Wanderers fought back to claim another point away from home – but this one did not quite taste as sweet.

Eoin Toal’s late header salvaged something from St James Park but in a game Bolton had dominated for so long, the reward felt scant.

Paris Maghoma had given Ian Evatt’s side a deserved first half lead but a three-minute spell of madness after the break saw Sonny Cox score twice, surrendering the momentum and advantage to the Grecians.

It was inexplicable, particularly as Wanderers wrestled back control to finish as strongly as they did at Barnsley. Only this time there was no late twist in their favour.

Wanderers made three changes to the side that had battled back to take a point at Barnsley, sticking with the same back five that finished the game, with Randell Williams and Jack Iredale playing on the left, Gethin Jones at right wing-back. Josh Dacres-Cogley and Nat Ogbeta dropped to the bench. In midfield, Maghoma replaced Kyle Dempsey.

For the opening 15 minutes there was little to wake either set of supporters from the slumber, the stadium collectively doing little to annoy its close-set neighbours in the surrounding streets.

Victor Adeboyejo had to limp off after just four minutes with what looked like a thigh problem. His replacement, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, did as much as anyone to get Bolton into their rhythm.

The hush disappeared for good once Aaron Collins turned to strike a dipping shot off the top of the bar.

Wanderers flashed a few dangerous balls across the face of goal, Bodvarsson nudged a shot into side netting and Josh Sheehan was unlucky with another effort charged down by Zak Jules.

Exeter had the odd break. Jack Aitchison tested Joel Coleman with a bobbling shot and Gethin Jones had to make one good clearance at the far post but the chief danger to Bolton seemed to be the comfort with which they controlled the game.

Ex-Wanderer Will Aimson came up with a vital challenge to stop Collins’ charge towards goal on the half hour, George Thomason brought a save out of Vil Sinisalo, who then watched as Maghoma and Collins conspired in the penalty box to turn a shot at goal which bounced off Tom Carroll and inches wide of the post.

Maghoma made sure the dominance counted for something. A lovely exchange down the right between Thomason and Sheehan ended with him passing the ball past Sinisalo.

Wanderers should have put the game out of reach completely  with their hosts virtually frozen in their tracks.

Jones flashed a ball across goal from the right and Bodvarsson hit a shot on the spin just wide of the post.

Had you suggested to any of the 948 travelling fans that their team would be 2-1 down three minutes into the second half, there is a chance you would have been accused of sampling too many of the local ciders.

But that is the situation the Whites somehow found themselves in after a few minutes of mystifying football.

Firstly, just 10 seconds after the restart, Ben Purrington flicked Pierce Sweeney’s pass into the path of Cox, and he unleashed a dipping shot which left Joel Coleman totally stranded.

Just a couple of minutes later Coleman seemed to be out of position again, Cox blasting a 20-yard shot after chasing on to a pass and getting in behind Ricardo Santos.

The effect on Bolton’s confidence was instant. Gone was the flowing football, replaced by nervous defending.

Cox was denied a hat-trick by a wonderful close-range stop from Coleman, who then nearly blotted his copybook again with a fumble from Aitchison’s shot which had to then be scrambled away at the foot of the post.

The game appeared to be slipping away from the Whites, and if anyone looked to have the gumption to claim three points, it was Exeter.

One scramble after a corner nearly dropped for sub Mo Eisa but when Jones forced another replacement, Cheick Diabate into a panicky clearance, the momentum shifted back Bolton’s way.

Once again, a set piece saved their skins. Sheehan’s corner was headed down and goalwards by Toal, the ball squeezing under the keeper and a defender on the line.

Ample stoppage time presented a chance to win it outright. Toal had a header nicked off him at the last possible moment, Jack Iredale’s shot was pushed around the post and Kyle Dempsey put another header into the side netting.

But Eisa also brought another stunning reaction save out of Coleman at the other end, so the day could have gone a hell of a lot worse.