IT’S ALL about slide rules and permutations now. After a manic, no-holds-barred, no-finesse-shown draw, Hull City find themselves with a cushion of one place and one point with one game to play. Fascinatingly, that game is at home to Manchester United, three days before the Champions League final. Win it and Hull stay up. Lose it and they may not go down.

“We deserved three points,” claimed Phil Brown, Hull’s manager, and a former Bolton player and assistant manager. “We played must-win football today, but after what happened to Newcastle a draw isn’t such a bad result. Next week means tough preparation for a tough game, but the rewards are so great.”

It should never have come to this. When Chelsea went to Humberside in the dying days of October, Hull were seeking their fifth consecutive victory and there was careless talk of a tilt at the European windmill. Chelsea left Humberside with a 3-0 victory and since then Hull have won just two more Premier League games. Almost palpably tense, Hull yesterday scurried hither and thither, hoping for a moment of magic or of good fortune, but certainly something better than Manucho miskicking George Boateng’s cross when ideally placed 10 yards out, 11 minutes in.

In contrast, Bolton played with the freedom of those about to be mathematically redeemed and, having played fewer games than any club in the land, they were as fresh as if it were September. They weren’t pretty and neither was their goal, which stemmed from Manucho sloppily surrendering possession in Bolton’s penalty area. White shirts swarmed forwards until Johan Elmander found Fabrice Muamba, who squared for Matthew Taylor, whose blocked shot fell to Gretar Steinsson. The Icelander’s drive was hardly unstoppable but it evaded Michael Turner’s casually stretched-out heel and went under Boaz Myhill and into the far corner.

Bloodied but unbowed, Hull tore forwards and created golden chances but hapless Manucho hooked over and unmarked Nick Barmby headed wide. Bolton waited for the moment to strike again and almost did so in the 36th minute when Myhill brilliantly pawed aside Elmander’s low drive and again in first-half stoppage time when Craig Fagan bundled Gary Cahill’s header off the line.

Two minutes after the restart, Hull were handed their slice of luck and, like Bolton’s, their goal began in the opposition penalty area. Muamba sliced a simple chance into Myhill’s arms and the goalkeeper rolled the ball to Richard Garcia, who punted a long ball forwards. Danny Shittu — far from mobile after tangling with Manucho early on — stumbled and Fagan took advantage, tucking the equaliser past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

With nothing to lose but their Premier League status, Hull slung men forward. Shittu and Cahill almost conceded own goals, Barmby hit the post, but when Bolton pressed, Andy Dawson hacked Shittu’s dangerous deflected header off the line.

“We only want one more,” demanded the travelling hordes. It should have arrived in the 75th minute when Jaaskelainen parried Geovanni’s swerving shot. Dean Marney nipped in, rounded the Finn and rolled the ball wide. Then Hull were denied by two moments of Jaaskelainen brilliance, first when he got down to turn Daniel Cousin’s header up and onto the bar and then when he stopped Fagan’s header wide.

Star man: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton)

Yellow cards: Bolton: Samuel; Hull: Dawson, Boateng

Referee: P Walton

Attendance: 25,085

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen 8, Steinsson 6, Cahill 7, Shittu 6, Samuel 6, Taylor 6 (Riga 82min), Muamba 7 (Basham 82min), McCann 6, M Davies 6, K Davies 7, Elmander 5 (Makukula 89min)

HULL: Myhill 6, Ricketts 6, Turner 6, Kilbane 6, Garcia 6, Boateng 6, Barmby 6 (Marney 72min), Fagan 7, Manucho 4 (Halmosi 83min), Geovanni 5 (Cousin 77min)