Kitt Nelson’s stoppage-time strike earned Preston North End a point against Bolton Wanderers in the Central League.

The hosts had gone ahead through Danny Jones in the tenth minute, before Mikey O’Neill headed PNE level just before the half-hour mark.

Finlay Lockett then gave Bolton the lead again midway through the second half, but substitute Nelson popped up to snatch a point for his side in the second minute of injury time.

First team defender Patrick Bauer was among those to start as he stepped up his return to fitness, while Bambo Diaby also lined up in a young PNE side.

Bolton took the lead inside just ten minutes, as Lockett was found on an overlapping run before squaring the ball to Jones, who finished off at the back post.

PNE’s first chance of note came 20 minutes in, with Finlay Cross-Adair jumping on a loose ball and he cut inside to find O’Neill, but he couldn’t get his effort on target.

Nine minutes later, O'Neill found the back of the net for his side, heading past Luke Hutchinson after Matt Olosunde had won the first header on the end of Lewis Leigh’s free-kick.

Cross-Adair then came close to getting on the scoresheet as his flicked header on the end of Lewis Coulton’s cross went just over the bar.

The hosts had a big chance of their own a couple of minutes before the break through Nelson Khumbeni, but he didn’t connect with a header from close range.

After a quiet opening to the second half with no real chances of note for either side, the Trotters restored their lead on 68 minutes. Despite Kian Best appearing to be fouled in the build up, play was waved on and the ball made its way to Lockett, who fired past Pradic at his near post.

Ten minutes later, Cross-Adair brilliantly took the ball down before sending a dangerous cross into the area, but it was just ahead of the onrushing bodies.

It looked as though the game was going to play out from that point, but PNE worked the ball well to Cross-Adair in injury time and the forward saw his shot saved, but it was only parried to substitute Nelson who was there to tap home and earn a point for North End.

Bolton Wanderers line-up: Hutchinson; Sackey, Senior, Tutte, John (Conway, 45); Khumbeni, Tweedley, Pettifer; Lockett, Grivosti, Jones. Subs not used: Chapman, Brown, Halford, Sharples.

PNE line-up: Pradic; Diaby (Nelson, 62), Bauer (Best, 45), Jacob; Olosunde (Taylor, 45), Leigh, Amaral (Kamara, 83), Mawene, Coulton; O’Neill, Cross-Adair. Subs not used: Davis.

Referee: Mr P Roots.