. It looked like two teams who wanted to win the game and not lose but in the second half we started to win the second ball a bit more often and we were able to play a bit more of the possession-based football, which we are good at.
“It was a good point to take with us, to be fair.”
Bodvarsson’s goal – a superbly-timed header from Will Aimson’s right-wing cross – was his fourth of the season.
“I was waiting for the cross and Will put a fantastic ball in,” he recalled. “I just had to get my head around it and fortunately it went in the net.
“It is a great feeling to score in front of those fans in a derby.”
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