James Bree, Lewis Dobbin and Leo Scienza all squandered chances as Southampton dropped points at home for the first time this season with a 0-0 draw against Bolton.

The trio all wasted tap-ins, while Saints were also left bereft by a penalty not being given for a Ruben Rodrigues handball.

Bolton, on the back of away wins at Wolves and Norwich, could have claimed the three points themselves through Sam Dalby or Rodrigues.

But they made it 11 matches, spread over 25 years, without tasting defeat against Southampton, who have not lost at St Mary's for 18 games.

Bolton held a disciplined high line which frustrated the hosts' attacking attempts, with seven offsides called against Saints in the first half.

They only got into the Trotters' box three times despite dominating possession, but the first occasion saw Leo Scienza squander a golden chance.

James Bree produced a perfect cutback for Scienza, but the Brazilian could not keep his effort down.

The visitors' tight-knit defence refused to allow another such chance in the first half as Southampton were restricted to half-moments.

Scienza drilled a 30-yard shot straight at former Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu while Larin could not quite get a touch on Scienza's in-swinging cross before the Canadian poked over via a deflection.

In fact, Wanderers forced the best save of the half two minutes before the break, when Thierry Gale's fierce drive was denied by Daniel Peretz's training hand.

The second half started off far more end-to-end; Xavier Simon's low shot bounced off Jack Stephens and narrowly wide.

And then at the other end, Lewis Dobbin - who replaced Larin before half-time, fired past the post when sent clean in behind by Scienza.

The hosts were denied a penalty by referee Matt Donohue when Scienza's cross from the left was blocked by the upraised hand of Rodrigues.

Bolton looked the more likely side to break the deadlock as they had three massive attacks.

Striker Sam Dalby's flicked header from a free-kick required a push over by Peretz and Rodrigues capitalised on some slack passing out from the back but saw his low effort deflected wide.

And Peretz pulled off a point-blank save to block out Josh Sheehan after the midfielder had bundled his way through the box.

Saints had their own golden chance in the 80th minute but Dobbin shinned a centre wide to set up a grandstand final 10 minutes, where both teams could sense three points but neither could take them.

Bree will have nightmares about his 84th-minute miss. He had the penalty box to himself, after Scienza's ball into the middle, but scuffed off-target to the whole ground's disbelief.

The managers

Southampton's Tonda Eckert:

"There was a very clear situation on the cross and I think it is a clear penalty.

"The fourth official said that he thought he touched it with his head. I've got nothing to add.

"There is no point in talking about referees. In the end we are Southampton and we need to find a way to beat Bolton at home.

"I will look in the mirror at myself; there are probably a couple of decisions that I could have made better that could have won us the game.

"I have my opinion on some of the decisions but it doesn't help if I talk about that."

Bolton's Steven Schumacher:

"It was a massive effort from us to get something from the game.

"We had to be really organised and disciplined to try and frustrate them as well as we could, but also be a threat when we had the ball.

"We created enough goalscoring opportunities to maybe nick one.

"Someone has told me that us and Millwall are the only teams not to concede a goal here, so that shows how much of an effort it has taken. It is also the first time they have dropped points at home.

"On another day we could have taken all the three points, but I'm not naive to know that we could have lost the game if a decision had gone for them - I think it should have been a penalty.

"We got away with one today and across this season we will need that bit of luck every now and again.

"We are playing well. We are standing up against opposition and competing - that is all you can ask for from a newly promoted team."