BLACKBURN Rovers reserves passed up the opportunity to go fourth in the table after they slipped to a disappointing derby defeat at the hands of Bolton.

Glyn Hodges' young charges found themselves two goals down inside the opening 25 minutes to a Wanderers side containing several players with first-team experience.

However, a valiant second half fightback, culminating in a goal for Josh O'Keefe, set up a nailbiting finish, but Rovers ultimately left themselves with too much to do as Wanderers held on to seal the points.

After a bright start by Rovers, it was Bolton who took the lead courtesy of former Watford striker Heidar Helguson.

Gunnar Nielsen did well to save Daniel Braaten's initial shot but, in the melee that followed, Dean Winnard was adjudged to have brought down Alonso, and Helguson confidently dispatched the resulting spot-kick.

Moments later, Rovers then had a claim for a penalty turned down after the lively Keith Treacy went down under a challenge in the area.

It was Bolton who continued to call most of the shots, however, and it took a brilliant save from Nielsen to deny Braaten, before Tamir Cohen then went close with a free kick.

Eventually the pressure told as Braaten added a second for the visitors on 25 minutes, the Norwegian reacting quickest to scramble home the rebound after Nielsen could only parry Blerim Dzemali's wickedly swerving free kick.

Rovers' only threat in the first half came from Treacy, the young Irishman testing the keeper with a couple of speculative efforts.

The host emerged for the second half with far greater purpose, and O'Keefe, Alan Judge and Marcus Marshall all had chances in quick succession to pull a goal back.

Rovers were dealt a blow on the hour mark when Treacy limped off with an injury.

But, unperturbed, the hosts did succeed in halving the deficit nine minutes later, O'Keefe squeezing the ball home from an acute angle after his initial effort had been saved.

That set-up an exciting finish, but the closest Rovers came to an equaliser was a header by O'Keefe, which was comfortably saved.

Rovers: Nielsen, Nolan, Olsson, Judge, Flynn, Winnard, Treacy (Haworth, 63), O'Keefe, Marshall, Clarke, Peter. Subs not used: De Vita, Doran, Marrow, Bussma