Bolton Wanderers have moved eight points clear of the relegation zone in the Championship after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Barnsley at Oakwell this afternoon.
Leicester City loanee Neil Danns, whose contract at the Reebok Stadium expires in two days, marked his final game for the Trotters with the winning goal as Dougie Freedman's men increased their chances of safety, while piling the pressure on bottom-placed Barnsley in the process.
Freedman thought he had watched his side take the lead on the half-hour mark, with Darren Pratley converting a Chris Eagles cross before the linesman ruled the effort out for offside.
The Tykes slowly grew into the game and could have gone ahead if not for the intervention of goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.
Lonergan did well to keep out a Bobby Hassell header, before reproducing his heroics shortly after to deny Jim O'Brien's 25-yard smash.
Pratley and Alex Baptiste both saw their respective efforts cleared off the line moments before the interval.
However, the Trotters saw their dominance rewarded midway through the second half, when Danns cut inside his marker before bending his effort beyond the reach of Luke Steele, and it proved enough for the visitors to claim all three points.
Shane Callaghan
