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The Everton centre-back scored his second goal in five Premier League appearances this season in the 89th minute just when Bolton appeared on course for a deserved point.

Nicolas Anelka, who signed a new four-year contract with Bolton this week, had volleyed home a 55th-minute equaliser as just reward for the home side's domination up to that point.

That cancelled out Ayegbeni Yakubu's 11th-minute opener as the striker made a perfect start to his Everton career following his £11.25million move from Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

It is now four defeats in five games for Bolton boss Sammy Lee, while Everton are hot on the heels of Merseyside rivals Liverpool at the top of the table.

Despite Bolton controlling the opening 10 minutes, they were soon caught on the counter, and in clinical fashion.

Breaking away down the right-hand side, the ball fell to Andy Johnson who first rode a sliding challenge from Gerald Cid before driving into the penalty area.

With Bolton's defence backtracking, the sidefoot pass to Yakubu to Johnson's left was an obvious and simple one and the Nigerian had no trouble in despatching the opener from eight yards, his 62nd goal in 154 Premier League appearances.

It was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Everton after that as the Trotters poured forward in search of an equaliser.

Mikel Alonso twice came close to hauling Bolton level during the opening 45 minutes, but from his first effort moments after Yakubu had struck, Tim Howard clawed away a 22-yard first-time drive.

The Spaniard, on loan from Real Sociedad, then came closer in the 40th minute when he unleashed a powerful angled drive that swerved away from the full-stretch Howard and crashed against the bar.

There also appeared to be a clear case for a penalty in the 14th minute when El Hadji Diouf was brought down in the area by Lee Carsley.

Referee Peter Walton instantly waved away appeals, much to Diouf's anger, only for replays to prove the Northamptonshire official was correct.

Diouf came close soon after but volleyed over the bar after trapping a Kevin Nolan flick-on on his chest.

Yet despite all the possession, and for the most part penning the visitors back inside their own half for long periods, Bolton came close to conceding a second just before the interval.

Jussi Jaaskelainen made his first save of the game, diving to his right to keep out a downward header from Joseph Yobo as he met a Mikel Arteta corner.

That was a rare moment of respite for Everton, as was the half-time interval because even after the break there was no let up in pressure from Bolton.

Finally the breakthrough came with Anelka rifling a right-foot volley in off the underside of the bar after Phil Jagielka had tried to clear a Diouf cross.

Bolton should then have taken the lead on the hour as another Diouf cross picked out Nolan at the far post, but he skewed his volley wide.

That prompted Thomas Gravesen's introduction just after the hour, the Dane making his second debut after signing on loan from Celtic yesterday.

He provided the through ball in the 73rd minute that should have led to Everton regaining the lead.

A mistake from Abdoulaye Meite helped the ball on its way to an unmarked Johnson.

But with only Jaaskelainen to beat, a recovering Meite did enough to thwart the England striker, whose eventual shot was pushed wide by the Finnish goalkeeper.

With the game end to end, Meite then forced a reaction save from Howard shortly after, prior to Leon Osman sidefooting over the bar from 12 yards.

Then just 75 seconds from the end of normal time Lescott grabbed the winner as he rose in between half-time sub Andy O'Brien and Jlloyd Samuel to nod home a Gravesen corner.

Sporting Life / Eurosport