Yorke congratulates Cole on his goal

ROVERS WENT down to a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat at the hands of old rivals Bolton Wanderers despite being in control of the match at 3-1 with 33 minutes gone.

Rovers boss Graeme Souness will be perplexed as to just how his side capitulated in the final 20 minutes of the game to present the visitors an unbelievable victory.

The Trotters took the lead inside 14 seconds before Vratislav Gresko equalised sixty seconds later. Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke seemed to have handed Rovers a safety net of a two goal margin but as so often happens with Rovers, their inconsistency came back to haunt them.

Souness had much to consider when naming his starting line-up, Rovers' injury-plagued squad and an inconvenient suspension for skipper Garry Flitcroft resulted in a first start of the season for Jonathan Douglas.

Wednesday night goalscorers Yorke and Cole started together alongside Paul Gallagher in an attacking formation whilst Peter Enckelman began his first game as full Rovers player on the substitutes bench.

To add more woe to Souness' stricken side, Bolton took the lead before many of the crowd had taken their seats.

Martin Taylor attempted to shepherd an innocuous Ivan Campo long pass but ex-Rover Kevin Davies was too alert and nicked the ball back for Kevin Nolan to blast home. Just 14 seconds had passed.

The visiting fans were delirious only for a fabulous equaliser to quiet them barely a minute later.

This time Tugay was the architect, picking out Gresko with a clever left wing pass and the full back darted in and blasted beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen's despairing left hand. After the Slovakian was robbed of his deflected winner against Spurs in November by the Premiership's Dubious Goals panel, it was a sweet moment for him.

Delight for Gresko as he gets Rovers back level

Wanderers thought they were certain to retake the lead in the 15th minute as Djorkaeff flighted in a corner and Emerson Thome met with a firm downward header. Fortunately for Rovers Friedel was down superbly to save.

The impressive Brett Emerton went close with a free kick before Andy Cole was booked for what the Bolton fans thought was a stamp on Nicky Hunt.

Emerton tormented visiting left back Simon Charlton with a dynamic run in the 23rd minute, his cross only marginally missing the head of Yorke.

No matter as Rovers moved into the lead seconds later and Emerton again was the instigator. This time his through ball towards Cole was missed by Thome and the ex-Manchester United man squared for partner-in-crime Yorke to slot home.

Yorke puts Rovers in the lead

Cole increased Rovers advantage on 33 minutes, latching onto a backwards header by Bruno N'Gotty to loft via Jaaskelainen's hands into the net.

Cole makes it 3-1 to Rovers

But, they shot themselves in the foot and allowed Wanderers a way back into the game before the first half was even over.

Another simple long ball was calamitously missed by Tugay and let Djorkaeff in to score with a neat lob over Friedel.

Davies almost drew the visitors level with an audacious curling shot from the distance but it flashed just beyond the angle.

After the break, Bolton took control. Lucas Neill was in the right place at the right time to stop a Stelios shot from levelling the scores and then Campo headed wide from a deep Simon Charlton cross.

In a rare break to the other end, Gresko's free kick was headed well over by Markus Babbel with Jaaskelainen in no man's land.

Souness withdrew Gallagher to a tumultuous reception on 63 minutes but his replacement Dino Baggio failed to impose himself on the game.

The lively Stelios was proving a real thorn in Rovers side and it was the Greek international who duly went a scored a dubious equaliser.

Nicky Hunt's right wing cross looped into the sky but Davies beat Taylor to head on. Stelios, with more than a hint of offside, latched on and beat a stationary Friedel from close range.

Emerton thought he had handed Rovers the lead again when he intercepted Jaaskelainen's goal kick and blasted home but the ball hadn't gone out of the area and the referee ruled out the goal.

Further poor Rovers defending saw Davies head wide when well-placed and then from a Djorkaeff corner the ball ricocheted around in the box and Nolan scored his second from no more than three yards.

Cole summed up Rovers second half performance shortly after, blazing wildly over the crossbar when Yorke fed him.

Bolton substitute Javi Moreno could have made matters worse with a low cross shot that flashed past the post.

By that time, the first half optimism had rapidly disappeared and Rovers tough struggle against dreaded relegation was further renewed.

Rovers: Friedel, Neill (Jansen 82), Babbel, Taylor, Gresko, Emerton, Tugay, Douglas (Danns 72), Gallagher (Baggio 63), Yorke, Cole. Subs not used: Enckelman, Johansson.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton (Moreno 68), Nolan, Campo, Frandsen (Stelios 31), Okocha, Djorkaeff, Davies (Pedersen 86). Subs not used: Poole, Barness.

Monday's Rovers World will bring you all the post match reaction.