DION Charles’s ensured that Wanderers went into Friday’s play-off semi-final second leg on level terms after a tense 90 minutes against Barnsley.

The Northern Ireland international produced a quick response after Nicky Cadden had driven in the opening goal midway through the second half.

A sun-kissed crowd of 23,450 packed into the University of Bolton – hosting its final game under that name – and few will have managed to keep their fingernails intact in what proved a nip and tuck 90 minutes of football.

Wanderers started on the front foot and created a couple of decent chances early on.

George Johnston went close from an Aaron Morley corner and Dion Charles skewed a shot high into the stands after a fine cross from the right by Elias Kachunga.

Evatt’s side was pressing well, and it was from a mistake from Liam Kitching that Bolton earned another corner, eventually cleared towards Johnston, whose shot was blocked on the line by the same Barnsley defender.

The visitors finished the half in the ascendancy, however, triggered by a powerful effort from Luca Connell which was parried by James Trafford before being scrambled away by Eoin Toal.

Adam Phillips blasted a shot narrowly over the bar from 25 yards and Trafford was worked again by Slobodan Tedic, who had combined well with Cole to get a shooting chance from an acute angle.

There was little in the game, as a whole, but Michael Duff would have been the more contented manager at half time, with the Tykes finishing on a snap-shot from Cole which drifted wide.

The second half started in the same cagey vein. Wanderers struggled to use the ball well in midfield, their most productive stuff coming from Kachunga or Charles hassling mistakes.

Morley produced one dangerous curling ball which nearly fell for Ricardo Santos but Barnsley continued to look threatening and finally forged ahead after 63 minutes.

Phillips’ corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Nicky Cadden hammered a low shot that skidded past several players before nestling into the bottom corner.

Only Liverpool and Preston have taken more points, on average, in all four divisions than Barnsley after forging ahead. But with plenty of football left ahead in the two-legged tie, the important thing for Bolton was not to panic.

They kept the ball for a couple of minutes, then worked it out wide to Randell Williams. In one fluid motion, he beat his man then drove a fierce cross which was too hot for Isted to handle, squirming out of his grasp before being buried into the back of the net by Charles.

That sparked the home fans into full voice once more – which turned the game into a more frantic affair. Bobby Thomas had two chances to silence them quickly – Trafford making one sprawling block after Phillips’ free kick fell kindly, then heading over the bar at close range from Jordan Williams’ cross.

Wanderers raised their game, with Williams becoming an increasingly useful outlet on the left. Barnsley began to drop deeper in order to protect their point, daring the Whites to come and try and break them down.

Five minutes from the end a deep cross from Dempsey dropped for Bradley at the far post, he nodded into the path of sub Dan Nlundulu who would surely have scored had it not been for a desperate block from Mads Andersen.

Six minutes of stoppage time was shown after a tense string of Barnsley corners that had been well-defended. Either side knew one moment could give them the decisive second-leg edge.

Barnsley then sat deep and killed as much time as they could – Bolton could not find the late chance they craved and we will have to wait until Friday night to find the victor in this fascinating tie.