HOW strange to think that if Wanderers had not sat down with Eidur Gudjohnsen before Christmas and offered him the chance of a comeback, we could have missed out on all this?

Before his second coming at Bolton the Icelander’s glorious football career was facing an insignificant conclusion in Belgium, and what a crime that would have been.

Some raised their eyebrows when Neil Lennon gambled on bringing the veteran striker back, 14 years after he first left to embark on a tour of Europe’s top clubs.

But that decision now looks like a masterstroke – and one which hopefully be given another 12 months to reach a complete and fitting conclusion.

There was nothing romantic about this game, which but for Gudjohnsen’s late equalising goal was something of a disaster for Wanderers. Yet considering the week he has had, it only seems fitting to accentuate the positives rather than dwell on the negatives?

Last weekend the former Barcelona and Chelsea star returned to the international scene after an 18-month semi-retirement to score a goal which puts Iceland within reach of a place at next summer’s European Championship – their first major tournament.

And by midweek he was flying in to be with his wife and three children in Barcelona for the birth of his first daughter.

A home game with already-doomed Blackpool rather pales by comparison but his scrambled goal deep into stoppage time illustrates perfectly how important he now is to Bolton once again, and why the club need to sort out another contract for him this summer.

Gudjohnsen is the kind of iconic character Wanderers have lacked since Kevin Davies walked out in heartbreaking circumstances nearly two years ago.

Alongside the manager, he has helped repair a fractured relationship between the club and its supporters. Furthermore, Gudjohnsen’s influence as a role model to young professionals like Tom Walker, Zach Clough and Josh Vela cannot be underestimated.

It is true, Gudjohnsen needed to get back into football to stand a chance of playing at a major tournament with his country. But to underestimate his passion for the Wanderers cause would be a mistake.

For all the famous pitches he has played on, he describes this part of the world as “home”.

And while there is an element of financial gamble in securing his services for another season, you sense it is one Wanderers cannot afford to miss.

Perhaps the most worrying thing for Lennon right now is that his two most dependable players are closer to 40 than their prime.

Before Emile Heskey came on at the break Wanderers failed to hold on to the ball up front, and prior to Gudjohnsen’s cameo with 13 minutes to go were toothless in attack.

Free from any expectation to survive this season, Blackpool have suddenly started playing under Lee Clark. They were always going to be dangerous in that sense – but my, how the Whites gave them a helping hand.

Undone by a long, straight ball just 10 minutes in, Michael Jacobs opened the scoring with an angled shot which should have been blocked by either keeper Ben Amos or defender Tim Ream.

Lennon had put out an attack-minded line-up but with Liam Feeney, Tom Walker and Rochinha below par, they struggled to make any inroads into their distinctly-average opponents.

Blackpool ambled along and collected a couple of good chances – Andrea Orlandi heading over unmarked and Peter Clarke volleying inches wide.

Josh Vela also drew applause from both dugouts for a 60-yard chase and tackle on Jacobs as he bore down on the Wanderers goal once again.

Wanderers were even more laboured. Barry Bannan and Adam Le Fondre did their level best to make something happen, playing at a different pace than the other nine players in a white shirt.

Yet chances were created. Matt Mills saw one header blocked on the line and Feeney had another chance pushed away by Joe Lewis.

Wanderers completely deserved the grumbles of complaint at the break, no doubt echoed and amplified within the walls of the dressing room.

Heskey came on for Rochinha and instantly started linking things together. He has had a harder time convincing Bolton fans of his worth than Gudjohnsen – but the big man is still miles ahead of any other target man in Lennon’s camp.

When Clarke sent a shot on the turn whizzing past the post just before the hour mark, Wanderers finally woke from their slumber and started to press with some urgency.

Bannan combined with Heskey to present a decent chance for Walker, pushed away by Lewis, but then missed a glorious chance, nudging Le Fondre’s cross on to the post from six yards out.

The Scotland international didn’t let the miss affect him, however, and provided a good chance for Feeney which should have been turned in at the far post.

Lennon threw all his strikers on and sub Craig Davies could have had a penalty after tangling with Orlandi.

We had been waiting for Le Fondre to get a chance all afternoon but when the ball finally fell to him in the penalty box, and mixture of arms, legs and bodies in the home defence managed to smuggle his shot out for a corner.

The same happened a few moments later when Paddy McCarthy and Mills were denied at point-blank range by Lewis.

Blackpool were eyeing a first away win of the season and should have rubber stamped it when Jose Miguel Cubero shot over the bar on the counter attack.

The Costa Rican midfielder was made to pay when Wanderers threw another ball into the box with just 60 seconds left and when Bannan’s cross was headed back into the danger area by Heskey, Danns’ drilled effort was nudged over the line by Gudjohnsen.

He has scored better in a glittering career but few goals have been as well-timed.

What could have been a disaster for Wanderers was averted and Lennon’s side can go to Cardiff today knowing Championship football is secured.