Anelka give Megson hope as Bolton fans avoid the Reebok

England's boss was one of just 18,413, Bolton's lowest Premier League crowd and 10,000 below capacity — a damning verdict on chairman Phil Gartside's choice of successor for sacked Sammy Lee.

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Disbelief: Megson is briefly silenced

But Megson is nothing if not defiant and the outspoken former West Bromwich boss was shouting the touchline odds a good while before Villa's controversial equaliser left him voicing his frustration.

Nicolas Anelka, Bolton's best hope of avoiding the drop if they can head off Manchester United and Manchester City in January, scored a superb 22nd-minute opener to hoist them off the foot of the table.

But Luke Moore's 57th-minute leveller came with Bolton unguarded — thinking that the throw-in from which it came should have been awarded to them, although the last touch was Gavin McCann's.

Megson said: "The referee was right to overrule the linesman but we'd have liked to be told it was their throw and not just let Villa get on with it.

"But I'm happy with our effort. I can't fault it.

"Anelka is in a class of his own.

"He seems to have a reputation that I bought into, but he's a great bloke and a fantastic footballer and he's got a great deal of desire to get us out of this position."

It's a good job. His seventh goal of the season, on his 50th Bolton start, brought the first League point for a month.

That quaint celebration is no peace dove, it's the wings of hope still flapping for the club.

But there are tougher tests ahead than Martin O'Neill's side, who were disappointing for a side chasing a place in Europe.

Indeed, it took them the whole of the first half to offer a serious threat on goal.

Worryingly for Bolton, Jussi Jaaskelainen spilled that shot from Shaun Maloney, but Gabriel Agbonlahor was prevented from taking advantage by Abdoulaye Meite before Kevin Davies hacked clear.

Davies worked tirelessly while El-Hadji Diouf and Anelka applied their own brand of quality that lifted the subdued atmosphere enveloping the Reebok.

Diouf was caught early on by Olof Mellberg as he set up Ricardo Gardner.

The Jamaica striker took a theatrical tumble in Villa's penalty area that should have brought a yellow card from referee Martin Atkinson.

The official missed Wilfred Bouma shepherding a Diouf cross away with his hand as Davies waited but he gave Davies the vital decision against Zat Knight that brought the goal after a 50-50 tussle.

Anelka's free-kick was exquisite, curling for the top corner so precisely that even Stuart Taylor's flailing hand could not prevent the ball reaching its target and galvanising the Bolton effort.

When the France striker tried his luck again just before the half-hour, his delicate attempt from within a ruck of defenders sailed just wide of a post, but the appreciative applause of the faithful said it all.

But Bolton's sloppiness returned to haunt them with the equaliser from Ashley Young's quick throw.

Agbonlahor's undefended cross was deftly chested inside the near post for his first goal of the season by Moore, one of O'Neill's two halftime substitutes in an attempt to add zest to Villa's challenge.

O'Neill, who claimed no knowledge of Chelsea interest in skipper Gareth Barry, said: "We sat back too much then even when we got a grip, we weren't good enough to penetrate."

The first boos of the day rang out soon after when Megson chose to replace cult hero Ivan Campo with Gary Speed, who had pledged the dressing-room's backing for the new manager before the game.

The last boos, predictably, were at the final whistle for the referee after Villa's disputed equaliser.

BOLTON (4-1-2-3): Jaaskelainen 6; J O'Brien 5, A O'Brien 5, Meite 6, Gardner 4; Campo 6 (Speed, 65min, 5); Nolan 5, McCann 6 (Guthrie, 71, 6); Davies 6, Anelka 8 (Samuel, 78), Diouf 7.

Booked: Anelka, Campo.

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Taylor 5; Mellberg 5, Knight 6, Laursen 5, Bouma 5; Osbourne 5 (Berger, 46, 5), Petrov 6, Barry 7, Young 6; Maloney 5 (Moore, 46, 6), Agbonlahor 5.

Booked: Young.

Man of the match: Nicolas Anelka.

Referee: Martin Atkinson.