Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Derby's bid to move off the bottom of the table ended in frustration as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers.

Kenny Miller's second goal in a Rams shirt had given them a good start but a deflected Nicolas Anelka effort levelled matters shortly after the half-hour.

Billy Davies's side had plenty of the ball and Miller saw two chances go begging after the break - one a fine save by Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Stephen Bywater produced a couple of smart stops to deny the visitors all three points at the other end while Anelka also smashed a shot against the crossbar.

David Jones made only his second Premier League start of the season and Jay McEveley was also recalled to the first XI for the visit of the side immediately ahead of Derby at kick-off.

Andy Griffin dropped to the bench to accommodate McEveley's return while the inclusion of Jones meant a slightly re-shaped midfield with Gary Teale missing out.

There was another appearance among the substitutes too for Giles Barnes, following his 15-minute cameo at Arsenal the previous week.

The first opportunity fell Stephen Pearson's way as he strode forward through the centre in his powerful style but couldn't get enough purchase on his shot.

Matt Oakley found his range from 25 yards with a low effort that Jussi Jaaskelainen grabbed comfortably as Derby's bright start continued, though David Jones saw yellow on seven minutes for a late challenge on Gary Speed.

The midfielder was warned again by referee Rob Styles five minutes later after clattering into Nicolas Anelka in a dangerous position.

Speed's free-kick was deflected wide off Oakley for a corner that Derby eventually saw to safety.

And with 18 on the clock the Rams were in front as their two front-men combined to great effect.

Tyrone Mears chipped a ball forward that Steve Howard chested down and drove across the box for Kenny Miller to side-foot the ball home from 14 yards.

It was just what Derby were looking for as they bounce back from the defeat at Arsenal and Billy Davies will be delighted to see the pair linking together well.

El-Hadji Diouf cut in from the right in search of a response for Bolton on 26 but all he could find was the willing hands of Stephen Bywater after the Senegalese star hit a weak shot.

Joey O'Brien, seconds after firing wide from the edge of the box, was the next player to go into the book after a lunge on Eddie Lewis, though Bolton defended Derby's set-piece well.

But the movement of Anelka was looking the visitors' biggest danger and he levelled matters up on 31 minutes - though the Rams can count themselves unlucky.

The Frenchman did well to hold on to the ball just outside the box and smashed in a low shot that looked bound for Bywater's grasp before an unfortunate deflection off Dean Leacock sent it spinning away to the corner.

Bolton were lifted by the goal but Howard and Miller worked together on 39 as the number nine sent his Scottish colleague scampering away on a flick but Jaaskelainan was out quickly to clear.

At the other end a bit of indecision in the Derby defence led to Kevin Nolan nipping in but the Bolton skipper could only find the side-netting from a narrow angle.

Miller was denied a second goal just three minutes after the break thanks to a brilliant Jaaskelainen save after McEveley broke down the left and crossed low to the edge of the six-yard box.

Either side of the Finnish shot-stopper and Derby would surely have been back in front.

There was an escape for right-back O'Brien, too, as - already on a caution - he caught Pearson during the build-up with a wild late lunge that could easily have earned him more punishment.

Derby had opened the second half well with Lewis looking especially dangerous down the left, and the American's trickery led to another chance for Miller but this time the Scot blazed over at the far post.

Though they had an escape just after the hour after Diouf showed great feet on the right and slid a wonderful low ball across the box that was just begging to be smashed in to the net - thankfully no Bolton players read the pass.

Giles Barnes returned to Pride Park action on 63 minutes to a great reception from the home faithful as he took over from Jones.

The teenager moved up to the advanced role behind Howard and Miller that Pearson had previously occupied.

Substitute Christian Wilhelmsson should have done better than fire into Bywater's arms on 66 minutes as the Rams went to sleep following a quick Bolton throw-in on the left.

Bolton's pace on the break was a worry to Derby with Diouf the next to threaten as Bywater dived smartly to grab his header from a Ricardo Gardner cross.

Derby then made ground down the left and Lewis delivered another fine cross that Howard couldn't quite reach as he stretched at the far post.

McEveley saw yellow for a 74th-minute foul on Daniel Braaten out on the right wing, though of even more frustration to Derby was Bywater also picking up a caution for racing over to Styles and voicing his disagreement.

And Derby had an amazing quadruple escape on 77 minutes.

Wilhelmsson fired in a powerful shot that Bywater turned away, only for Anelka to smash the rebound against the cross bar and Pearson scramble Nolan's effort off the line as the ball dropped.

Eventually the ball was cleared but it soon came back in and Braaten side-footed over from close-range.

Gary Teale took over from Lewis on 83 as the Rams looked to get the goal that would surely lift them off the bottom of the table.

Diouf went into the book for lunging at Pearson, seconds after feeling a tackle on him by the Scot should have resulted in a free-kick to Bolton, and McEveley's delivery found the head of Howard but the ball dropped safely over the bar.

That was the last chance of the game from Derby's point of view, but there was still time for an Anelka cross skim just in front of Diouf's head with the goal gaping.

DERBY: Bywater, Mears, Leacock, Davis, McEveley, Jones (Barnes 63), Oakley, Pearson, Lewis (Teale 83), Howard, Miller.

SUBS: Earnshaw, Griffin, Moore.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, J O'Brien (Braaten 70), Meite, A O'Brien, Gardner, Nolan (C), Campo, Speed (McCann 61), Diouf, Anelka, Davies (Wilhelmsson 58).

SUBS: Al Habsi (GK), Stelios.

ATTENDANCE: 31,503 (1,479 visiting fans).