Substitute Kevin Phillips' looked to have secured a deserved 1-1 draw for Alex McLeish's Blues, before Bolton snatched a last gasp winner at St. Andrew's.

The visitors took the lead as early as the tenth minute through Tamir Cohen, before Phillips levelled the scores on 84 minutes with a superbly taken effort.

But Bolton secured all three points just minutes later through Chung-Yong Lee after Blues had failed to defend a free kick and he pounced from close range.

Alex McLeish made two changes to side which started against Hull in Blues' last league game.

Seb Larsson returned in place of Gary McSheffrey and Gregory Vignal came back in for the injured Stuart Parnaby.

Prior to kick off a video montage showing the club's achievements over the past 16 years under the stewardship of the outgoing board was played on the big screen and was met with a round of applause from the St. Andrew's crowd.

The game kicked off in bright sunshine and just two minutes in Blues were given a scare when Joe Hart left his area to head the ball out of play.

Unfortunately he failed to find touch and Ivan Klasnic looped the ball back over the Blues keeper, but thankfully for Hart it landed on top of his net.

Blues began to put the visitors under pressure and forced two corners in the space of a minute.

But then against the run of play Bolton took the lead on the ten minutes through Cohen.

Bolton launched a long throw in deep into the Blues area from the right hand side of the pitch.

Kevin Davies rose above his marker to the nod the ball on and Cohen had acres of space as he took aim and headed the ball past a flailing Hart.

Bolton were comfortably soaking up the pressure at this point and were looking to hit Blues on the counter attack.

On the half hour mark Blues created their best chance of the game so far.

Lee Bowyer fed Gregory Vignal on the left wing and the Frenchman took the ball past his man before whipping a deep cross into the box.

The on-running Teemu Tainio leapt in the air before letting fly with a half scissor-kick volley which flew just two yards past the post.

It should have honours even just four minutes later, and it would have been but for Jussi Jaaskelainen who produced a superb save low down at his near post to keep Barry Ferguson's effort out of the net.

Buoyed by these chances Blues began to stamp their authority on the proceedings and started to enjoy their best spell of the game.

On 39 minutes Keith Fahey let rip with a terrific shot which came back off the bar and fell to Tainio who smashed it over from 25 yards out.

With half time approaching former Blues midfielder Fabrice Muamba made a mess of clearing the ball from inside his own box and Ferguson swooped with a low shot that skewed just wide of the base of Jaaskelainen's post.

Half time: Blues 0 Bolton 1

Blues began the second period of the game brightly and created a chance within a minute of the restart when Chucho shot from 20 yards, but his effort was comfortably saved.

Gary Megson made his first change of the game when Chung-Yong Lee came on for Croatian Ivan Klasnic.

On 58 minutes a neat header down from Chucho fell nicely into the path of Lee Bowyer on the edge of area, but the midfielder was unable to keep his shot down and blasted over.

Blues were given a scare just on the hour mark as substitute Lee rounded Hart but fortunately he was at such an acute angle he was unable to slide the ball into an unguarded net.

On 61 minutes McLeish opted to move to a 4-4-2 formation as he brought Garry O'Connor into the proceedings in place of midfielder Tainio.

Roger Johnson was given the first yellow card of the game on 64 minutes, after Referee Steve Bennett appeared to take exception to something he said.

Substitution number two for Bolton came about on 71 minutes when former Villa man Gavin McCann replaced Ricardo Gardner.

Within seconds of his introduction McCann almost doubled his side's lead as he sprang the Blues offside trap, but Hart did brilliantly to spread to his body and block his close range shot

In a bold move McLeish took of full back Gregory Vignal on 76 minutes as he threw on another striker in the form of Kevin Phillips in an attempt to get something from the game.

With minutes of the game remaining an excellently taken Phillips' goal looked to have earned Blues a deserved draw.

Phillips cut across the front of the Bolton box before letting go with a low nicely hit shot that nestled in the corner of the net.

But Blues hearts were broken on 87 minutes when Bolton snatched a last gasp winner.

Blues conceded a free kick in a dangerous position 20 yards out after Seb Larsson caught Davies with a clumsy challenge.

Matthew Taylor struck the dead ball sweetly, but it cannoned back off the post to Lee just three yards out and he made no mistake in stabbing the ball home.

Full time: Blues 1 Bolton 2

Blues: Joe Hart, Stephen Carr, Lee Bowyer, Sebastian Larsson, Chucho, Barry Ferguson, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Keith Fahey, Gregory Vignal (Kevin Phillips 76), Teemu Tainio (Garry O'Connor 61).
Subs not used: Maik Taylor, Liam Ridgewell, Giovanny Espinoza, Gary McSheffrey, Lee Carsley.
Bookings: Johnson (64), Carr (74)

Bolton: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Davies, Ivan Klasnic (Chung-Yong Lee 54), JLloyd Samuel, Fabrice Muamba, Matthew Taylor, Tamir Cohen, Gary Cahill, Samuel Ricketts, Zat Knight, Ricardo Gardner (Gavin McCann 71).
Subs not used: Ali Al Habsi, Andy O'Brien, Matrk Davies, Johan Elmander, Gretar Steinsson.

Download the official team sheet here Blues v Bolton team sheet

Bookings: Samuel (79)

Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent).

Attendance: 28, 671