Seventy nine days. Twelve games. One thousand and 80 minutes of football. The wait for a Villa victory goes on.

Not since February 7 have they experienced that winning feeling, ironically on their last trip to Lancashire when they defeated Blackburn 2-0.

Back then supporters were dreaming of the glamour trips to Milan and Madrid that Champions League football brings.

But it has been downhill ever since. Villa have forgotten how to win in this campaign’s closing stages and it could not have happened at a worse time.

Having taken the lead at the Reebok Stadium via newly-crowned PFA Young Player of the Year Ashley Young, the Villa of a couple of months back would have gone on to win comfortably.

But these days they lack the confidence and conviction to close out games. The Bolton equaliser which arrived via Tamir Cohen on the hour-mark appeared almost inevitable.

And, for the first time this season, once the scores were level there seemed to be a resignation about the players to their fate.

The message from the dressing room continues to be that no one has given up on fourth.

But actions speak louder than words, as the saying goes, and this time there was no rousing response that similar circumstances have provoked previously.

While this Villa team can never be accused of lacking effort or fighting spirit, it felt like there was no longer a cause to fight for. Unfortunately, what is Villa’s poorest run of form in two years has coincided with Arsenal’s best spell of the season and the glamour trips to fans dreamt of just a couple of months ago will have to wait for at least another year.

This latest draw, their third in succession, coupled with the Gunners’ win over Middlesbrough yesterday lea-ves the sides 10 points apart with just four games to go.

For Arsene Wenger’s side it will be the Champions League. For Martin O’Neill’s men it will be the Europa League.

But that does not mean this season should be viewed as a failure. On the contrary.

While a Champions League spot would have been a stunning achievement for O’Neill and his team this year, it would have come ahead of schedule.

A fifth-place finish remains on the cards and that would represent an improvement on last season’s sixth.

That is exactly the sort of step-by-step progress the club should be aiming for.

This recent run is sure to have given O’Neill food for thought. But it is unlikely to have told him anything he didn’t know already.

Just like last season, no team has used fewer players than Villa so adding to the depth of the squad is sure to be his intention.

What this Spring slump may have done is offered proof to owner Randy Lerner that significant strengthening this summer is still necessary.

Lerner has supported O’Neill in the transfer market in his three years at Villa Park and will need to do the same again if Villa are to compete with the likes of Everton and Tottenham in the spending stakes.

Top of his priorities will be strengthening a defence as he prepares for life without skipper Martin Laursen.

Everton’s Joleon Lescott fits the bill but will be difficult to prise away from Merseyside but Fulham’s Brede Hangeland looks a strong candidate, especially as talks over a new deal with the Cottagers have reportedly stalled.

Defence has been Villa’s downfall in recent weeks but that was not the case on Saturday – principally because they were so rarely tested.

Intention

Few if any teams have provided more entertainment in the Premier League this season than Villa – but this was a rare exception.

As a spectacle, the match was as poor as anything all term. Only the game at Hull in December came close.

It was clear a spark was missing within minutes of the kick-off and no one summed it up better than the misfiring Young who, goal aside, fluffed his lines with numerous free-kicks and crosses in front of the watching Fabio Capello.

Of Villa’s two wingers it was James Milner who made the more impressive impact and the £12m club record signing almost put Villa ahead on 21 minutes.

John Carew slid the ball across to Milner on the right side of the Wanderers area, he fooled his marker with the drop of a shoulder only to see his effort blocked by the alert Cohen.

The Trotters should have gone ahead in the 31st minute after Kevin Davies and Matt Taylor combined in a swift counter-attack.

Taylor delivered the ball into the path of ex-Birmingham City midfielder Fabrice Muamba but the ball got stuck under his feet in the six-yard area and Brad Friedel was able to smother.

It was a lucky escape.

And the home side were made to pay two minutes before the break.

By his own admission, Young’s intention was to cross the ball into the box but the delivery managed to miss everyone inside the area, including Trotters keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, and go in off the post.

It was his first goal in 2009 after going 18 games without a goal – his last ironically coming in the December’s 4-2 win over Gary Megson’s side.

Young’s recognition by his peers is further confirmation of his rising star but there are elements of the 23-year-old’s game he still needs to work on – one of them being goals.

He has scored eight this season but a player of his ability is capable of far more.

The second half was no better than the first but Bolton got their equaliser when Tamir Cohen lashed home Andrew O’Brien’s header across goal.

It was classic Bolton. A goal made in the skies.

Carew then did his best to win it, first seeing a delightful shot curl just beyond the post and then, with five minutes left, his header was tipped over.

But once again it was not to be, ensuring the wait for a win continues.

By Brendan McLoughlin.