Honours even at Turf Moor

03 August 2013 17:01

Darren Pratley's sweet first-half strike earned a 1-1 draw for Bolton against local rivals Burnley as their closely-fought battle raised the curtain on the new Championship season.

Pratley found space inside the area to fire home Chris Eagles' cutback and earn a share of the spoils after Danny Ings' deflected effort off David Wheater had put the Clarets into the lead.

The Clarets started last season with a win, and then lost their next three league matches but this time around it was they who made the early running in the Lancashire derby.

Kieran Trippier's long-range effort was the closest the home side, starting life without last season's top goalscorer Charlie Austin, came in the opening exchanges but his shot was claimed comfortably by Adam Bogdan.

Medo Kamara fired over from distance for the visitors on 18 minutes before the Clarets survived a shout for a penalty, Kevin Long tangling with Pratley.

The deadlock was broken on 26 minutes and it was the home side who took a deserved lead.

Striker Ings latched onto a Sam Vokes' flick racing past Wheater and bundling home via a deflection from the Wanderers' centre-back.

Bolton continued to probe with Lee Chung-yong and former Burnley winger Eagles finding plenty of room out wide

And they found themselves level on 37 minutes, Pratley slamming home from 12 yards out after a neat cut-back from Eagles.

That left honours even after an opening 45 minutes in which both sides enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to create much in the final third.

Source: PA