IAN Marshall's been in the football business long enough to know the score.

The old warhorse didn't expect Martin O'Neill to offer him a new deal when his Leicester contract expired this summer ... so he wasn't surprised when he was shown the door.

He didn't expect to be playing for Wanderers on the first day of the new season either. But once he was out there it came as no surprise to him or to anyone who has followed his career that he had a chance to grab the glory.

What was surprising was that he missed it!

"I've scored goals wherever I've been," Marshall says matter-of-factly, "and I can play centre half as well when called upon.

"This time it was just unfortunate that it didn't go in an that we didn't get the win."

Marshall - who was offered a chance to train with Wanderers last Monday, signed non-contract forms on Friday lunchtime and was named substitute for the Burnley game 24 hours later - looked certain to seal victory 10 minutes from time when he met John O'Kane's cross firmly and accurately ... only to see the shot hit Mitchell Thomas on the line.

"I'm really disappointed because I really hit it well and thought it was in," he moaned.

"We're disappointed with the result too because the way it was going in the first half we were looking on for a win. We probably rested on our laurels a bit in the second half and after they got their goal it could have gone either way so I suppose that, with all the injuries and suspensions, a draw wasn't too bad."

It remains to be seen whether Marshall - now 34 and having made his name in useful spells with Oldham and Ipswich after kicking off his career with Everton - manages to secure a long-term stay at the Reebok after he has served his purpose as short-term cover. But he's at least grateful for the chance he's been given.

"I wasn't happy at Leicester in the end," he admits, "I was either in the reserves or substitute and the year before I'd been injured quite a lot.

"It didn't come as a shock when he (O'Neill) didn't want to give me a new contract. But after he released me on the Friday and he went (to Celtic) on the Monday and I didn't think much of that!

"I came to Bolton with an open mind, just for two weeks' training, to get fit really and to try and impress Sam. I only arrived on Monday, went with the physio and did quite a bit of running over the first three days then had a bit of a rest on Thursday.

"When I turned up on Friday morning I was pulled in and told I could be playing!"

He's certainly created a good first impression, although Allardyce would have been even more impressed if he'd been the matchwinner. "Sometimes when you're not playing at your best and a chance comes along, you've got to stick it in.

"If we'd done that, it would have been three great points. But I put Ian Marshall on because we'd lost our way with our passing and he gave us a target man to hit so that we could get ourselves back in the game - and it worked quite well.

"He gave us a lot of experience in a situation where we were struggling a little bit. He took the pressure of us and got in a few flicks and might even have won us the game."