Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from the Reebok Stadium

A stoppage-time goal from substitute Stelios sent Derby to a 1-0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium just as they looked set to take home a valuable and deserved point.

The Greek star headed home after a long clearance was not dealt with to leave the Rams marooned on seven points at the bottom of the table.

On another night they could have been looking at three as Craig Fagan forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into two fine saves, while Michael Johnson hit the crossbar from 20 yards.

But on a night when they also lost Jay McEveley to a knee ligament injury, one lapse in concentration was enough to ensure they also lost the game.

The Rams' plans were once again hit before the game as, after naming their team, they were forced to change things around on the bench as Marc Edworthy complained of feeling unwell, his place taken by Lee Holmes.

Michael Johnson was also among the substitutes with Darren Moore recalled to the centre of defence alongside Claude Davis, while Gary Teale came in for the injured Dean Leacock and Craig Fagan took over in attack after Steve Howard's departure.

A brisk wind was blowing through the Reebok Stadium but Derby had the first moment to warm them up with less than five minutes on the clock.

Jay McEveley had the ball at his feet deep inside his own half but released Fagan with an excellent ball that sent the front-man away from Abdoulaye Meite.

But Fagan was coming in at goal from a difficult angle and although he got a good shot away, Jussi Jaaskelainen stood firm to block with his chest.

Bolton were soon on the front foot however and forced a couple of corners, the second of which almost produced a goal as Meite rose well to meet El Hadji Diouf's delivery but headed just past the post.

But the game was settling down into a scrappy affair with both sets of players guilty of some mis-placed passes as the first-half ticked along.

However Derby were forced into a change on 20 minutes as their injury problems worsened with McEveley helped from the field after taking a knock in an earlier challenge with Kevin Davies.

His place at left-back was taken by Michael Johnson.

Indeed, even once the half-hour mark had passed, there had been very little goalmouth action to report on - though Bolton felt they should have had a penalty when Moore appeared to be leaning on Diouf as the Senegalese ace eyed a Davies cross.

Bolton's first real chance came on 32 as Diouf cleverly fed Anelka down the left and the Frenchman's cross was met by Kevin Nolan on the edge of the box, but the skipper's fierce volley went just over the bar.

Five minutes later Fagan forced Jaaskelainen into another flying save as he rose to get his head on Eddie Lewis's right-wing corner.

Then Johnson curled a 20-yarder against the crossbar - with his right foot - as Derby kept up the pressure, and when Fagan glanced a near-post header into the side-netting it looked to the Rams' fans, at the other end of the ground, that their side had finally taken the lead.

They hadn't, but they were certainly enjoying a good spell with five minutes to go before half-time.

Davies was eventually cautioned two minutes before the interval after catching Tyrone Mears, this following the earlier challenge on McEveley and another on Lewis.

Lewis Price's first save of the night arrived with seconds of the first 45 remaining as he dived low to his right and kept out an effort from Diouf, who had cut in from the right and set his sights on the far corner.

The early scrappiness had disappeared towards the end of the half and the final chance went to Bolton with Nolan looking set to steal in on a Davies header, only for Darren Moore to guide him away to safety.

Wanderers introduced Christian Wilhelmsson for the second half, ahead of Davies, but the first opportunity went Derby's way as a free-kick move resulted in Matt Oakley firing wide from the edge of the box.

Wilhelmsson, impressive as a substitute at Pride Park back in September, made a couple of dangerous darting runs and was also on the receiving end of a challenge from Mears that earned the Derby man a caution on 55 minutes.

Giles Barnes cleared a Meite header over his own bar shortly before the hour as Bolton forced a flurry of right-wing corners, though their spell came to an end with Nolan shooting safely wide of the near post.

But the home side, with Ivan Campo growing more and more influential in the middle of the park, should have done better on 64 as Joey O'Brien made ground down the right and pulled the ball back for Danny Guthrie, who blazed over from 14 yards.

That was the cue for Derby to take off Teale and throw on Jon Macken, with Fagan moving out to the right.

Almost immediately Diouf had the ball in the back of the Derby net but he was pulled back for offside before he lifted his close-range shot past Price.

Nicolas Anelka, largely quiet so far, was next to threaten with a powerful effort from just outside the box that Price tipped over via the top of the crossbar.

But Derby seemed to have ridden the storm well, particularly with an extra outlet for holding the ball up in attack with Macken making his presence felt among the Bolton defensive ranks.

However they had the most almighty escape on 78.

Diouf looked close to being offside but was allowed to go on and fire an inviting low cross right in front of goal, where it was met by Nolan no more than two yards out, but with the home faithful ready to acclaim 'goal' there was disbelief as Nolan somehow steered his shot well over the bar.

That was Nolan's last act, much to the delight of the vast majority of the Reebok Stadium's lowest-ever Premier League crowd, as he was replaced by Stelios with nine minutes left.

Four minutes later Derby made their final change as Benny Feilhaber took over from Fagan.

But criminally, the Rams went to sleep in stoppage-time and were punished.

Jaaskelainen hoofed a long ball forward that was allowed to bounce some five yards outside the box, where Stelios nipped in.

The substitute still had plenty to do but touched it past the on-rushing Price and nodded it into an empty net.

Miller saw a shot saved by Jaaskelainen and Feilhaber headed the resulting corner over but Derby were left counting the cost of yet another late goal.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Nolan (C) (Stelios 81), Meite, Campo, Gardner, Davies (Wilhelmsson HT), Guthrie, Diouf, J O'Brien, A O'Brien, Anelka.

SUBSTITUTES: Al Habsi (GK), Samuel, Michalik.

DERBY: Price, McEveley (Johnson 20), Oakley (C), Fagan (Feilhaber 85), Miller, Lewis, Teale (Macken 64), Davis, Moore, Mears, Barnes.

SUBSTITUTES: Hinchliffe (GK), Holmes.

ATTENDANCE: 17,014.